Super sub Scott Arfield struck an incredible injury-time double to earn Rangers a dramatic 3-2 victory and deny Aberdeen a first win over the Light Blues at Pittodrie in six years.
It saw Michael Beale earn his second 3-2 triumph as Ibrox boss as Gers scored twice in two minutes of seven added on in an incredible night of drama in the north east.
Aberdeen found their shooting boots at least after their negative display against Celtic but it wasn't enough as they collapsed at the death to keep Beale's ambitious target of 22 league wins alive. Beale’s former Liverpool pupil Leighton Clarkson looked to have come back to haunt him with a stunner as the Reds roared back from a goal down to take the lead after criticism over their negative tactics in the defeat to Celtic at the weekend.
It didn’t start well for the Dons as Fashion Sakala fired the visitors into an early lead but Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes levelled with a brilliant free kick on the stroke of half time, albeit Allan McGregor should have done much better at the former Benfica man’s strike, before Anfield loanee Clarkson scored a spectacular strike. That looked to have earned the victory but substitute Arfield twice.
Gers welcomed Connor Goldson back for the first time in two months in a huge boost for the visitors and they took just 11 minutes to get their noses in front as they were rewarded for a positive start.
It was great play down the right from Alfredo Morelos and the Colombian cut the ball back into the path of Sakala. The Zambian’s first effort was tame but it was a poor clearance from Anthony Stewart as he gave the striker a second opportunity and he made no mistake, firing through the legs of Kelle Roos.
There was a VAR check for a potential handball from Sakala as he brought it under control but the goal stood. Having held out until just a few minutes from time against Celtic but even if they wanted to sit in here then that goal changed it.
Gers had their tails up and Roos made a smart save to thwart Morelos after good play fro Malik Tillman before James Tavernier deflected a cross onto his own post at the other end. The ball struck his arm but Greg Aitken checked that over in the control room and decided no penalty.
Duk had put the Ibrox captain under pressure at that cross and the Portuguese was looking lively, setting up Ylber Ramadani for a glorious chance but the Albanian fired the wrong side of the post with the goal at his mercy. It was a real sitter.
It’s always a feisty affair when these two meet and Willie Collum showed a flurry of first half yellow cards without it every boiling over. James Sands was the fifth to have his name taken on the stroke of half time - and it proved so costly.
The American brought down Bojan Miovski from behind to hand the Dons a free kick in a great position. Duk stepped up and sent a brilliant effort into the top corner but McGregor should still have done so much better as he got his positioning all wrong.
There was little he could do about the Dons second though with the veteran shot-stopper left with no chance as the home side turned the game on its head as the ball was cleared into Clarkson’s path and the Liverpool loanee unleashed a scorcher beyond McGregor.
That prompted a reaction from Beale who made FOUR changes with Arfield, Ben Davies, John Lundstrum and Scott Wright all on for Sakala, Ryan Jack, Sands and Glen Kamara.
Rangers had a shout for a penalty when the ball appeared to strike the arm of ex-Ibrox man Ross McCrorie but the VAR opted not to advise Collum to point to the spot. McCrorie then came to Aberdeen’s rescue with a timely clearance after the ball spun loose following a save from Roos to deny Arfield.
But the former Burnley man wouldn't be denied again as he reacted to a spilled Ryan Kent shot and was on hand to grab the winner right at the death after good work from Malik Tillman.
Beale’s target alive...just
On the eve of the trip to the north east, Rangers boss Michael Beale said his side would have to win ALL 22 of their remaining league games to have any realistic chance of winning the Scottish Premiership. There was always a chance it would heap pressure - some might say unnecessarily - on his players and they looked set to slip up at the very first hurdle. But the somehow dug out in yet another five-goal thriller and it's not over yet as the gap to Celtic was cut to six points.
Jeepers keepers
The goalkeeping situation is one that has been neglected by Rangers and they are paying the price. Allan McGregor only signed a contract extension late in pre-season and then Jon McLaughlin started the season as No. 1. But the former Sunderland man wasn’t up to it and McGregor replaced him between the sticks.
However, McGregor had the finger pointed at him for some shaky moments last season and it was evident again here as he should have done so much better at the free kick from Duk despite how good a strike it was. This has to be McGregor’s final season and Beale and Ross Wilson must identify a top quality No. 1 going forward.
Dons attacking intent
This was much more like it from Aberdeen. It didn’t take the Dons long to show the kind of threat they possess going forward. They hadn’t even reached the midway point of the first half and they had more efforts than in the entire game against Celtic. Then again, that would’t have been hard. But when you see players such as Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes in full flow then it’s easy to understand why the Red Army were so frustrated at the tactics against the champions. But having been so solid and disciplined defensively against the Hoops then Jim Goodwin must have been tearing his hair out at how sloppy they were in conceding that soft opening goal to Fashion Sakala. But supporters can accept the odd error if they are willing to have a go at the other rend and they did that.
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