Alloa Athletic 0 - 1 Glasgow Rangers : Gers cling on

Posted Sunday, January 11, 2015 by PA

Nicky Law's 10th goal of the season was enough to finally give Rangers their first win over Alloa this season as they held on for a 1-0 victory.

Their last meeting last month saw the Wasps sting the Ibrox side with a shock 3-2 Petrofac Training Cup semi-final victory.

Home and away score draws with Barry Smith's outfit had also frustrated Gers' Scottish Championship title ambitions.

But they finally gained a measure of revenge - as well as ensuring they remained 13 points behind leaders Hearts - after Law buried his 15th-minute winner at the Indodrill Stadium.

There were some nervy moments too, however, as Grieg Spence, Alloa's two-goal hero in that December clash, came close with a free-kick with seven minutes left before Rangers saw out the win.

The Petrofac exit was easily the worst defeat of Ally McCoist's three-and-a-half-year reign as Rangers threw away a two-goal lead in the last 17 minutes to spark the beginning of the end of his time as boss.

But, with caretaker Kenny McDowall in charge of his third match, the Light Blues started off like they were headed for another setback.

There was just six minutes on the clock when Daryll Meggatt clipped a ball into the left-hand channel for Liam Buchanan. Gers defender Darren McGregor was caught ball-watching as the striker darted in behind, but the former Dumfermline and Partick front man's lob over Steve Simonsen fell just wide.

However, Rangers brushed off their sluggish start and found the opener.

Kenny Miller won the ball from an Alloa throw-in and turned it inside for Jon Daly. The Irishman held it up well as he waited for Law to burst into the box and released it perfectly into the midfielder's stride for a first-time hit which flew under Wasps goalkeeper Craig McDowall.

Miller should have added a quick-fire second as he latched on to Daly's flick-on from Simonsen's long punt, but steered the ball onto the base of a post.

Alloa remained a danger from free-kicks, with the wind giving Simonsen problems as he came to take a series of threatening deliveries. But it was a short clearance from Steven Smith which almost cost the visitors when Stephen Simmons headed it back with interest.

Alloa were bossing possession, but Rangers were dangerous on the break. However, both David Templeton and Miller could only fire straight at McDowall after swift breakaway moves.

Buchanan and Kevin Cawley failed to make the most of decent chances for the hosts at the start of the second half.

The longer Rangers went without adding to their lead, the more nervous their fans grew. The anxiety levels were not helped by the sight of Spence, who provided the last-gasp winner last month, running on as a 63rd-minute substitute.

And there were hearts in mouths in the away end as the striker came within a whisker of connecting with Michael Doyle's whipped cross from the right.

Fraser Aird came close to settling the affair, but was denied by another solid McDowall block.

Spence then had another chance to make himself a hero, but saw a fierce free-kick turned away by Simonsen before Buchanan wasted the rebound.