SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Rangers 2 Dundee Utd 0:WALTER SMITH'S final home match as the manager of Rangers had a deeper meaning than basic sentimentality. This result means another win for Rangers, at Kilmarnock on Sunday, will see Smith depart his club having secured a third Scottish Premier League title in succession.
If Hearts beat Celtic tonight, Rangers will already have retained the title; a draw in Edinburgh means Smith need only take a point from Rugby Park.
Given how unlikely even the manager himself thought this scenario at the turn of the year, he could hardly have hand-picked better circumstances to set up his Rangers departure. Since drawing 0-0 with Celtic in April, Rangers have defeated Motherwell, Hearts and Dundee United by an aggregate of 11-0.
Banners listing Smith’s trophy successes during two spells at Ibrox were unfurled in the stands before kick-off. A message was also passed on that the manager would take to the pitch at full-time to say farewell.
But that was pretty much it, with the 63-year-old not wanting it any other way. Smith had been adamant in the build-up to this game that Rangers’ pursuit of the title must not be overshadowed by matters of personal significance.
Rangers opened brightly. The enigmatic Kyle Lafferty, who has enjoyed a profitable end to the season, cracked a post while Nikica Jelavic twice came close to breaching United’s resistance.
Jelavic’s third attempt broke the deadlock, the impressive striker arching a header past the stranded Dusan Pernis having met Steven Whittaker’s cross.
Within four minutes, Lafferty had doubled the lead and triggered the first chants hailing an imminent championship win. The Northern Irishman collected a Steven Naismith pass and slotted past Pernis.
United’s 3-2 win here earlier in the season was surely prominent in the visiting manager Peter Houston’s half-time chat. Still, it was Rangers who remained on the front foot after half-time.
Smith is within touching distance of bowing out on the ultimate high.
Guardian Service
RANGERS:McGregor, Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, Naismith, Davis, Edu, Wylde (McCulloch 65), Jelavic (Diouf 86), Lafferty (Foster 90). Subs not used: Alexander, Fleck, Healy, Hutton.
DUNDEE UTD:Pernis, Watson, Kenneth, Severin, Dixon, Russell (Daly 46), Scott Robertson (Buaben 70), Gomis, David Robertson (Armstrong 75), Conway, Goodwillie. Subs not used: Banks, Dillon, Douglas, Shala.
Referee:Calum Murray (Scotland).
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)