15th Apr 2017 Rangers 2 Partick Thistle 0 (SPFL Premiership - game 33)

matches:2016-17: ← 45game 4647 →

	Pedro Caixinha	Alan Archibald	39y, 9m, 2d

		David Amoo; Ade Azeez
		Chris Erskine; Kris Doolan

Kenny Miller (0-1, 39 mins); Jon Toral (0-2, 54 mins)
James Tavernier (0-1, 39 mins); Emerson Hyndman (0-2, 54 mins)
		Chris Erskine; Kevin Nisbet

Barrie McKay (Joe Dodoo, HT); Martyn Waghorn (Joe Garner, 75 mins); Jon Toral (Andy Halliday, 84 mins)		David Amoo (Chris Erskine, 49 mins); Ade Azeez (Kris Doolan, 55 mins); Steven Lawless (Kevin Nisbet, 73 mins)

	Wes Foderingham	Tomáš Černý	32y, 0m, 5d
	James Tavernier	Mustapha Dumbuya	29y, 8m, 8d
	Danny Wilson	Christie Elliott	25y, 10m, 20d
	Jon Toral	Liam Lindsay	21y, 6m, 3d
	future Jag Kenny Miller	Danny Devine	24y, 7m, 8d
	Barrie McKay	Niall Keown	22y, 0m, 10d
	Emerson Hyndman	Adam Barton	26y, 3m, 8d
	Jason Holt	David Amoo	26y, 0m, 2d
	David Bates	Ade Azeez	23y, 3m, 7d
	Martyn Waghorn	Ryan Edwards	23y, 4m, 29d
	Myles Beerman	Steven Lawless	26y, 0m, 3d

			25y, 6m, 7d

	Jak Alnwick	Mark Ridgers	26y, 8m, 6d
	Joe Garner	Kris Doolan	30y, 4m, 4d
	Josh Windass	Chris Erskine	30y, 2m, 7d
	Joe Dodoo	Neil McLaughlin	18y, 5m, 9d
	Andy Halliday	Kevin Nisbet	20y, 1m, 7d
	future Jag Lee Hodson	Andy McCarthy	18y, 5m, 26d
	Aidan Wilson	Mark Lamont	19y, 1m, 21d

notes

Thistle generally in playing order, opposition in squad number order.

TTA report

Thistle (admittedly carrying injuries) never looked likely as Rangers won easily. Apart from the first scrappy 20 minutes, Rangers ran the show. A header from a cross (39) put them ahead then Edwards went close. The defence was split open for the 2nd (54). Cerny's excellent saves kept the score down.

Media report

15-Apr-2017, bbc.com

Rangers scored either side of half-time to beat Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership. Myles Beerman, Jon Toral and Danny Wilson all threatened for the hosts before Kenny Miller headed them in front. Toral then scored from Emerson Hyndman's pass soon after the break. Hyndman, Martyn Waghorn and Miller had further efforts saved by Tomas Cerny, while the Jags rarely troubled their hosts. The Ibrox side, who are third in the table, are five games unbeaten under manager Pedro Caixinha and face Celtic in next Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final.

Alan Archibald's Jags will finish in the Premiership's top six for the first time and take on Hearts at Tynecastle in two weeks' time. After a quiet opening spell, the hosts gradually took control with teenage left-back Beerman having two efforts deflected away and Toral's shot cleared off the line by Mustapha Dumbuya. Wilson also tested Cerny with a header, the Thistle goalkeeper making a fine block. Miller had scored Rangers' opener in last week's 3-0 win at Aberdeen and it was down to the experienced striker to do so again, nodding James Tavernier's cross back across goal and into the net. Hyndman could have doubled the advantage but was foiled by Cerny. But the Czech keeper was soon beaten by Toral's strike, which followed some impressive set-up work between the Spaniard and Hyndman. Cerny later denied Waghorn and Miller to round off a fine individual performance.

Thistle's best efforts were a first-half Ryan Edwards shot and strikes by Chris Erskine and Kevin Nesbit in the second period but Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham had a much quieter afternoon than his opposite number. Caxinha's side will now prepare for back-to-back Old Firm matches, with next weekend's Hampden encounter followed by Celtic's league visit to Ibrox on 29 April. The win over Thistle kept Rangers within nine points of second-placed Aberdeen and took them nine clear of St Johnstone with five games to play. The sides finishing second and third will secure Europa League qualifying places for next season and the Dons can now finish no lower than third.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald (speaking to the BBC):

I'm frustrated by the level of our performance. Rangers were good, but we made it easy for them. Apart from the first 20 minutes, when we competed with them, our use of the ball was really poor. It showed that only 10 guys had trained during the week. That really hampered our preparations and, in the end, we looked like strangers when we were in possession. We are well aware of the danger of letting the season drift away now that we have achieved top six. We know they are hard fixtures, but you can still go and compete.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha (speaking to the BBC):

This team is always ready to beat anyone and Celtic is going to be the next one. The approach to the game is going to be different - it's an Old Firm game, a knock-out game and I like the strategic side of the game, so I'm looking forward to preparing for it. I just hope to have 11 warriors starting the game. I am not totally happy about our performance defending. Normally, we see the result and we see zero goals in Kilmarnock, zero goals at Aberdeen and zero goals against Partick. But I know that we need to improve a lot in defending as a team and not only the back four or the goalkeeper himself. It's also true we are not letting the opponent create so many clear chances against us, which is good, but I want more, so I want more collective performances defending and need to keep working on it.

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