So the game everyone wanted didn’t end with the result everyone wanted, but what we got was a spirited performance from Rangers that showed those present that there is plenty to look forward to for the balance of the season. A fluke won the game for Chelsea in the end as the men from W12 showed they weren’t just there to make up the numbers. 

With De Canio signing players left, right and centre during the week there was a certain amount of guesswork going on amongst the fans as to what team he would pick. In the end he went with Camp in goal behind Connolly, Stewart, Hall and Barker. Ainsworth, Mahon, Rowlands and Ephraim were in midfield with Buzsaky playing behind lone striker Blackstock. Lee and Agyemang were both on the bench for their new club. Rowan Vine wasn’t signed in time to play so instead watched from the Shed along with Lee Cook, Chris Day, Marc Bircham and Mark Bosnich. 

Rangers looked solid from the off as the ball immediately took up residency amongst the Chelsea players. They were being allowed to shift the ball amongst the back four at will but as soon as it moved into midfield Rowlands and Mahon were right in the faces of Sidwell and Mikel and when the ball went wide Barker and Connolly were tight to Wright-Phillips and Sinclair. 

Sidwell denied Ainsworth a shooting chance after some neat play from Buzsaky had seen him in on goal. It was a neat cameo of Ainsworth’s performance on the day, he just seemed half a yard to slow to everything and it was starkly highlighted now that he was surrounded by younger legs. He did manage to bully Ashley Cole on a couple of occasions and get a couple of crosses in, as we all know the England full back doesn’t like it up him… 

Kalou should have done a lot better when Wright-Phillips managed to skip past Barker and flash a ball through the six yard box. The ball somehow evaded the Ivorian striker as well as Camp and Connolly mopping up behind. In truth it wasn’t so much of a game of football as a chess match at this point with the away side showing they have learnt a lot from the Italian tactician at the helm. Players held their positions well against a superior side and made sure they didn’t allow any simple chances. 

Just before the half hour mark Chelsea grabbed the only goal of the game in the flukiest fashion. Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro got on the ball outside the box but there didn’t seem a route to goal with Hall and Stewart standing strong. He took a hopeful pot shot that took a nick off Hall and skipped over Camp’s right hand. The ball cannoned back off the post, hit Camp on the back of the arm and trickled over the line. After initially awarding the goal to Pizarro it was accredited, rightly, as a Camp own goal, his second unlucky one in just three games. 

Chelsea had the wind in their sails now and it was important for Rangers to keep things tight. Wright-Phillips used his pace to fly past Barker but then reverted to type as he lashed a wild shot into the stand. For a highly paid international footballer his delivery from wide is nothing short of embarrassing. He backed this up soon after with a cross that cleared Camp’s bar by fully ten yards.  

As half time loomed Buzsaky managed to find some space outside the box and Blackstock deftly dropped the ball into his path. The Hungarian struck the ball sweetly on his left foot but his shot swerved inches over the bar with Hilario untroubled. Then play switched to the other end and Rangers rode their luck as Sidwell cracked a powerful shot against the post with Camp beaten all ends up. 

Rangers were solid enough but they just weren’t getting support to the front quickly enough and with that in mind De Canio made a substitution and changed the formation. Ainsworth came off and Agyemang came on for his debut to play up with Blackstock. Buzsaky dropped deeper and Rowlands pushed a little wider but this went out of the window after five minutes when Buzsaky took a knock. 

The midfielder had moved to try and block a clearance but as he did so the ball turned his ankle. Anyone that has done this will attest to just how painful it is and after hobbling off and having some treatment De Canio withdrew him for the bigger battles ahead. Kieran Lee came on for his debut and went to the right flank with Rowlands central again. 

Alex tested Camp with a trademark long range free kick before Rowlands started to show the other side of his game. When Buzsaky was on he had played a solid defensive role but with the Hungarian off he took on the creative role and started to impose himself on Sidwell and Mikel. He went agonisingly close with a fierce rising drive that just cleared the bar before he forced Hilario into his first save of the game with an equally well struck effort. 

Pizarro managed to briefly escape the manacles of the outstanding Hall and Stewart but his effort was a million miles off target. Agyemang showed his pace and power to leave Alex trailing and forced Hilario into another save. People have already been critical of Agyemang’s contribution but I thought he brought some much needed pace to our attacking options and there were a couple of times he made great runs only for the midfield to fail with the pass. 

Grant decided to change things and with half an hour to play Didier Drogba made his return from injury in place of the unsurprisingly disappointing Sinclair. With two up top the home side seemed a little more threatening but with Mahon screening Hall and Stewart the barrier they formed seemed pretty well impenetrable.  

De Canio made his final change soon after with teenage prodigy Angelo Balanta coming on in place of Ephraim, who looked short of fitness having sat cooling his heels at West Ham since his loan at Rangers ended. The fresh faced Balanta showed a couple of nice touches early on and certainly wasn’t overawed at playing in front of 40,000 people against the current cup holders. 

The game had slipped back into the pattern of much of the first half now with Chelsea keeping the ball without being able to pick that killer pass. Drogba managed to work himself a sight of goal but despite striking the ball cleanly Camp was able to parry it to safety without too much trouble.  

Rangers were evermore reliant on set pieces and the long throw of Fitz Hall. Hall sent a couple of bombs into the Chelsea box to cause Hilario a couple of uncomfortable moments but they really weren’t any more than that. The game was petering out now, you got the impression that had we managed to pinch one that the home team had a gear or two they could slip into and get that second one. Ballack and Cole were sent on for a trot about; Cole even managed to get through his entire ten minute appearances without a theatrical dive or blood-curdling scream!  

As the game ended the 7,000 R’s fans in attendance gave the players a tremendous ovation. They had done a really professional job on the home team and certainly hadn’t disgraced themselves. Yes we could have come here all guns blazing but in truth that probably would have ended in an arse kicking that a relegation threatened team simply doesn’t need and would struggle to recover from. Instead we showed that we can be tactically astute, hard to break down and that when we get the ball we can play. 

All of the debutants did well. Hall was a colossus at the back and is definitely the calm leader that Stewart needs alongside him. Connolly at right back was calm on the ball and rattled into Sinclair a couple of times early on to make him think twice. Mahon’s first start brought exactly what we thought we would get from him, solid hard working midfield play. Ephraim was the quietest of those who started but he showed a couple of glimpses of his pace and skill and he just needs his fitness back. Lee and Agyemang both did well off of the bench, Lee showed a nice touch and used the ball well whilst Agyemang was quick and provided that threat over the top. 

This game will have done Rangers nothing but good as we face up to the slog that lies ahead. They showed they are able to match up against a top Premiership side that keep the ball far better than anything they will face again this season. The new boys settled well, the old boys got a lift from them and I think we are set fair for the charge to safety. 

Man of the Match – Martin Rowlands. Rowly was sensational in all aspects of his game. In the first half he sat in with Mahon and broke up attacks, in the second half he took over the creative role and sprayed some lovely passes about.

simon@qprnet.com