You Can Strike Him Off List

Nov 4 2007 Gordon Waddell At Ibrox

Boyd Goal Won't Help Chances Of Barca Start

RANGERS 2

INVERNESS CT 0

ANOTHER Kris Boyd start, another goal. And another week where he knows no matter what he does in games like this it will never be enough to get to the big show in midweek.

The 24-year-old took just 34 seconds to send Gers on their way to three points with his eighth goal of the season in just 11 starts.

But when he and Nacho Novo were hooked on the hour the REAL battle for the sole striker's shirt against Barcelona on Wednesday night started between Jean Claude Darcheville and Daniel Cousin.

And with fit-again Frenchman Darcheville teeing up the second goal for Carlos Cuellar after just three minutes on the park he will fancy his chances of taking the honours.

Either way Boyd will feel like he's banging his head against a brick wall, playing the domestic God all season only to be cast as a European eunuch.

That is not boss Walter Smith's worry though - he will be more concerned his side rediscover the tempo and sharpness missing from this display ahead of their trip to the Nou Camp.

The Gers boss shrugged: "I don't think this game will reflect on how Wednesday's match is played - there was maybe a mental tiredness because of the number of games the players have performed in recently.

"I wouldn't saywe relaxed too much after the early goal but I felt our possession came at a slow tempo.

"The first half was disappointing but we picked up after the break and finished brighter.

"We always planned to make changes around the hour - it was tough at Motherwell in midweek - and you could see they made a difference."

Smith made just one change from Fir Park. With Kevin Thomson banned for the trip to Spain Brahim Hemdani was given his first run-out in five games.

And Gers certainly set about it the right way. Novo's sweet turn away from Russell Duncan in midfield let him slide-rule a pass through to Boyd whose first touch of the game was a sweet and low left-foot finish from 14 yards.

It took 34 seconds - and made the rest of the half feel like 34 hours because what came next was desperate.

So bad that there were long spells where the tights-wearing Ally McCoist's Rudolf Nureyev impersonation in the technical area was the most entertaining thing on view.

Both sides gave away cheap possession far too often. Not that Rangers were ever in trouble.

Ian Black's 34th-minute volley from 18 yards was the only time Allan McGregor was called on. But nothing was sticking at the other end. And the few chances Gers did create couldn't raise the crowd from their slumbers.

A Davie Weir drive flew wide off Novo, Lee McCulloch's shot from Novo's back-header looped past a post and a DaMarcus Beasley effort was pushed into the side net by Michael Fraser.

Rangers were as slack as ever after the break, a Boyd header wide aside, and Caley Thistle spurned two great chances just before the hour.

Dennis Wyness' lob from some incisive route one play beat McGregor but fell wide. And a desperate mix-up in defence saw Weir lift a header over his keeper inside the box then have to scramble a clearance away under pressure from Wyness.

But bang on the hour the changes came from the Rangers dugout and the tempo turned in an instant.

As did the crowd. Darcheville and Cousin on, Boyd and Novo off, and within three minutes Gers had stretched their lead.

Alan Hutton's cross was flicked on by Darcheville - who had missed the last six games with a hamstring problem - and Cuellar's clever header back over Fraser from the back post nestled in the far corner. But the Highlanders should have had Rangers sweating again with 20 minutes left when they blew their best chance.

Roy McBain's cross from the left was perfect for Graham Bayne but his header was weak and Cuellar hoofed it away before it crossed the line.

Darcheville clattered a header off Fraser's bar from a Hutton cross but Inverness didn't deserve to lose by more than they did. They kept their shape and made life hard for Gers.

Boss Craig Brewster said: "The players handled things well - you have to keep your discipline and not lose the plot after a goal so early.

"Rangers will always have chances and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb but it was a decent performance."

REF WATCH

WILLIE COLLUM coasted through one of the easiest matches he will handle. The Caley bookings he gave out were for two rare tackles in a tame game. Rating: 7/10.

MATCH STATS

SHOTS ON 9

SHOTS OFF 8

OFFSIDE 8

FOULS 3

CORNER 6

BOOKINGS 0

SHOTS ON 5

SHOTS OFF 6

OFFSIDE 1

FOULS 12

CORNER 2

BOOKINGS 2