Hamilton Academical vs Rangers. Scottish Premiership.
The HopeCBD StadiumAttendance5,013.
Steven Gerrard's side move fifth in table
Wednesday 15 April 2020 09:30, UK
Two late James Tavernier penalties saw Rangers record their first Scottish Premiership away win since February with a 4-1 victory at Hamilton on Sunday.
It took the visitors until four minutes before half-time to take the lead as Ryan Kent latched on to Alfredo Morelos' through ball to score his third goals in his last five games.
However, Steven Boyd's stunning strike brought Hamilton level with 10 minutes to go, only for Tavernier to convert two penalties (84 and 87), before Morelos confirmed all three points in injury time.
As a result, Steven Gerrard's side moved up to fifth in the table, five points behind leaders Hearts, while Hamilton stay ninth.
In a scrappy first half with few clear-cut openings, it was Rangers who made the breakthrough after 41 minutes following good hold-up play by Morelos.
The Colombian turned his man near the halfway line, before releasing Kent on goal with an inch-perfect pass, and the on-loan Liverpool winger kept his cool and neatly slotted the ball past Gary Woods as the Hamilton 'keeper raced off his line.
With Rangers seemingly cruising towards the win, though, the home side drew level with just 10 minutes left to play as substitute Boyd gave Allan McGregor no chance with a stunning long-range strike.
But if Hamilton thought they had rescued a point at New Douglas Park, they were mistaken as defender Alex Penny was penalised for two late infringements.
The first was for handball and the second for tripping Morelos in the box, with Tavernier keeping his cool on both occasions to make it 11 successful spot kicks in a row for the Rangers captain.
All that was left was for Morelos to add the icing on the cake in the fourth minute of stoppage time when the forward latched on to a rebound after Woods had saved at Daniel Candeias' feet, before thumping home his 12th goal of the campaign in empathic style.
The Rangers skipper was rock solid at the back at New Douglas Park on Sunday, while also taking any opportunity to get forward down the right flank.
However, it was coolness the 26-year-old showed from the spot in the closing stages that most stood out. The right back placed his first penalty high into the top right-hand corner of the goal, before sending Woods the wrong way with his second effort, which went straight down the middle.
And that means the defender has now scored an impressive eight goals so far this season, with seven coming from the spot.
Martin Canning: It is a tough one for us, I do not think that scoreline is reflective of the game. For large parts we were in the game and I think we had the better chances over the course of the game.
"I am standing here thinking we are more than a little unfortunate not to have won the game, rather than losing the game 4-1. So it was a strange game and I asked the boys for a performance on the back of the Hibs game, and we did that well."
Steven Gerrard: "Very happy with the three points. I did not think we played well today at all and 4-1 flattered us a bit. We were not really at it today.
"But all the talk before the game was of how we can't win away from home, so we will take the three points and move on.
"We are on the back of two really good performances and in your head, you are looking for something close to that. But the pitch and the environments become a leveller.
"But maybe I am wanting too much and wanting to see too much on the eye. People only ever remember the result."
Hamilton travel to Kilmarnock next Saturday, with the Scottish Premiership match kicking off at 3pm.
Meanwhile, Rangers host Spartak Moscow in the Europa League on Thursday night, before taking on Aberdeen in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park next Sunday afternoon.
