Aberdeen 1-1 Rangers

Aug 24 2008 Mark Guidi At Pittodrie

SFA refs chief Don McVicar sent a memo to all match officials last week ordering them to raise their game or face punishment. Well, we shouldn't be seeing linesman Billy Baxter anywhere near a top-flight game for some time after his astonishing blunder yesterday.

Baxter was guilty of an error that cost Rangers a third SPL win on the spin - and those two dropped points could be crucial at the end of the season.

DaMarcus Beasley's last-gasp goal should have stood but Baxter - a last-minute replacement for Martin Cryans - raised his flag for offside against Kris Boyd.

The Ibrox striker was standing in an offside position but wasn't interfering with play and Baxter got it wrong.

However, that mistake shouldn't stop Walter Smith from looking at the bigger picture. The Ibrox boss should be asking serious questions of his side for failing to kill this game off by half-time.

Rangers dominated and could have been at least two up by the break. Instead they went in level after Derek Young cancelled out Davie Weir's 25th-minute opener in first half stoppage time.

It was another bad day in the north for Gers who have won just once in their last six visits to Pittodrie - under flop boss Paul Le Guen in 2006.

Yet they started well and opened the scoring with a fine goal. Nacho Novo won a free-kick on the right, giving Kevin Thomson the chance to send in another superb dead-ball delivery.

Rangers had failed to take advantage of his excellent earlier crosses but this time Weir rose above everyone to bullet home a header.

It was a good finish from the veteran defender but keeper Jamie Langfield will be disappointed marker Lee Miller didn't make life harder for Weir.

The Dons No.1 then had to look sharp to parry a 15-yard strike from Boyd as Gers pushed for a second. Smith's side were in total control with Pedro Mendes, Steve Davis and Thomson bossing the midfield.

Aberdeen only had two against the Ibrox trio in that area and Mark Kerr and Gary McDonald simply weren't in it.

The Dons had a let off in 30 minutes when schoolboy defending from Scott Severin let Novo steal possession.

The Spaniard noticed Langfield off his line and tried a cheeky chip that landed a couple of feet wide.

Rangers were punished for failing to find a second when the Dons pounced late in the half.

The impressive Charlie Mulgrew delivered a dangerous free-kick into the box and Miller got to the ball ahead of Weir.

His point-blank header was well saved by Allan McGregor but Young slammed the rebound into the roof of the net when he could have easily fired over.

It was the first goal Gers have conceded in the SPL this season and Aberdeen took heart from getting back on level terms.

They started to stroke the ball about after the break and had Rangers doing the chasing.

In fact, they were transformed from no hopers to potential match winners.

But the first chance of the second half fell to Rangers in 53 minutes.

Novo used his pace to burst into the box and should have squared the ball for Boyd to tap in.

But the former Dundee man sent a shot wide as his strike partner shook his head in disgust.

Boyd had a couple of attempts on goal as the half wore on but on both occasions he was denied by keeper Langfield.

Smith made a change in 74 minutes when Novo was replaced by Jean-Claude Darcheville but it was Aberdeen who threatened next as McGregor bravely dived at the feet of Darren Mackie.

Thomson and Mendes were anonymous in the Rangers engine room for chunks of the second half.

They looked tired and lacked the invention to break down a defence that was now being well organised by Severin.

However, Rangers should have won the game late on when Beasley fired into the net after a cross from the right found him unmarked at the back post.

The American's effort was ruled out, though, meaning that an excellent match was once again overshadowed by the performance of a match official.

REF WATCH

CRAIG THOMSON had a few contentious decisions to call and appeared to get the majority of them right. However, he was let down by his assistant Billy Baxter when Rangers had DaMarcus Beasley's late goal disallowed. There is nothing the ref can do about that kind of incompetence. Rating: 7/10.

MATCH STATS

ABERDEEN

Shots on 3

Shots off 2

Fouls 24

Offside 2

Corners 0

Bookings 2

RANGERS

Shots on 4

Shots off 7

Fouls 18

Offside 2

Corners 3

Bookings 0