Barry Ferguson made a dramatic comeback as Rangers returned to the top of the SPL with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen.
Two off as Gers pile pressure on Bhoys
Barry Ferguson made a dramatic comeback as Rangers returned to the top of the SPL with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen.
However, the Ibrox side will be well aware a Celtic victory at Hibernian on Sunday will see the defending champions go back to the summit with one game remaining.
A Richard Foster own goal and a header from Kenny Miller were enough to seal the points, despite Michael Paton pulling a goal back for the Dons, but whether the narrow victory will be enough for Rangers remains to be seen.
As well as Ferguson - back for the first time since being stripped of the captaincy and banned by the club for his part in the infamous 'Boozegate' affair - referee Stuart Dougal also grabbed the headlines with two harsh red cards for Charlie Mulgrew and Madjid Bougherra a week before retiring from the game.
Rangers knew they needed as many goals as possible but lacked a cutting edge early on despite boasting most of the possession.
Maurice Edu tried his luck with an opportune strike from distance but the midfielder screwed well wide of target.
Miller then exchanged a one-two with Kris Boyd before squaring across goal for the on-rushing Kyle Lafferty but goalkeeper Jamie Langfield was able to smother before the Northern Ireland international could connect.
Lafferty then picked out Steven Davis on the right who floated the ball into the path of Boyd in front of goal but he was a second too slow in reacting and the opportunity was lost.
Rangers received a boost to their cause after 18 minutes when Mulgrew was rather harshly shown a straight red card for an alleged head-butt on Lafferty, who appeared to make the most of the incident.
Referee Dougal reached for his pocket again, but this time it was for a yellow card for Javan Vidal after a foul on Papac.
Rangers then hit the woodwork as they continued their quest for the opener, with a Davis effort deflecting off Papac and smacking Langfield's right-hand post.
The Dons goalkeeper was forced to react quickly to block an effort from Papac, who managed to squeeze off a shot from the tightest of angles.
Dismissal
Rangers were then dealt a blow when Bougherra was dismissed six minutes before half-time for a challenge on Langfield.
Dougal appeared to make the decision after consulting with his assistant but, for the second time, the red card appeared to be harsh.
The start to the second half mirrored the first, with Rangers creating chances but failing to make their mark on the game.
Lafferty saw a swerving shot deflected into the side-netting, before Miller drew a decent save from Langfield and Boyd mis-kicked the rebound.
With just over an hour gone, Ferguson was thrown into the action in place of Mendes to the delight of the Ibrox crowd but the decision to hook Boyd for Nacho Novo was less popular.
When the opener finally arrived after 66 minutes, it was from a surprise source. Miller whipped a dangerous cross across goal intended for Lafferty and Richard Foster's attempts at a clearance saw him stab into his own net instead.
Breakthrough
It was the breakthrough Rangers needed and they doubled their lead two minutes later. This time, Novo's cross found Miller six yards out and he powered a header past Langfield into the back of the net.
Aberdeen could have pulled a goal back when Gary McDonald found himself through with only Neil Alexander to beat but somehow blasted over instead.
However, he made amends with some good work on the left before delivering the ball into the goalmouth for substitute Michael Paton, who managed to find space before turning and prodding home with 77 minutes gone.
Rangers threw John Fleck into the action for Lafferty but it was Novo who should have had the net bulging when he collected a Papac cross only to fire wide with the goal at his mercy.
