Excellent Docherty, Solid Tavernier – The best and the worst-rated players as Rangers lose 0-1 to Kilmarnock
Rangers lost their second game in a row at the Ibrox Stadium on Saturday, as they were beaten 1-0 by Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.
Coming into the game on the back of a 3-2 loss against rivals Celtic, Graeme Murty’s side were hoping to bounce back with a strong display. However, nine minutes into the second half, the Gers’ goal was breached by the visitors as Kris Boyd netted from close range to hand Kilmarnock the lead and that proved to be enough to condemn Rangers to another defeat.
The result sees them fall nine points behind leaders Celtic, despite having played two games more than the Hoops. And here’s how we rated the performances of Rangers’ players on the day;
Rangers Player Ratings
Wes Foderingham – 6/10
Had little to do during the first half. Made a good stop in the buildup to the Killies’ goal but couldn’t stop Boyd from scoring.
James Tavernier – 6.5/10
The Gers’ captain on the day, Tavernier wasn’t his usual exuberant self, going forward in the first half but he tried to change that after the break to little effect, however. Solid at the back throughout though.
Russell Martin – 6/10
Returning to the starting XI, the on-loan Norwich City defender headed wide from a good position in the first period and saw another headed effort bounce off the underside of the bar in the second. Defensively, he was quite secure without doing anything spectacular.
Bruno Alves – 5/10
The veteran defender looked up for it as he won his aerial battles. But he gave away the free-kick leading to the goal and was time and again dragged out of position by the Kilmarnock attackers.
Declan John – 6/10
Tried to get forward when afforded the opportunity but was mindful of his defensive duties. Seemed to fade with time though.
Greg Docherty – 7.5/10
Continues to shine since his transfer in the January window. Docherty was once again Rangers’ best player on a disappointing day as he caused plenty of problems for the visitors pushing forward from the middle.
Sean Goss – 4/10
Was poor in the first half. Passes were misplaced, seemed nervy and he was rightly withdrawn at half-time by the manager.
Daniel Candeias – 5/10
A quiet day on the right-flank for the Portuguese winger who had signed a new contract with the club earlier this week. Was well marshalled by the Killies and was taken off with 15 mins left.
Josh Windass – 4/10
Another player who was almost anonymous for the entirety of his time on the pitch, the Englishman had a day to forget and was subbed off for Morelos. His inconsistency is worrying for the Gers.
Jamie Murphy – 5.5/10
Started off brightly and looked like a threat for the opening 15 minutes or so, but that was as good as it got for Murphy. Subdued display from the January arrival.
Jason Cummings – 5.5/10
Starting ahead of leading goalscorer Alfredo Morelos, Cummings began decently but found himself more and more isolated as the game went on. And as a result, he had to drop deep to get on the ball which reduced his effectiveness further.
Substitutes
Jason Holt – 6/10
Replaced Goss at half-time and added energy to the midfield, but wasn’t able to stop the visitors from stealing the three points.
Alfredo Morelos – 6/10
On for Windass near the hour mark as the Gers chased the game. Couldn’t inspire a comeback.
Kenny Miller – N/A
Came on for Candeias for the final 15 minutes.