Saturday 2nd January 2016
RANGERS coasted to an untroubled victory at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium this afternoon, thumping Dumbarton 6-0 in an otherwise subdued encounter.
The visitors dominated possession for the first 45 minutes. Only determined defending from Sons, and the assistant’s offside flag, kept the opposition at bay.
Just before half-time the inevitable happened. Kenny Miller bundled the ball over the line to give Rangers a 1-0 lead, despite vocal Dumbarton complaints of a handball infringement on ‘keeper Mark Brown.
On 47 minutes Sons had their first serious attempt on goal when Jon Routledge beat the ‘Gers goalie to the ball, but headed just wide of the post.
After a brighter start to the second half from Dumbarton, Rangers reasserted their dominance over the game.
Kenny Miller added a second for the visitors on 59 minutes, nodding home with a free header from closed range.
Five minutes later Miller had his hat- trick, bursting through to score on the break after Sons had spurned a rare half chance at the other end.
The dangerous Martyn Waghorn made it 4-0 on 71 minutes, with a side-foot home inside the six yard box.
A deflected free kick from Halliday on 81 minutes caught out Brown for the fifth Rangers goal, the ball spinning high into the corner of the net.
James Tavernier added a sixth shortly afterwards, with a long, looping strike into the far corner from the right.
The result leaves Dumbarton with a big challenge to pick things up for the final third of the Ladbrokes Championship season.
Next up for Sons is a home Scottish Cup tie against Queen of the South, with the prize a lucrative place in the fifth round of the historic competition.
Full match report and reaction to follow. Match photos and SonsTV now online
Simon Barrow