bluekipper.com - Rangers (a)

Rangers 2, Everton 3. Kick-Off: 3.00pm. Attn:28,000. Sat. 26th July 2003

Everton: Simonsen, Hibbert, Stubbs, Weir, Pistone, Watson, Gravesen, Linderoth, Naysmith, Radzinski, Rooney.

Bench: Campbell for Rooney (36m), Alexandersson for Watson (46m), Gemmill for Linderoth (59m), Unsworth for Naysmith (59m), Li Tie for Gravesen (77m), Ferguson for Radzinski (77m), Gerrard, Clarke.

Scorers: Unsworth (64m) pen, Li Tie (79m), Stubbs (90m).

Lard wasn't far wrong with his team prediction. With only Ferguson dropping down to the bench, & Moyesy playing the two pocket dynamos up front, Rooney & Radzinski. Gezza went on the bench with Simmo in goal.

*Everton didn't start the game to well, & seemd to sit back & let Rangers dictate the play. The longer the game went on the better Everton looked. With their fitness carrying them through.

* The Everton fans were raucous with their singing. At times completely outsinging their Glasgow counter parts even though we were well outnumbered.

* Rangers took the lead when Thompson beat Stubbs to easily to head home past Simmo after 20mins. 1-0 to Rangers.

* Stubbsey, who as an ex-Celtic player was getting bird everytime he went near the ball, went close twice when a free kick went wide, & he had a header saved.

* Watson got into a good position to score, but his effort was saved by Klos.

* The Duke, who had only shown the Glasgow crowd glimpses of what he can do, & was given a bit of stick by them, was tackled by Malcolm, Wayne appeared to go over on his ankle. He was carried off on a strecher, & replaced by Super Kev.

Half-Time: Rangers 1, Everton 0.

* Saint Nic replaced Steve Watson at the start of the second half. He joined Tommy Grav, & Toby in taking the fight to Rangers.

* Everton got a penalty, when Michael Ball, the former holder of The Blue Kipper Trophy, put a foot in, when he need not have, & The Rad went down, the way Rad does oh too easily. It was a pen. Unsey sent Klos the wrong way. 1-1.

* Saint Nic put a lovely ball through to Li Tie, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes. He hit a stunning drive past Klos. 2-1 for us.

* Within minutes Rangers had equilised. Mols scored after a shot rebounded to him. Some Everton players appealed for offside. 2-2.

* Former Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson came off the bench for Everton for the final 13 minutes.

* The ending was poetry itself. Pisto, who looked good all afternoon, was fouled just outside the box. Unsey tochd it to Gemmill, who set up Stubbsey to score via, Bally. (Once A Blue Always A Blue) Stubbsey was chuffed to see his shot end up in the back of the net after all the stick he'd had.

Final Score: Rangers, 2 Everton 3.

Click for Photos of The Match

Basil Attends to The Duke

Quotes

Moyesy says: "He is going for an X-ray. We think he has gone over on his ankle. We will go and get him sorted. It's nothing to do with what he had before. We hope it is not too bad but we are not taking any risks. He just said he put his foot over the ball, it went the other direction and he just went over on his ankle."

Alex McLeish says: "Poor Bally. He has deflected it past Stefan Klos when it was right in Stefan's hands and he has been unlucky with the penalty. There are suggestions that Radzinski took a dive and it wouldn't be the first time. But I thought he put his foot in and putting your foot in is always a risk.''

Team News

Everton from: Gerrard, Watson, Pistone, Stubbs, Weir, Unsworth, Alexandersson, Radzinski, Campbell, Ferguson, Pembridge, Li Tie, Simonsen, Naysmith, Gravesen, Gemmill, Rooney, Linderoth, Carsley, Hibbert, Clarke.

Saint Nic will be involved after missing out during midweek. Joey Yobo is out, playing for Nigeria. Pembo & Harry Hill may have to sit this game out due to slight injuries.

Moyesy says: We know what to expect on Saturday. It will be Rangers' first game in Glasgow since they won the treble. It will be a big day at Ibrox for those fans but no game is a friendly for Rangers or Celtic. I would like that to be the way Everton are regarded when they play friendlies, although we have got a bit to go yet. But Glasgow is a city like Liverpool. This is a city where football means as much as it does up there. Rangers is just another build-up match as we prepare for the kick off against Arsenal. We are still in the early parts of our football work, although we are well on with our physical work. From that point of view the pleasing aspect from Tuesday was that we have now been able to give most players 90 minutes. We have got a big squad here and I wanted everybody to have a match as soon as possible. I was hoping to see a better performance, though. There is a lot more ball work to come in the next few days to work on that. The quality of the opposition will be superior to the sides we have played so far. It is a bigger step up for us and we are looking forward to it."

Lard's 11 to Start:

Everton: Gerrard, Hibbert, Stubbs, Weir, Pistone, Watson, Gravesen, Linderoth, Naysmith, Ferguson, Rooney.

Bench: Simonsen, Li Tie, Campbell, Radzinski, Carsley, Alexandersson, Clarke.