RANGERS produced a stunning fightback at Pittodrie as they left it late to snatch all three points and give boss Michael Beale his second Premiership victory.
Fashion Sakala fired Rangers ahead after 12 minutes but goals from Duk and Leighton Clarkson looked like they had secured Jim Goodwin his first league win over Rangers.
In the end, he was left defeated and deflated. Scott Arfield struck twice in injury time as Rangers somehow found a way to win a quite remarkable fixture.
CHARACTER SHINES THROUGH DESPITE LACK OF QUALITY
Beale has spoken about being performance happy and result happy following the win over Hibernian that saw him get off and running at Ibrox. He would only have been one of them here.
Rangers gave themselves the perfect platform to build on with a bright start and the opening goal from Sakala. After that, it all fell apart as Duk and Clarkson turned the tables.
But two dramatic late efforts from Arfield saw Rangers produce a quite remarkable comeback as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Somehow, Beale is two from two.
It was an outing that encapsulated so many of the problems that have plagued Rangers for far too long but they remain nine points adrift of Celtic after winning their final fixture before Christmas.
Talk of a title challenge has been played down by Beale. It will continue to simmer away while the gap stays steady and the upcoming Old Firm showdown offers a chance for Rangers to lay down a marker of their intentions in the Premiership.
The criticism for aspects of the performance will be deserved. But that will be for another day as the travelling support made the trip back down the road with a spring in their steps.
BEALE STAYS TRUE TO HIS WORD
The news that Connor Goldson was fit to return to action, and fit to start, answered one of the selection questions for Rangers. Given their defensive difficulties against Hibernian, the presence of the Englishman was more than welcomed by supporters.
There were still queries about how Rangers would set up further forward, though. In that regard, Beale stuck to his principles and reaffirmed the messages that he has preached so far as Rangers again went with a front four full of threat.
It would have been easy for Beale to sacrifice Sakala or Malik Tillman and utilise John Lundstram in the middle of the park. Alongside Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara, it would have been a compact, solid setup that would have given Rangers greater chance of controlling that area.
Beale was true to his word, however. The same forward line that fired his side to victory over Hibernian was trusted once again and the faith in Jack and Kamara was clear as they were tasked with going toe-to-toe with the Dons midfield.
When Beale made four switches before the hour mark, it was an admission that it wasn’t working in terms of the personnel. It was also proof of another of his statements so far, however, after vowing to use the squad and make changes when it was required.
GOODWIN SHOWS MORE INTENT WITH DONS
The Pittodrie boss came in for plenty of unfriendly fire in the aftermath of the defeat to Celtic at the weekend. It was ‘over the top’ in some regards according to Goodwin, but such comments are always going to follow when the end doesn’t justify the means and the Dons are as meek in front of their own fans.
There was an expectation that Aberdeen would be more positive this time around. Given the rivalry between the clubs and the supports, it was a necessity for Goodwin to be pro-active in his approach.
Liam Scales and Jayden Richardson replaced Jack MacKenzie and Matty Kennedy in the starting line-up and there was more endeavour and intent from Aberdeen from the off. It took until the closing stages of the first half for it to pay dividends, however, as Duk rifled home a wonderful free-kick to bring the Dons level.
The striker should have scored earlier in the evening with a back-post header, while Ylber Ramadani somehow missed the target from inside the area. Those were moments that gave Pittodrie some hope and Duk had the home crowd believing heading into the second half.
When Clarkson produced a moment of magic just minutes after the restart, the Reds had a first win here over Rangers since 2016 in their sights. In the end, the history books were not rewritten.
QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED OF MCGREGOR
The position of Allan McGregor is one of the few issues that Beale has yet to discuss since his return to Ibrox. It may well come onto the agenda sooner rather than later.
Fans have been unhappy with the goalkeeping situation throughout the campaign. The promotion of Jon McLaughlin to number one wasn’t met with widespread approval at the start of the season and McGregor hasn’t hit the levels expected or needed since returning between the sticks as Giovanni van Bronckhorst reversed his call just weeks into the term.
The veteran was culpable at the Dons equaliser. The strike from Duk was terrific but a step to his left proved costly for McGregor and he was left flapping as the ball flew by him.
Beale has long been an admirer of youngster Robby McCrorie and Rangers still see him as one for the future, a fact underlined just weeks ago when he signed a new long-term deal at Ibrox. Yet he continues to be overlooked for a place in the matchday squad.
Beale is unlikely to make any snap calls on his keeper. It is clear that McLaughlin is not the answer but the boss will need to decide soon if McGregor is.
LIMITATIONS OF RANGERS SQUAD EXPOSED AGAIN
The injury crisis that proved so costly during the final weeks of Van Bronckhorst’s reign continues to have an impact at Ibrox. Right now, there is little that Beale can do as he attempts to get the best out of the group that he has inherited.
In time, the likes of Tom Lawrence and Kemar Roofe will be available once again. So will Antonio Colak as Beale counts down the days until he has more options to play with up front after seeing Goldson and Ben Davies ease the defensive selection issues following their respective lay-offs.
Right now, this is a team short of quality. That will become less of a problem as the treatment room clears but, ultimately, it will come down to what Beale opts to do in the transfer window.
Concerns over the recruitment policy and the value for money that Rangers are getting were prevalent at the AGM earlier this month and have not gone away. In the coming weeks, it will become clearer how Beale plans to address a long-standing problem.
