Hamza Igamane takes Rangers torch from hero of the past as new song says it all about man who makes them tick
He was serenaded to the tune once reserved for a hero of old. But Hamza Igamane is quickly showing he might just be the new talisman this Rangers side have been desperately searching for.
The young Moroccan still has a long way to go to match the achievements that earned Ally McCoist icon status at Ibrox. But it says everything about the hopes the travelling legions in Dingwall yesterday have for the 22-year-old that they decided to dust down the ditty that soundtracked so many of Super Ally’s memorable moments in a blue jersey.
Igamane had the 3000 Gers supporters singing his name just six minutes in as he made it four goals in his last four games - and five in total this season. That was music to his ears - although you couldn't quite say the same for the rest of the repulsive song book emanating from the away end which soured the Sky airwaves.
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But it’s not just his individual exploits that are impressing. It’s the relationship he’s building with Danilo, Ianis Hagi and Vaclav Cerny that has all of a sudden transformed a static and stale frontline into one brimming with movement and invention.
A team that had only netted three away Premiership goals before kick-off grabbed doubled that tally in one afternoon as Danilo and James Tavernier completed another comfortable win.
It was the first time they’d managed more than one on the road since the final league game of last season. It might be too late for this season’s title hopes but at long last the Ibrox faithful are seeing signs of promise at last. The gap on Premiership leaders Celtic remains at 11 points but they’re now just two behind second place Aberdeen with a game in hand.
Gers were back to the scene of crime - 238 days on from suffering a defeat that effectively ended last year’s title hopes. Losing to County last April was criminal enough in the eyes of many Gers supporters, slipping up a second time world have been simply unforgivable. But Clement’s side are at least showing signs of rehabilitating their image amid a season of transition.
The Belgian boss was understandably keen to stick by as many of the men who suddenly caught fire in Wednesday’s 6-0 roasting of Kilmarnock, with Connor Barron’s return for Mohamed Diomande the only change from midweek.
Don Cowie, on the other hand, is starting to worry about a run of form that has his side heading in the wrong direction. They’ve now won just once in their last 11 games and have St Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Hearts and Hibs all closing in in what’s becoming an increasing tight fight at the bottom.
Cowie had plenty of reasons to freshen things up after seeing his Staggies suffer a 5-0 slaughtering at Celtic Park last week. With keeper Ross Laidlaw injured, Jack Hamilton was called back in to start as he was joined in the starting line-up by returning skipper Connor Randall, Scott Allardice, Michel Efete and Alex Samuel. But before they could warm their way back into action, they were behind.
And Igamane was once again the man who made things happen for Clement’s side. A quick exchange of passes out left opened up space as the Moroccan hung back on the edge of the box.
His sliced shot would have had menace on it enough but it was the helpful flick off Akil Wright’s toe that did for Hamilton as the ball soared over his head into the far corner just six minutes in.
Gers were looking lively and almost had another as Cerny laced over. But the Ibrox men have seldom had it easy up these parts and County’s battling qualities offered its own challenges.
Yet it was Jack Butland who almost put his team in trouble when he took an age to deal with Nico Raskin’s passback as Hale close in. The Englishman was forced to hack the ball away but only to Samuel, who saw his strike denied by John Souttar’s last-ditch block.
Another unforced error from Vaclav saw Ronan Hale tee up Noah Chilvers, whose 25-yarder drifted just wide as Butland was forced to himself across his line. But it was County who shot themselves in the foot before the break.
Defender Eli Campbell was the man very nearly left red faced as he turned his back on a James Tavernier cross, only for the ball to smack the back of his head and come dangerously close to an OG. But the blame for Rangers’ second on 37 minutes lies squarely with Hamilton.
The stand-in stopper should have taken notice of Butland’s earlier close call. But he was even slower getting the ball away as Josh Nisbet rolled the ball back.
Danilo was on the 30-year-old in flash, getting a lucky bounce as the keeper’s kick bounced perfectly for him to tap home. It was a painful blow - not quite as dizzying as the smack Eli Campbell took to the mush as the County midfielder was poleaxed by a vicious Hagi strike just moments into the second half.
But the hosts thought they’d landed one back themselves as the clock hit there hour mark as Wright got on the end of consecutive corners. The first bounced a fraction wide after taking a nick off Leon Balogun’s shoulder but the second was right on target, with only an instinctive stop from Butland keeping out Cowie’s side.
Hamilton was safer with his hands, making decent stops from Cerny, Souttar Bajrami as the visitors went in search of a killer third.
They got it with four minutes left. Substitute Cyriel Dessers didn’t know much about the assist as another Bajrami strike bounced off his backside but it set the ball up perfectly for Tavernier to lace a stunner past the motionless Hamilton.