Motherwell’s
long unbeaten run ends with a one goal defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
A series of
missed chances early in the game proved to be costly for the visitors as
Rangers had the better of the second half.
Both goalkeepers were kept busy as the game swept from end to end but
the game turned when Thelo Aasgaard was on hand to pounce on Callum Ward’s parry
for an easy finish.
Tom Sparrow
and Ibrahim Said joined the starting eleven as Callum Slattery and Regan
Charles-Cook stood down.
Motherwell
started well as they displayed the possession play that had sent them to third
place in the table. Jack Butland had to
work hard to save a series of good opportunities. Callum Hendry, Lukas Fadinger and Sparrow
failed to convert following impressive build up play.
Ward was not
tested until midway through the half such was Motherwell’s control. Butland came up with another good stop a
minute before the break but Eli Just will feel he should have scored.
Rangers came out strongly after the interval and seemed to
have scored but Nico Raskin’s joy was blunted after a VAR review concluded that
there had been offside interference. It
was an early warning but Motherwell were pegged back for extended
passages. There was an old fashioned stramash
in Ward’s six yard box. Motherwell
survived.
Hendry tried his luck with a turn and shot from the centre of
the box but again Butland fielded the effort.
Motherwell’s inability to convert in the half dozen moments when it
seemed a goal was forthcoming must be a winter window priority.
The only goal came after 68 minutes. Djeidi Gassama’s shot
was stopped but not held and Ward watched helpless as Aasgaard tapped in.
Motherwell turned to the bench for fresh legs and forced the
home defence into some desperate challenges.
Three of their number were booked.
Rangers had a few more chances to finish Motherwell’s
resistance but they had to endure an onslaught in the closing minutes before
the relief of the final whistle.
Jens Berthel Askou was the first of the visiting party to
come to the away corner to show his appreciation for the support. The exhausted Motherwell players got a
standing ovation for their efforts.
Next up is the other Glasgow team at Fir Park on Tuesday
night.
Rangers 1 Motherwell
0
Attendance
Team: Ward, Koutroumbis
(O’Donnell 69), McGinn, Welsh, Longelo, Sparrow (Osong 84), Fadinger, Watt
(Priestman 90), Just (Slattery 69), Said, Hendry (Stamatelopoulos 69)
Saturday 27
December 2025
