Preview Rangers
Wednesday, 9th Aug 2017Betfred Cup: Wednesday 9th August 2017, kick off 7.45pm at Ibrox Stadium
The Betfred Cup match at Ibrox on Wednesday will be the seventeenth League Cup match between the sides and the thirteenth time that the sides have been paired from the draw.
Recent Form
RANGERS
Motherwell (A) W 2-1
P Niedercorn (A) L 0-2
P Niedercorn (H) W 1-0
DUNFERMLINE
Livingston (A) D 1-1
Hearts (A) D 2-2
Peterhead (H) W 5-1
East Fife (A) D 0-0
Elgin City (H) W 6-0
_0668.jpg)
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Livingston): Sean Murdoch (c): Ryan Williamson, Jean Yves M`Voto, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin: Fraser Aird (David Hopkirk 40), Michael Paton, Nat Wedderburn, Joe Cardle: Kallum Higginbotham, Callum Smith (Dean Shiels 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Lochhead, Aaron Splaine, Jason Talbot, Conner Duthie, Cammy Gill (GK)
RANGERS (v Motherwell): Wesley Foderingham: Lee Hodson (James Taviernier 62), Fabio Cardoso, Bruno Alves, Lee Wallace: Daniel Candeias, Ryan Jack, Graham Dorrans, Josh Windass, Kenny Miller (Danny Wilson 77), Eduardo Herrera (Alfredo Morelas 83)
SUBS NOT USED: Dálcio, Jason Holt, Jak Alnwick, Carlos Peña
Referee will be Don Robertson.
_2113.jpg)
League Cup History
Strangely enough the very first League Cup tie between the two , on 15th September 1951, was probably the biggest match that Dunfermline had ever played in that time and it was certainly the biggest ever at East End Park.
Although Dunfermline had reached the final of the League Cup just two seasons earlier, they had never met either of the Old Firm in the later stages of any competition before. This alone was enough to attract a then record crowd of 19,491 to East End Park and home fans were not disappointed as the Second Division Pars pulled off a famous victory.
In a match in which the Fifers keeper, John Moodie, was outstanding, Gerry Mays scored the only goal of the match for Dunfermline in 69th minute.
Four days later 45,000 turned out for the second leg at Ibrox. It was the biggest crowd that Dunfermline had ever played in front of and that included the League Cup final. Willie Findlay put the home side ahead in 17 minutes only for Wright to equalise nine minutes later.
As Rangers got decidedly jittery Dunfermline were awarded a penalty which Clarkson missed and then to compound matters had a goal chalked off. The visitors knew it was not their day when Gardiner scored a controversial winner from a challenge on the keeper.
Dunfermline next tackled Rangers in season 1964/65 in another quarter final. If Dunfermline fancied their chances it was to no avail with Rangers killing the tie stone dead with a resounding 3-0 first leg win at East End Park on 14th September. Goals came from Ralph Brand, Jim Forrest and an own goal from Jim MacLean.
In the second match at Ibrox, the Pars redeemed themselves as goals from Jackie Sinclair and John McLaughlin gave them 2-1 lead before a late Forrest strike levelled on the night.
By August 1970, the Pars halcyon days were about over. Drawn for the first and only time with Rangers in a sectional group, and without key players who refused to train, Dunfermline lost the match at Ibrox 4-1. But on 22nd August a Willie Johnston hat trick and goals from Jackson, Fyfe and Stein gave Dunfermline a 6-0 thrashing on their own ground.
Dunfermline made the quarter finals of the competition in 1977 and although a Second Division side they did not disgrace themselves losing both legs 3-1.
In 1987 Graeme Souness brought his new look Rangers side to another rejuvenated side, Dunfermline. The Pars were in the Premier League and for the cup tie an all ticket crowd of 18,070 watched Mark Falco and an Ally McCoist hat trick give Rangers a comfortable win.
Two years later on 19th September 1989, Dunfermline reached their first major cup semi final for more than twenty years. The trip to Hampden was a nervy affair and Rangers ran out easy 5-0 winners.
By August 1993, Dunfermline were re-building under Bert Paton. Rangers grabbed two early goals but after that the Pars gave Rangers a run for their money. With Norrie McCathie and Craig Robertson looking strong in defence, and new signing Ivo den Bieman giving Steven Pressley a hard time throughout this match, a little luck might have brought Dunfermline something.
