Davis backs Rangers to bounce back from defeat

STEVEN Davis has backed Rangers to demonstrate the character needed to bounce back from their surprise defeat against St Mirren.

The Ibrox side squandered the opportunity to overtake rivals Celtic at the summit of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Love Street on Sunday.

Davis admitted a reverse before the international break was the last thing Rangers wanted as they attempted to build on the momentum from an excellent start to the season.

But the midfielder insists the two-week break will succeed only in whetting the appetite even further for the visit of Dundee United when domestic football resumes.

"We have a lot of strength and a lot of characters in the squad and no doubt we will pick ourselves up and get back on track," said Davis. "Now we have a two-week break and hopefully that will give the lads a lot of hunger once we face Dundee United."

A superb strike from substitute Stephen McGinn – on the park for just five minutes – was enough to subject Rangers to their first league defeat of the season. And Davis admits there was no need for manager Walter Smith to hand out a rollicking afterwards, insisting every single player was well aware they were simply not good enough.

"The boys knew it themselves and they don't have to hear it from anyone else," he said. "Everybody is disappointed. The manager made a few points but we know ourselves that's not good enough and we have to get back on track against Dundee United." Smith felt a lack of cutting edge in front of goal proved to be Rangers' downfall and Davis found it difficult to disagree.

"In the first half we did okay without really creating any clear-cut chances," he said. "In the second half, we tried to push forward especially when they got the goal. We brought on Boydy (Kris Boyd] and Kyle (Lafferty] and they made a bit of an impact and we had three or four cleared off the line and a penalty shout that might have went for us on another day, but unfortunately we didn't get the result we wanted. Up until the final third, we were doing okay and then there was just a bit of slackness, people not picking the right passes."

Meanwhile, Alan Gow is hoping his first goal for Blackpool can help him become a first-team regular again.

The former Falkirk forward is on loan with Championship side after failing to make an impact with Rangers. But Gow believes his first strike for Blackpool – 20 seconds from time in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff City – could be the start of better times.

He said: "The goal is a big thing for me and, hopefully, it means I will get to play a few games."