Rangers player ratings v Dumbarton: James Tavernier shines, Todd Cantwell flops
Rangers secured a victory against Dumbarton to secure their pathway into the next round of the Scottish Cup with a 4-1 scoreline.
Goals from John Lundstram, Cyriel Dessers, James Tavernier and Scott Wright were enough for Philippe Clement’s side to seal the victory.
Despite it being a game against lower-league opposition, Clement went for a relatively strong team barring the absence of Jack Butland and Borna Barisic.
Here are our player ratings from the game:
Robby McCrorie – 6
Was little he could’ve done to stop Matthew Shiels’ header from going in. There was nobody marking him and was an open effort on goal. Apart from that, there was not too much to fault from his performance.
James Tavernier – 8
Played a perfect pass that saw Dessers score the second goal for Rangers. That’s one aspect of his game that’s levels above the rest and it certainly was something that gave the Dumbarton defenders plenty to think about all game. He spotted Dessers running towards the far post and provided a pin-point accurate pass. Bagged his 17th goal in all competitions with the penalty goal.
Connor Goldson – 4
Failed to track his runner on a couple of instances and this is the sort of play that can get you punished in the top flight. The argument can be made about it only being Dumbarton but he’s got to be at the top of his game throughout.
John Souttar – 7
Played an important role in setting up the opener as his flick reached Lundstram who had no problems in putting the ball into the back of the net. He defended well throughout the game and it was an impressive performance from the centre-back.
Ridvan Yilmaz – 6
Amid everything that’s been said about his future, Yilmaz appeared to handle things professionally. Looked a threat going forward and did not slack on his defensive duties either. If he was to indicate that he was willing to fight for his spot, it was a job well done.
Todd Cantwell – 4
Seemed quiet during most of the game and offered close to nothing from the middle of the park. It was always like he wasn’t enjoying his football. Whether or not it’s the role Clement is demanding or if he just is lacking confidence but this needs to change.
John Lundstram – 6
Found the back of the net and will make headlines for that but he still looked a tad nervy on the ball. He’s been a regular this season but he definitely has got to work on that aspect of his game. That said, he still performed decently in tricky conditions.
Nicolas Raskin – 6
It was a decent effort in the middle of the park from Rangers and he looks close to being back to full fitness. He looked comfortable on the ball and did not show any signs of lacking match sharpness.
Ross McCausland – 7
Was a ray of shining light in the final third for Rangers. Each time he got the ball, his head was up and looked to make things happen in front of him. His weight of pass was exemplary for Wright’s goal as he beat a couple of defenders to find his teammate. Deserved the assist after what was a terrific display.
Rabbi Matondo – 6
Started the game slowly and was missing a number of chances. His decision making in the final third, too, let him down massively. There’s a lot of improvement needed if he is to be a first-team regular under Clement at Rangers. Did decently to win the penalty in the second half. Showed glimpses of his best but there was not enough consistency.
Cyriel Dessers – 6
Missed a few crucial chances before eventually finding the back of the net to make it 2-0. His link-up play was exemplary and that’s something that Clement would’ve been proud of. He certainly has to step up in Danilo’s absence and did exactly that on Saturday.
Subs
Ryan Jack – 5
Borna Barisic – 5
Tom Lawrence – 4
In other Rangers news, a £4.8million bid update has emerged as development occurs in Gers’ quest to seal a January signing.
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