If the 1989 semi final had been a bit of a nightmare, then the 1996 reprise was a lot worse. On 22nd October at a deserted Parkhead (largely due to the presence of TV cameras), Rangers strolled to a 6-1 with Brian Laudrup scoring two.
Having played Rangers under the Skol and Coca Cola banners, Dunfermline fared better with CIS as sponsors. They played well at Ibrox in October 1999and in the end Rangers had to settle for a 1-0 win thanks to Wallace`s 24th minute goal.
Then in the 2002 quarter final Rangers won by a solitary goal and again in controversial circumstances. Referee Dougie McDonald failed to award what tv evidence would later show as a blatant penalty for the Pars. Despite matching Rangers throughout they lost to a late goal from Claudio Caniggia.
In September 2006 Rangers won 2-0 thanks to goals in the last 25 minutes. Alan Hutton`s shot from 16 yards deflected off Sol Bamba to sneak in at the right post that Dorus de Vries had no hope of stopping.
When Allan McGregor`s long clearance landed between Bamba and Kris Boyd, the Rangers striker brushed aside the defender to lash in an unstoppable strike from 25 yards.
Last League Cup Meeting
Ibrox, 21st September 2010
Rangers 7 Dunfermline 2
Jelavic (21) 1-0, Lafferty (23) 2-0, Bougherra (38) 3-0, Woods (41) 3-1. Cardle (46) 3-2, Lafferty (47) 4-2, Jelavic (59) 5-2, Lafferty (71) 6-2, Naismith (77) 7-2.
Steven McDougall and the injured Gary Mason dropped out the Pars team, Nick Phinn and Alex Burke came in for the Co-operative Insurance Cup tie at Ibrox. The home side fielded only four of the team that started in the SPL against Dundee United in their last match. Just Bougherra, Weiss, Jelavic and Davis survived but their new team mates included internationalists Neil Alexander, Steven Naismith, Kirk Broadfoot, Andy Webster and Kyle Lafferty.
Having gone three ahead it looked like Rangers had down it all up by 38th minute but four minutes before the break Calum Woods headed home from a Willie Gibson corner. It was Dunfermline`s first goal at Ibrox since October 2005.
_0401.jpg)
It looked like the perfect start for Dunfermline when Gibson did really well to skin Broadfoot down in front of the Pars fans in the Govan corner and Joe Cardle headed in a great cross after just 49 seconds of the second half. Unfortunately Rangers restored their two goal advantage just 49 seconds later!
Kyle Lafferty went on to complete his hat trick and the final whistle was a bit of a relief for Jim McIntyre`s side. The Co-operative Insurance Cup holders progressed but on the positive side it had been the first time since December 1987 that the Pars had scored more than one goal against Rangers at Ibrox.
RANGERS: Neil Alexander. Andy Little, Andy Webster (Lee McCulloch 83), Majid Bougherra, Kirk Broadfoot. Steven Davis, Vladimir Weiss, Kyle Hutton, Steven Naismith. Kyle Lafferty, Nikica Jelavic (Gregg Wylde 67)
SUBS: Allan McGregor, Sasa Papac, Kenny Miller.
DUNFERMLINE: Chris Smith. Calum Woods, Andy Dowie, Chris Higgins, Austin McCann (c). Willie Gibson, Steven Bell, Alex Burke, Nick Phinn (Steven McDougall 69) Joe Cardle (Paul Willis 72). Andy Kirk (Pat Clarke 72)
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Keddie, Kyle Allison (GK)
League Cup Matches against Rangers
DATE STAGE VENUE DA R
15/09/51 QF H 1-0
19/09/51 QF A 1-3
14/09/64 QF H 0-3
16/09/64 QF A 2-2
08/08/70 SECTION A 1-1
22/08/70 SECTION H 0-6
09/11/77 QF A 1-3
16/11/77 QF H 1-3
26/08/87 R3 H 1-4
19/09/89 SF N 0-5
24/08/93 R3 H 0-2
22/10/96 SF N 1-6
12/09/99 R3 A 0-1
07/11/02 QF H 0-1
20/09/06 R3 H 0-2
21/09/10 R3 A 2-7
Views : 8,813
