Rangers 1 Motherwell 0RANGERS CANNOT win the Scottish Premier League before Celtic entertain Hibernian on Sunday, yet the fraught nature of the closing stages at Ibrox last night suggests Walter Smith's players are perfectly aware they could lose it.
With Rangers now four points behind their city rivals and with two games in hand, Dundee United's visit here on Saturday represents the latest test of a squad which is being stretched to the limit by a testing run of games at the most crucial of periods. A sense of injustice that they are being forced to play these matches at all may well, as acknowledged by the Motherwell manager, Mark McGhee, galvanise Smith's team.
Rangers, far from pleasing on the eye, know that points alone are important now; the level of celebration as Barry Ferguson hooked home the only goal of the match, 16 minutes from time, illustrated that.
In securing a first league victory since March 29th the hosts dismissed the notion they are suffering from mental fatigue. Belligerence alone got them through this one.
Dick Advocaat had earlier become the latest figure to criticise the "farcical" fixture schedule bestowed on Rangers before and after next week's Uefa Cup final - a somewhat unorthodox tactic given Advocaat's team, Zenit St Petersburg, will be the Ibrox side's opponents at the City of Manchester Stadium.
With that in mind the Dutchman took his seat before kick-off, exchanging handshakes with those who recalled his four-year spell in charge of Rangers from 1998.
One beneficiary from these hectic times - this was the first of seven Rangers matches in 17 days - was Kris Boyd. The prolific forward, a peripheral figure of late, was handed a rare start. Within six frantic minutes he had seen a net-bound shot desperately blocked by Stephen Craigan and had swept at fresh air when afforded a clear sight at goal, 12 yards out.
Motherwell, in pole position to claim Uefa Cup football of their own next season, were pacy in attack, with Ross McCormack, the visitors' striker, seeking to emphasise his credentials after a debut call-up to the Scotland squad earlier in the day. He almost did just that, 11 minutes from the interval, angling a shot narrowly wide after a fine cut-back from Stephen Hughes.
Unsurprisingly, a set-piece broke the deadlock. Steven Davis, whose deliveries have troubled far better defences than Motherwell's in this campaign, supplied a corner which Weir headed into Ferguson's path. The captain, showing the predatory instinct so lacking in his team-mates, did the rest with an angled half-volley.
RANGERS: Alexander, Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker, Davis, Ferguson, Thomson, Novo, Boyd (Cousin 86), Darcheville (Adam 76). Subs not used: Graeme Smith, Dailly, Lennon, Emslie, McMillan.
MOTHERWELL: Graeme Smith, Brian McLean, Craigan, Reynolds, Fitzpatrick, Malcolm, Lasley (Darren Smith 75), Lappin, Hughes, McGarry (Clarkson 60), McCormack (Porter 75). Subs not used: Daniels, Hammell, Murphy, Meechan. Booked: Hughes, McCormack, Lappin.
Referee: C Richmond (Scotland).