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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andy McGilvray

Rangers 2, Motherwell 2: Rangers held to a draw as Motherwell fight back

Motherwell staged a brilliant fight-back to grab a point against a Rangers side at Ibrox that had looked to be out of sight by half-time.

Goals from Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala inside a minute midway through the first half had Rangers seemingly cruising to victory.

However, Motherwell boss Graham Alexander's triple substitution at the interval paid off, and goals from Jordan Roberts and Kaiyne Woolery rescued a terrific point.

It's an opportunity missed for Rangers, who would have moved to within a point of leaders Celtic had they held on to their lead.

Motherwell, missing talisman Kevin Van Veen, hardly got forward and didn't carve out a single chance in the first 45 minutes.

Motherwell's Joe Efford tries to get the better of John Lundstram of Rangers during their Premiership clash at Ibrox (SNS Group)

But they pulled themselves right back into the game eight minutes into the second half through sub Jordan Roberts.

And Woolery danced his way through the box before slipping a low shot into the net to level with 20 minutes left.

Morelos got Rangers off the mark in 22 minutes with a deft header, and Rangers doubled their lead inside 60 seconds when Fashion Sakala ripped an unstoppable shot into the left corner.

But Woolery set one up for Roberts before netting himself to take an unlikely point.

Motherwell boss Graham Alexander made five changes to the side that drew with Aberdeen last weekend, with captain Stephen O'Donnell, Ricki Lamie, Dean Cornelius, Ross Tierney and Woolery in for Sondre Solholm, Juhani Ojala, Sean Goss, Connor Shields and Kevin Van Veen, who is nursing a shoulder injury.

Alfredo Morelos opened the scoring for Rangers with his 18th goal of the season (SNS Group)

Rangers boss Giovanni Van Bronckhorst made two changes from the side that beat Borussia Dortmund to progress to the Europa League last 16, with Glen Kamara and Sakala in for Borna Barisic and Ryan Jack.

Rangers should have scored inside two minutes when James Tavernier's cross released Morelos, but the striker's shot crashed off the bar.

Tavernier was denied a sensational goal by an equally brilliant save from Liam Kelly, as the Rangers captain arrowed a curling shot towards the top right corner in seven minutes.

Moments later, John Lundstram met Tavernier's cross but sent an angled header wide of the left post.

Tavernier was pulling all the strings for a dominant Rangers by this point and he set up another chance for Morelos in 13 minutes, but the ball was too far ahead of the striker, who was flagged offside in any case.

Motherwell boss Graham Alexander had to sit out the second of a two-match ban (SNS Group)

Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo then combined to set up Morelos, but his shot on the turn was well saved by Kelly.

Sakala then sent a shot across the face of goal as Morelos arrived at the back post.

Lundstram was next to force a save from Kelly with a shot from just outside the box that looked to be heading into the top left corner in 18 minutes.

The goal was coming, however, and it arrived in 22 minutes when Lundstram's chip forward was met with a deft header from Morelos into the right corner.

Less than a minute later, Ryan Kent's cross from the left reached Sakala at the right and he ripped a low shot into the opposite corner.

Motherwell forward Kaiyne Woolery tussles for possession with Rangers' Calvin Bassey (SNS Group)

Scott Arfield was next to have a go for Rangers in 41 minutes, but sent his angled shot wide of the left post.

Motherwell threw on Jordan Roberts, Liam Shaw and Justin Amaluzor for Mark O'Hara, Tierney and Joe Efford, as they tried to get a grip on the game.

Tavernier forced another good save from Kelly four minutes into the half, with a strike towards the right corner.

Motherwell pulled a goal back in 53 minutes when Woolery mugged Calvin Bassey and tore down the right before squaring for Roberts to slam into the net.

Motherwell's Jordan Roberts pulls the score back to 2-1 (SNS Group)

Morelos had the ball in the back of the net in 54 minutes with a header from a Kent cross, but was flagged offside.

The striker was denied by a flag again 12 minutes later as he ripped a shot high into the net from a reverse pass by Kent.

Tavernier tried to catch Kelly out with a curling free kick from near the left bye-line in 68 minutes, but the keeper saved smartly.

Kaiyne Woolery celebrates his leveller (SNS Group)

Kent was next to have a go with a powerful shot, but Kelly blocked well.

However, Woolery danced his way through the Rangers box before slipping a low shot past Alan McGregor in 70 minutes to equalise.

RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Lundstram, Bassey, Kamara, Arfield, Aribo, Fashion Jr (Roofe, 82), Kent, Morelos.

Subs: McLaughlin (GK), Zukowski, Balogun, Barisic, Sands, Lowry, Amad, Wright.

Booked: Morelos (56), Tavernier (74)

MOTHERWELL: Kelly, O'Donnell, Mugabi, Lamie, Carroll, Cornelius, O'Hara (Roberts, 46), Donnelly, Tierney (Amaluzor, 46, Solholm, 82)), Efford (Shaw, 46), Woolery (Ojala, 90+3).

Subs: Morrison (GK), Slattery, Goss, Shields.

Booked: Efford (28), O'Donnell (70), Donnelly (80)

Referee: Don Robertson.

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