Aberdeen 2-0 Rangers: Rangers' hopes obliterated by determined Dons

RANGERS last night endured a sorry and bitter end to a championship campaign which had promised so much for so long to Walter Smith and his players.

Unlike 2003 and 2005, there was no final day SPL fairytale for the Ibrox club as second half goals from Lee Miller and Darren Mackie gave Aberdeen a thoroughly merited victory which was savoured with unmitigated glee by their supporters.

It was a match Rangers barely looked likely to win at any stage, although Celtic's success against Dundee United on Tayside would have rendered that irrelevant in any case.

Smith's men appeared leg weary and off the pace for most of their 67th match of a marathon season and must now try and regroup for one final effort in tomorrow's Scottish Cup final against Queen of the South.

They will do so without Nacho Novo, the little Spanish striker stupidly sent off for violent conduct last night to earn an automatic one-match suspension.

It was an additional dose of misery Smith could have done without, although there was little which could make him feel more dispirited about the loss of a title which has slipped through his fingers like sand over the past few weeks.

Anyone who questioned Aberdeen's level of commitment prior to this match clearly had no appreciation of the innate rivalry which has existed between the clubs for the past 30 years or so and the home team's vibrant start would certainly have come as no surprise to Smith.

In the build-up to last night, the Rangers manager had been forced to labour the point that simply securing victory at Pittodrie was a major assignment for his team without considering the possibility of significantly improving their goal difference.

Without a win from his two previous visits here since returning to the Ibrox hot seat 18 months ago, Smith was all too aware of the traditional difficulties the venue posed for Rangers and they looked just as likely to fall behind as take the lead in a tense opening period.

Aberdeen, snapping into tackles in midfield and attempting to get the ball forward as swiftly as possible to their front pair of Mackie and Miller, provoked some uncharacteristic signs of unease in the Rangers defence.

An unforced error from Carlos Cuellar has been the rarest of occurrences this season, but the big Spaniard slipped up to allow Mackie an early sight of goal before recovering his own mistake at the expense of a corner.

Rangers, deployed in an orthodox 4-4-2 formation with Jean-Claude Darcheville and Daniel Cousin the preferred strike duo, took time to settle but were encouraged by their first fluent move of the night which culminated in a Steven Davis shot being blocked by the alert Zander Diamond.

Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield made a smart save to keep out a volley from Cuellar after the home defence failed to clear a corner properly, but Rangers were unable to gather any real momentum.

They were frustrated by an errant offside call from linesman Charlie Smith when Darcheville had burst clear, although the French striker's shot was saved by Langfield in any case.

The title-chasers were not helped by their own inadequacy when it came to keeping possession. Steven Whittaker was culpable on more than one occasion and was fortunate not to be punished when he lost the ball cheaply in midfield, sparking a sweeping move from Aberdeen which saw Mackie and Stuart Duff combine to set up a good chance for Chris Maguire which the youngster volleyed over.

There was a greater ebb and flow to the match now and a terrific through ball from Kevin Thomson sent Darcheville clear to drive in a shot which Langfield turned behind for a corner.

Aberdeen responded in kind and came closer still to a breakthrough when Mackie set up Duff for a superbly struck shot from 22 yards which flew narrowly wide of the beaten Neil Alexander's right hand post.

A surreal calm had descended upon the visiting supporters, as eager to hear news of a Dundee United goal from Tannadice as they were to see their own side take the lead. Karim Touzani's foul on Thomson presented Rangers with an inviting set piece opportunity three minutes before the interval, but after much deliberation Charlie Adam blazed the free-kick high and wide.

Alexander was forced to make a smart save to keep out a stinging drive from Miller at the start of the second half and there was scant evidence from Rangers of any likelihood of securing the goal which, as things stood at Tannadice, would return them to pole position in the title chase. Barry Ferguson, despite the ankle injury which has clearly been inhibiting him for some time now, remained typically forceful in trying to drive his team-mates forward. The Rangers captain might have done better than scoop a shot straight into the arms of Langfield after racing clear of Diamond onto a Darcheville through ball, but he was at least providing the kind of urgency the Ibrox side so desperately required.

They continued to live dangerously at the back, Duff blazing a shot wide from prime position after being left unmarked, but it was the ineffectiveness of Cousin and Darcheville up front which would have been of greatest concern to Smith. He decided on a double substitution in the 62nd minute, replacing the toiling pair with Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd, but before the new arrivals could make any impact, Aberdeen effectively brought Rangers' title challenge to an end when they took the lead just a minute later.

Barry Nicholson, performing impressively in his last appearance for Aberdeen, delivered a fine cross which Miller headed firmly beyond Alexander's left hand into the corner of the net.

When news of Celtic's opener filtered through, greeted with as much delirium from the Aberdeen fans as Miller's goal had been, the game was up for Rangers and their evening began to deteriorate spectacularly. Teenage striker John Fleck replaced Adam as Rangers desperately sought to increase their attacking threat, but Mackie doubled Aberdeen's lead in the 77th minute when he held off a challenge to shoot home from close range after collecting a Miller knockdown.

It was all too much for Novo who was sent off two minutes later for a wild lunge at Duff which sparked furious scenes among the home players.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Maybury, Severin, Diamond, Foster; Maguire (Smith 69), Nicholson (Young 88), Touzani, Duff; Miller, Mackie (De Visscher 82). Subs not used: Soutar, Mair, Crawford, Jack.

Rangers: Alexander, Dailly, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker; Davis, Ferguson, Thomson, Adam (Fleck 75); Darcheville (Boyd 62), Cousin (Novo 62). Subs not used: G.Smith, Broadfoot, Furman, McMillan.