Rangers players evaluated as Giovanni van Bronckhorst earns his first Premiership victory against Livingston
In Baltic conditions at the Tony Macaroni Arena, the Rangers scored three points.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst named his first Championship team since taking the helm and they fought for the one-game victory, the strong Livingston side.
Scott Arfield had the ball in the net before Joe Aribo stunned the home crowd with a nice swirling effort that sailed into the top corner of the net.
Bruce Anderson brought back a goal for David Martindale’s charges, but the Gers held on and even restored their two-goal advantage thanks to a brilliant header from Fashion Sakala.
How did the players assess after the 90 minutes?
Allan McGregor 7 – Superb save in the first half to avoid an equalizer from Alan Forrest before the break.
Jacques Tavernier 8 – Really smart pass to help Arfield opener. Bonded pretty well with Hagi ahead of him and played through dangerous crosses as he does. Brilliant delivery for the Sakala header.
Connor goldson 6 – Rarely troubled by Livi’s attack but may be disappointed with the way he reacted to the long ball for Livi’s strike. Caught under the bullet and had to pay the price.
Calvin Bassey 6 – Seemed a bit slow to react to Allan McGregor’s first save against Alan Forrest for the goal. Still in the process of determining the position of the central defender.
Borna Barisic 6 – Lost a few opportunities to cross from the left but handled his defensive duties fairly well.
Scott arfield 7 – Worked tirelessly and rewarded his manager for picking him from the start with a goal in loop for the first game. Reserved for an overly exuberant celebration.
Glen Kamara 6 – Rarely gives possession and gives the impression that everything is easy. Comfortable on the ball and zipped passes between the back and front lines all day.
Joe aribo 8 – Scored an absolutely stunning curler to double the Gers advantage and forced Max Stryjek to make a top notch save after the restart.
Ianis Hagi 7 – Could have scored a hat-trick at the start of the second half! Always a willful rider and created decent opportunities for his team before being substituted.
Ryan kent 7 – His pace and direct running is always such a dangerous avenue for the Rangers. He didn’t look too upset to be pulled in the second half.
Alfredo Morelos 6 – I wasn’t really lucky in front of goal. Provided an inviting cross for Sakala’s chance in the second half but certainly one of his quieter days.
SUBSCRIBERS
Sakala Mode 6 – Superb header to complete the Rangers victory.
Nathan Patterson 4 – I kept the pace.
Jermain defoe 2 – Lit for a minute and still managed a shot on target.