Motherwell deal Rangers title setback with thrilling win at Ibrox

Emmanuel Longelo’s deflected strike gave Motherwell a dramatic 3-2 win against Rangers to deal a blow to the Gers’ William Hill Premiership title hopes.

Midfielder Lukas Fadinger fired the superior Steelmen ahead in the 16th minute before Longelo added a second in the 25th after the Gers were cut open again to the fury of the home support.

The Govan side had fought back from two down in their previous game against Falkirk to win 6-3 but the Steelmen looked more likely to add than concede.

Danny Rohl changed personnel and tactics at the interval and Youssef Chermiti reduced the deficit in the 51st minute before the striker and Nico Raskin were involved in drawing the Light Blues level in the 70th minute, with the Belgian midfielder getting the final touch.

However, in the final minute of normal time, Longelo’s drive came off the head of Ibrox defender Emmanuel Fernandez and ended up in the back of the net to give the Steelmen the victory and leave Rangers in third place with four fixtures remaining.

It was ‘retro shirt day’ at Ibrox which was embraced by the Gers fans, but their enthusiasm was punctured by Motherwell’s impressive start which left the Light Blues in chaos.

As Well probed inside the Rangers penalty area the ball was slipped by defender Stephen O’Donnell to Fadinger and he drilled a shot low past keeper Jack Butland and into the far corner of the net.

The home side fought furiously to get back level but Motherwell confidently played around them and when Tom Sparrow curled in a delicious cross to the back post the unmarked Longelo fired into the roof of the net.

Boos accompanied the half-time whistle and as expected, Rohl made interval changes to try and take some control of the game.

Mikey Moore, skipper James Tavernier – who announced on Wednesday he will leave at the end of the season after 11 years at the club – and Mohamed Diomande replaced left-back Jayden Meghoma, midfielder Tochi Chukwuani and striker Bojan Miovski.

Within a minute Djeidi Gassama had chipped the ball on to the top of the crossbar and behind to offer some encouragement, which soon bore fruit when Chermiti forced himself clear of the Well defence after taking a Diomande pass and steered the ball past keeper Callum Ward.

Moments later, Tavernier slipped at the vital moment after being played in by Thelo Aasgaard and mishit his shot.

On the hour mark a neat and tidy Rangers move ended with Chermiti blasting a shot over the bar from just inside the box, before Butland had to make a fine save from a Tawande Maswanhise shot and Tavernier completed the clearance with Longelo lurking.

At the other end, Ward tipped Diomande’s shot over the bar but from the corner, Gers defender Fernandez headed back across goal and Chermiti and Raskin helped bundle it in from close range.

Aasgaard flicked a Moore cross over the bar from 10 yards but when Fernandez dipped his head to block Longelo’s drive, the ball sped past Butland and as the home side battled desperately to recover again, Chermiti and Moore missed chances.