Rangers ride storm to reclaim top spot

Two goals in two minutes helped Rangers return to the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen on Saturday.

But the match was overshadowed by two controversial decisions made by retiring referee Stuart Dougal which reduced both sides to ten men.

Aberdeen defender Ricky Foster turned Kenny Miller’s cross past his own keeper to open the scoring in the second-half before the Scotland striker headed in Nacho Novo’s corner two minutes later.

Dons substitute Michael Paton pulled one back but the Ibrox side held on to go three points clear and pile the pressure on rivals Celtic, who play Hibernian on Sunday.

But Dougal’s decision to send Charlie Mulgrew and Madjid Bougherra off in the first-half looked harsh.

Dougal, who will retire at the end of the season, was already at the centre of a storm following Tuesday’s Celtic and Dundee United game when he missed a high challenge from Australian Scott McDonald on Lee Wilkie and questions will be asked why he was allowed to handle such a high profile game.

Rangers manager Walter Smith was bemused by both sending offs.

“I was disappointed with my own player’s reaction to the first ordering off and obviously we will have to have words with Kyle (Lafferty, who was involved in the sending off of Mulgrew).

“But the second ordering off was an incredible one.

“Obviously we would have liked one or two more goals but we didn’t do so. We were pleased to win it, especially in the circumstances of the games.”

Jimmy Calderwood hoped his players could learn from their defeat.

“I felt with ten men we did really well and Rangers were nervous,” the Aberdeen boss said. “I was proud of them but we’ve lost again.”

Aberdeen had their defenders to thank early on with Foster timing his tackle in the box on Miller superbly to stop the striker just as he was about to shoot and Javan Vidal clearing a Miller cross from the right with Lafferty lurking at the back post.

The Dons were controversially reduced to ten men with 17 minutes gone when former Celtic player Mulgrew got his marching orders.

The defender reacted angrily to a foul by Northern Ireland international Lafferty on the touchline and leaned in with his head, but didn’t appear to make contact with the winger.

Rangers came close to opening the scoring on the half hour mark when a powerful Steven Davis drive was deflected past Jamie Langfield and onto the post by Sasa Papac.

Referee Dougal then showed the red card to Bougherra in the 39th minute after consultation with his assistant referee.

The Algerian slid in and made contact with keeper Langfield on the face with his studs as he chased down a ball in the box but there didn’t appear to be any malice.

In the 43rd minute, Peter Pawlett fired in a fierce shot from the edge of the box which produced a superb fingertip save from Neil Alexander with the teenager’s shot heading for the top corner.

Both teams struggled to adapt in the second-half with Novo and Barry Ferguson coming off the bench for what was the former Rangers captain’s first appearance since March 21.

Rangers took the lead in the 66th minute. Miller raced down the left-wing and fired a cross into the box which Foster turned in past his own keeper.

The Gers doubled their lead two minutes later through Miller.

The Scotland striker got in front of his marker Foster to head home Novo’s cross.

Aberdeen never gave up and Gary McDonald hit the bar with a shot before sub Paton spun away from David Weir in the box to finish low past Alexander to make it 2-1.

Bottom club St Mirren leapfrogged Falkirk with a vital 2-0 win over the Bairns.

Motherwell defeated Hamilton 3-0, Kilmarnock won 1-0 against Inverness Caledonian Thistle while Hearts secured third spot with a 3-0 thrashing of Dundee United.