17th Apr 2004 Rangers 2 Partick Thistle 0 (Scottish Premier League - game 33)

matches:2003-04: ← 43game 4445 →

Match Information

			Alex McLeish		Derek Whyte			35y, 7m, 17d
					Gerry Britton			33y, 5m, 28d
					no changes
					no changes
Steven Thompson (0-1, 40 mins); Gavin Rae (0-2, 49 mins)
Steven Thompson					Derek Fleming
Mikel Arteta (Stephen Hughes, 62 mins); Steven Thompson (Ronald de Boer, 62 mins); Gavin Rae (Alex Walker, 83 mins)					Jean-Yves Anis (Willie Howie, 61 mins); James Grady (Gerry Britton, 76 mins); John Paul McBride (Stephane Bonnes, 85 mins)
			Allan McGregor		Jamie Langfield			24y, 3m, 26d
			Alan Hutton		Grant Murray			28y, 7m, 19d
			Frank De Boer		Jamie Mitchell			27y, 5m, 11d
			Zurab Khizanishvili		David Rowson			27y, 7m, 3d
			Michael Ball		John Paul McBride			25y, 4m, 20d
			Fernando Ricksen		James Grady			33y, 1m, 3d
			Gavin Rae		Derek Fleming			30y, 4m, 12d
			Chris Burke		Andy Thomson			33y, 0m, 16d
			Mikel Arteta		Jean-Yves Anis			23y, 4m, 18d
			Michael Mols		Billy Gibson			22y, 8m, 16d
			Steven Thompson		Adrian Madaschi			21y, 9m, 6d
								27y, 0m, 24d
			Lee Robinson		Kenny Arthur			25y, 4m, 10d
			Paolo Vanoli		Daniele Chiarini			25y, 0m, 6d
			Ronald De Boer		Willie Howie			21y, 9m, 8d
			Stephen Hughes		Gerry Britton			33y, 5m, 28d
			Alex Walker		Stephane Bonnes			26y, 1m, 22d

Match Report

TTA report

There was never any danger of a shock. Thistle's 1st shot on goal went over the bar half way through the second half. Rangers bundled the ball over the line for their 1st (40) and the defence was opened up for their 2nd (49). Langfield had some fine saves. Lots of effort wasn't enough against a much better team.

Media report

17-Apr-2004, bbc.com

Rangers ensured Celtic would have to wait at least another day to clinch the league title with a straight-forward win over Partick Thistle. Steven Thompson opened the scoring late in the first half when he reacted quickest to Alan Hutton's knock-down to prod the ball past Jamie Langfield. The home side made the points safe shortly after the break when Gavin Rae powered a shot in at the near post. Struggling Thistle failed to test young Alan McGregor in the Rangers goal.

Rangers first threatened after 10 minutes when a glancing header from Michael Mols was tipped over by Langfield. Zurab Khizanishvili was then given plenty of space from the resulting corner, but his header was blocked. Rae came within inches of opening the scoring in the 28th minute, when he fizzed a left-foot shot through a crowd of players and just past the post. Six minutes before the break, the home side went ahead. A free kick from the right was only partially cleared and Thompson stretched to poke the ball into the net after Alan Hutton had headed back across goal. Rangers almost doubled their lead when Mikel Arteta won a free kick on the edge of the box. He picked himself up to curl the ball round the wall only for Langfield to dive full length to touch it round the post.

Hutton was also the provider for Rangers' second goal, which came four minutes after the interval. He played a perfect pass into the path of Rae, who blasted the ball past Langfield at his front post. Moments later, Langfield dashed off his line to help Grant Murray prevent Mols from adding to the home side's tally. Rae could have added another with just under 10 minutes to play after good build-up work involving Ronald de Boer and Stephen Hughes, but his curling shot went wide. Ronald de Boer then brought out a good save from Langfield with a beautifully judged lob in the closing minutes - a rare moment of class in a poor game.

Video Highlights

(credit: BBC Scotland )

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Stats Watch

● 33-year-old Andy Thomson plays his last game for Thistle.

ongoing sequences:

● 7 competitive away games without a win; 24th Jan 2004 to date. (Longest run since: 7 games; 27th Sep 2003 to 3rd Jan 2004. Club-record: 25 games; 20th Apr 1908 to 28th Aug 1909.)

● 17 away League games without a win; 16th Aug 2003 to date. (Longest run since: 17 games; 16th Sep 1989 to 25th Aug 1990. Club-record: 26 games; 20th Mar 1935 to 29th Aug 1936.)

● 33 consecutive competitive appearances for Grant Murray, 20th Sep 2003 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Alex Burns - 48 games, 27th Mar 2002 to 24th May 2003. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

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