Rangers 1 Unerea Urzicena 4:CUE THE latest debate over exactly what a grim state Scottish football is in. On the latest harrowing night in Glasgow, Rangers collapsed to a staggering extent in surrendering a one-goal lead to Unirea Urziceni.
Everything, indeed, went downhill for the hosts from the moment Steven Davis wasted a 39th-minute penalty with the scores level at 1-1.
The worst agony for Rangers fans came in the second half with own-goals from Kyle Lafferty and Lee McCulloch handing Unirea the advantage, before Pablo Brandan completed the rout.
The players displayed little early evidence that they regarded this as anything like an onerous task. Pedro Mendes was fortunate to watch his angled, 18-yard shot loop off Ricardo Vilana and into the visiting net within 90 seconds but it typified Rangers’ forceful opening.
Scottish football has, rightly, endured something of a kicking in recent times amid a lowering of standards and it did not bode well when Marius Bilasco slotted home an equaliser.
Davis then promptly wasted the perfect opportunity to reinforce Rangers’ dominance. David Weir’s header was handled inside the area by Bruno Fernandes, but the Northern Ireland international produced a tame spot-kick which the goalkeeper Daniel Tudor clawed away diving to his right.
Unirea stunned Ibrox and set the tone for what was to come, three minutes after the restart. Fernandes, earlier a sinner, had the audacity to offer a back-heel which took a deflection off Lafferty on its way into the net.
The home support, not fooled about the quality of this opposition, could not hide their disgust. And so began what promised to be a long and laboured process by Rangers in an attempt to earn salvation against a backdrop of palpable unrest.
As McCulloch headed Tiberiu Balan’s free-kick into his own net, Ibrox descended into collective uproar.
Blue and white scarves flew from the stands as Brandan scored the fourth, his 30-yard shot deflected past Allan McGregor.
RANGERS: McGregor, Whittaker, McCulloch, Weir, Papac, Naismith, Mendes (Lafferty 46), Davis, Thomson, Rothen (Novo 67), Miller. Subs not used: Alexander, Boyd, Beasley, Smith, Fleck. Booked: Naismith.
UNIREA URZICENI: Tudor, Galamaz, Maftei, Bruno Fernandes, Nicu (Onofras 18), Gomes, Apostol, Brandan, Balan (Frunza 74), Bilasco, Varga (Paduretu 88). Subs not used: Arlauskis, Mehmedovic, Semedo, Bordeanu. Booked: Brandan, Gomes.
Referee: E Braamhaar (Holland).
