At this stage, you need to marvel how rather more the supporters of the three Premiership title challengers can take. All this late drama can’t be good for his or her well being.
With half an hour remaining right here at Almondvale, Rangers’ hopes appeared to be taking place in flames just for Mikey Moore to pop up with a vital equaliser two minutes from time to make sure the injury inflicted wasn’t deadly.
The strain didn’t finish there, although, as 11 minutes of time added on noticed Livingston survive a prolonged VAR test after Moore regarded to have been taken out simply contained in the field by Cammy Kerr.
The contact was adjudged — rightly — to have taken place exterior the field, however no foul might be awarded because the referee hadn’t blown for the preliminary infringement.
All of it amounted to a late serving to of mayhem solely in step with this gloriously bonkers season.
Within the grand scheme of issues, this may occasionally find yourself being a degree gained somewhat than two dropped. That gained’t turn into clear for an additional few months, and attempting to work out what’s going to occur between now and the top of Could is frankly a waste of everybody’s time. We would as properly simply sit again and attempt to get pleasure from it.
Rangers winger Mikey Moore wheels away to rejoice after scoring their late equaliser
Moore tumbles within the field after a stoppage-time problem by Livingston’s Cammy Kerr
Livingston’s Cristian Montano is proven a straight crimson after a last-man foul on Djeidi Gassama
With each of their rivals slipping up, Hearts — who floor out a 1-0 win over Falkirk yesterday— couldn’t have requested for a greater weekend. The Gorgie males have the chance to go seven clear on the prime if they will beat Aberdeen at Tynecastle subsequent Saturday, forward of the Previous Agency derby lower than 24 hours later.
Who is aware of what model of Rangers will flip up for that one? After placing in one in every of their greatest shows of the season in final weekend’s assertion victory over the league leaders at Ibrox, this could have been a gimme towards a workforce with out a win for the reason that second week of August. However good grief, Rangers made laborious work of it.
Objectives both aspect of half-time from Brooklyn Kabongolo and the terrific Lewis Smith had put the league’s backside aspect in dreamland, earlier than Cristian Montano’s crimson card on the hour gave the ailing guests the boot up the bottom they so desperately wanted, with Moore netting after Emmanuel Fernandez had pulled one again with 9 minutes to play.
In some ways, this was a efficiency in step with what Rangers have supplied up so typically below Danny Rohl, notably away from house for the reason that flip of the 12 months.
They had been woeful in final month’s goalless draw towards Hibs at Easter Street, and had been lucky to flee with a share of the spoils on their current journey to Motherwell too.
And whereas this wasn’t fairly as unhealthy, it was miles off the degrees they should hit constantly in the event that they need to be lifting the league trophy come Could.
Rangers deserve a lot credit score for hauling themselves into this place. As they as soon as once more demonstrated right here, the character of this squad isn’t up for debate. Some extra high quality regularly can be useful, thoughts you.
They had been fast out the gates in West Lothian, with Tuur Rommens on the coronary heart of issues on the left-hand aspect. His whipped ball throughout objective was proper into the trail of Youssef Chermiti, who did properly to steal a yard on his marker inside the realm. A heavy first contact let him down.
There was to be no repeat of Chermiti’s heroics towards Hearts final week right here. Nothing got here off for him in anyway.
Exhibiting up for the large video games with Hearts and Celtic is all good and properly. However that’s not a lot use if he disappears towards everybody else.
Livingston had goalkeeper Jerome Previous to thank for holding the scores degree on seven minutes.
Moore’s cross to the again publish was met by the pinnacle of Rommens, who directed it in the direction of the far nook just for Previous to brilliantly tip it on to the publish at full stretch.
Slackness within the center allowed Livi to counter moments later, with Macaulay Tait releasing Robbie Muirhead on the left. His strike was straight at Jack Butland.
The keeper was left totally helpless, nevertheless, as Livi took a shock lead on 14 minutes.
Muirhead’s free-kick from the left touchline was met flush on the volley by Kabongolo, who smashed house from shut vary to internet his first objective for the membership.
Fairly what Rangers had been doing defensively stays a thriller. However the end was proper out of the highest drawer. Not fairly what you’d anticipate from the large defender.
For all their possession, Rohl’s males had been doing little with it, and had been weak on the different finish. Smith left Fernandez on his bottom contained in the field, with Rommens getting again within the nick of time to get a problem in simply because the striker was set to tug the set off.
Prior then needed to be sharp on the different finish, reaching excessive to his left to tip a Moore strike from distance over the bar.
James Tavernier stung the gloves of the house keeper following a pleasant one-two with Andreas Skov Olsen as Rangers ramped up the stress.
That was to be Skov Olsen’s solely involvement in what was a totally underwhelming show. The Dane has tempo to burn and one eye on objective, apparently. We’ve seen valuable little of both attribute in his appearances thus far and he didn’t come again out for the second half.
Having nearly survived a bombardment within the early levels after the break, Livi struck once more on 55 minutes.
Emmanuel Danso picked up the scraps from a set-piece on the sting of the realm, earlier than giving the defenders the attention and threading a pleasant ball to Smith, who took a clear first contact and rifled a low effort into the underside nook.
From the guests’ perspective, it was a surprising objective to concede. While Rohl has achieved a fantastic job of tightening up this defence in current months, you all the time really feel a mistake isn’t too far-off. To a person, Rangers switched off.
They got a large lifeline 5 minutes later, with Montano proven a straight crimson by referee Ryan Lee for a last-man foul on Djeidi Gassama 20 yards out. There have been no actual complaints from anybody in yellow.
In all honesty, Rangers didn’t look able to taking benefit till Fernandez leathered the ball excessive into the roof of the online with 9 minutes of regular time remaining following an almighty stramash contained in the Livi field.
The defender resembles Bambi on ice in his personal half at instances, however there’s little question he’s a menace in opposition bins. This was his fifth Premiership objective of the season.
You sensed an equaliser was coming and Moore duly delivered on 88 minutes, beating Prior with an excellent near-post header from Tavernier’s cross.
The Spurs loanee believed he had a cast-iron declare for a penalty within the dying embers of stoppage-time after being taken out by Cammy Kerr, however VAR David Dickinson deemed the contact to have come exterior of the field. It was to be the final twist of one other extraordinary afternoon on this extraordinary Premiership season.
LIVINGSTON (3-5-2): PRIOR 8; Kabongolo 7, Wilson 7, McGowan 6; Finlayson 6, Pittman 5.5, Danso 6.5 (Could 72), Tait 6 (Sylla 71), Montano 5; Smith 7 (Fati 63), Muirhead 6 (Nouble 72). Booked: Finlayson. Despatched off: Montano.
Supervisor: Marvin Bartley 7.
RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Butland 6; Tavernier 7, Souttar 6 (Aasgaard 73), Fernandez 6, Rommens 7; Raskin 5, Chukwuani 5 (Naderi 64); Skov Olsen 3 (Miovski 46), Moore 7, Gassama 5; Chermiti 5. Booked: Chermiti.
Supervisor: Danny Rohl 5.
Referee: Ryan Lee.
Attendance: 8,746.
