Rangers vs Partick Thistle. Scottish Premiership.
Ibrox StadiumAttendance49,680.
Saturday 1 October 2016 18:08, UK
Goals from Niko Kranjcar and Andy Halliday gave Rangers a 2-0 victory over Partick Thistle in the Glasgow derby at Ibrox.
Kranjcar gave Gers the lead on 33 minutes, the Croatian finding some room on the edge of the area before drilling home.
Having made the breakthrough, Mark Warburton's side continued to press and doubled their advantage before half-time.
Martyn Waghorn picked out Halliday just outside the area and the midfielder curled the ball home.
Gers rode their luck at times but held firm to secure their third league win of the season ahead of the international break.
Warburton was forced to watch from the stands after he was handed a one-match touchline ban for confronting referee John Beaton at the end of the 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen and his team made hard work of the opening encounters.
Ryan Edwards was allowed space to head straight at Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, with the Jags looking lively without managing to create clearcut chances.
Rangers gradually played their way into the game, however, with Danny Wilson's deflected shot going just wide of the target before Kranjcar scored the opening goal.
Kranjcar played a one-two with Jason Holt before advancing into the penalty area, dipping his shoulder and firing a right-footed shot high into the net.
That seemed to relax the home side and they were 2-0 up five minutes before the break, with Holt pouncing on a mistake from Danny Devine's loose pass before playing the ball on to Waghorn.
He in turn played in Halliday who swept the ball past Ryan Scully in the Thistle goal.
Thistle rallied at the break, though, and almost pulled a goal back in bizarre circumstances.
Foderingham blocked Chris Erskine's initial shot, with the 'keeper then scrambling back to make a second save to keep the ball out as it span back towards goal.
Some neat skill from Barrie McKay should have seen Rangers add a third goal but Waghorn could not get on the end of his cross, while Holt twice went close without finding the net.
Those misses proved inconsequential, with the three points moving Rangers up to fifth, although the win was marred by the news that a 39-year-old man died and 18 others were injured after a coach taking Gers supporters to the game crashed on the A76.
