Rangers crashed to their first defeat in six games thanks to a Coventry winner deep into injury time. It wasn’t just a defeat though; it was a night when Rangers lost Cranie to a broken leg, Leigertwood to a broken nose and Nygaard to a pulled hamstring, all before half time! 

After seeing off Hull City without much trouble, De Canio stuck with the bulk of the side that polished The Tigers off. The only change came with Hogan Ephraim being replaced with his replacement, Scott Sinclair. That meant Camp was in goal behind Mancienne, Stewart, Cranie and Barker with Rowlands, Leigertwood, Buzsaky and Sinclair in midfield. Vine partnered Nygaard up top after his loan was extended by another two months. 

To say the game started slowly would be an understatement. There was precious little to talk about in the first twenty minutes other than the incident in which Cranie broke his leg, which was innocuous to say the least. He slid in with a Coventry player near the by-line and got up, limped about, then went down. Then physio Paul Hunter came on and walked him off for treatment and then they both walked up the touchline when it was decided he couldn’t continue. It turned out to be a broken leg! It always seems to be the way that nothing challenges bring the worst results and Cranie will be badly missed. Timoska took his place at the heart of the defence. 

Coventry were the first side to have a shot in anger when mini Maltese striker Michael Mifsud collected a pass from Adebola before shooting wide. This seemed to stir Rangers into a response and some lovely quick feet from Scott Sinclair took him past two Coventry defenders but his shot was deflected wide. 

The visitors tested Camp though veteran Adebola before skipper De Zeeuw hooked a corner over the bar having made a dart to the near post. Rangers were still coming to terms with the loss of Cranie when Leigertwood wore a boot from Doyle right on the bugle and was himself forced off with a broken nose. Bolder came on in his place. Thirty seven minutes gone and two enforced subs!  

Sinclair had another strike after working an opening when he forced Dimi Konstantopolous to beat away his shot from a narrow angle. Then, just before the break Rangers were forced into another change. Nygaard challenged for a ball in the centre circle and one of his dodgy hamstrings went ping! He battled on gamely for a few minutes, doing god knows how much damage in the process, before Nardiello replaced him. 

This necessitated a change in formation as De Canio’s plan thus far had largely centred around playing off of Nygaard, either from range or closer in. He had been doing a sterling job but now it switched to a 4-4-1-1 with Vine playing wide right, Rowlands in the middle and Buzsaky playing off of Nardiello. At the break Mancienne and Timoska swapped with the Finnish international moving to right back. 

Rangers made an excellent start to the second half with a goal not befitting this contest. Stewart, excellent so far on the evening, struck a fine ball into Buzsaky. The Hungarian got the ball down and went at goal before crashing a fierce left footed past the prone Konstantopolous. 

Coventry seemed to be lifted by the goal and Adebola was coming more into the game. Stewart had shackle him well up front but he began drifting into areas where Stewart couldn’t go, he had plenty of joy against Barker and seemed to station himself out there more often than not.  

Rangers only held the lead for eleven minutes before the lively Mifsud bagged the equaliser. A ball up the middle didn’t seem to be posing a threat but it ricocheted around and broke to the Maltese international. He looked to be well offside but having not seen the goals on TV I don’t know who the final ball came off of. He took the ball past camp before firing in a low strike that Timoska looped into the net. In truth it was probably fair enough as Rangers certainly hadn’t deserved to lead. 

The game settled back into its pre-goals malaise with neither side seeming able to carve out a decent chance. De Canio was moving players around like Claudio Ranieri’s apprentice! Vine went up top, Nardiello went to the right, then he went to the left, then Buzsaky went left with Sinclair behind Vine, then Vine was back on the right with Nardiello up top! It didn’t stop there either. When Coventry brought Kyle on Timoska was moved back into the middle with Mancienne going back to right back! 

The board went up for two minutes injury time with most of the crowd wishing the game over. Then disaster struck. A cross from the left saw Kyle isolate Timoska at the back post and the big Scotsman got the jump on him and then clambered right over the top of him and powered a fine header past the helpless Camp. It was a classic bit of big mans play and showed the sort of aggression you wish Nygaard had sometimes. It was a smash and grab in the truest sense, they didn’t deserve to win but they just had that bit of quality at the end that can undo you in this division. 

This was a poor game from both sides and in truth a draw probably would have been fair. The biggest concern though is the injuries rather than the defeat. Cranie has gone back to Pompey and he will be missed badly. Mancienne and Stewart aren’t great together as neither is a leader but that looks to be our best pairing.  

Leigertwood has smashed his hooter up and is due to see a specialist. Hopefully he will tell him he can play as you realise how much you miss him when Bolder is back in. That’s nothing against Bolder, who did well last night, but Leigertwood is far more dynamic and suits Buzsaky much better. 

Up top there is a problem now as Nygaard had run into form and was causing all sorts of problems before he went off. Vine is a certain starter, perhaps Nardiello will play alongside him at Palace, in fact, who else is there! Sinclair may find himself pushed up top with Ainsworth in? Who knows? 

It is going to take the players a while to get used to Gigi’s style. Italian football is ultra tactical and extremely technical compared to the English game and I am sure that his tinkering is quickly absorbed by more technically proficient players. Our boys will learn but we can’t expect them to be moved around as much as they were last night and just get on with it without some serious practice at it.  

Crystal Palace on Saturday is a mustn’t lose rather than a must win for me. With the spine of the team decimated at the moment it might be a case of going there and doing a job rather than being expansive. 

Man of the Match – Damion Stewart. I have been critical of Stewart this season but he has improved alongside Cranie. Even when he lost the young leader last night he was solid at the back.

simon@qprnet.com