Ten-man Rangers draw at Kilmarnock

Rangers held on for a goalless draw at Kilmarnock on Saturday after Pedro Mendes and boss Walter Smith were sent off.

Portuguese midfielder Mendes saw red for two bookings before half-time and Ibrox manager Smith was sent to the stands for protesting too aggressively against the decision.

But despite playing for 45 minutes with 10 men, the Scottish champions – who have now drawn their last two league matches – were able to withstand severe Kilmarnock pressure to maintain their unbeaten record.

Their cause was helped when Killie’s Manuel Pascali was dismissed for a second booking nine minutes from full-time.

Veteran defender David Weir returned to the Rangers line-up after he missing the midweek Champions League draw in Stuttgart through injury, while midfielder Lee McCulloch was deployed at centre-half in place of the suspended Madjid Bougherra.

Kilmarnock had the first sight of goal when Craig Bryson picked out Conor Sammon, but the big striker’s close-range effort was kept out by Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

Mendes then picked up a harsh yellow card for clipping the heels of Bryson as Rangers struggling to get going.

There was a lack of cohesion about their play which was summed up when Steven Naismith shot wildly over after John Fleck’s free-kick rebounded into his path.

Naismith wasted a much better chance moments later when a point-blank shot was blocked by the legs of Kilmarnock goalkeeper Mark Brown.

With half-time fast approaching, Naismith was threatening again, this time running on to a Steven Davis ball only to be denied by Brown, who raced off his line to claim.

The game erupted two minutes from the interval when Mendes picked up a second yellow card for another foul on Bryson and Smith was sent to the stand for his reaction in the dug-out.

Danny Invincibile wasted a golden opportunity to open the scoring soon after the break when his close-range header was blocked by McGregor. Invincibile pounced on the rebound but hooked his shot over the crossbar.

The hosts were turning the screw now and only the woodwork denied Jamie Hamill, when his swerving effort crashed off the inside of the post and back into play.

With nine minutes to go, Kilmarnock were also reduced to ten men when Pascali picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Davis.

But Killie could still have snatched a winner at the last when McGregor did well to parry a close-range volley from Sammon.