Motherwell 0-0 Rangers

Both teams had the chances to take the full points from this encounter at a sun-bathed Fir Park, although it will be Rangers who are happier to go away with a point. Madjid Bougherra was sent off for dissent while Allan McGregor saved a late penalty to earn Rangers a point.

Bougherra and Miller both came close with chances for the away side while Motherwell's Coke came close to taking the points for Motherwell on two occasions.

Rangers lined up with a basic 4-4-2 - Allan McGregor retaining his place in goals. The defence was the one we've come accustomed to recently with Davie Weir as captain partnering Madjid Bougherra in central defence while Sasa Papac and Steven Whittaker were deployed on the left and right flanks respectively. Jerome Rothen was introduced to make his debut on the left wing with Steven Davis on the right and Pedro Mendes in the middle with Lee McCulloch adding a bit of steel. Kenny Miller returned from Scotland duty to partner Scotland exile Kris Boyd up front.

The game got off to a relatively slow start and this was reflected in Rangers' play, although Motherwell had obviously set out to apply as much pressure, as high up the pitch, as possible.

Rangers' first chance came when Pedro Mendes found Kenny Miller with a long ball after he had peeled off his marker. After getting the ball under control he turned inside and sent a curling shot toward goal, however it did not trouble Motherwell keeper Ruddy who saw the ball past by a couple of yards.

The visitors were starting to get a good foothold in the game and on 14 minutes Sasa Papac started and almost finished a move with some fine link-up play with Miller and Boyd. Miller's cross was headed back across goal by Boyd however the bounce evaded Papac and it allowed Ruddy to fist clear from the goalmouth area.

In the 18th minute Rangers won a corner which debutant Rothen, who was troubled by Motherwell's right back Moutaouakil all afternoon, swung in to the near post. It was flicked on at the front post but unluckily for Rangers was just to high for anyone to convert.

The pressure Motherwell were applying in midfield was causing Rangers problems but they could not carve out any good opportunities of their own. John Sutton should have come closer to scoring when Bougherra was unable to get any purchase on a cross from the right flank, he was standing in free space but the striker clearly wasn't expecting the ball to reach him as the ball bounced off his shoulder and out of play, luckily for the Rangers defence.

Miller squandered a superb opportunity from the edge of the box as a poor headed clearance allowed him time to bring the ball down and volley the ball goalward. The ball skimmed the bar but he should have done better and he visibly felt the same way. Moments later and just before half time Bougherra, who had been on his trademark runs from defence throughout the first half came close with a downward header at the back post but Ruddy and his defence were again able to scramble the ball clear.

At the start of the second half it was again the home side who started the brighter and Steven Hammill came close with a cross that almost crept in at McGregor's near post but the keeper was alert enough to palm the ball clear.

There was not much incision from either team, but Rangers manager Walter Smith decided to freshen things up by introducing Nacho Novo and Steven Naismith, hoping they could introduce more urgency in Rangers' play. They came on for Miller and Rothen. It was a quiet game for the Frenchman, but he showed glimpses of class with his left foot but he did confirm my suspicions that he lacks a bit of pace. The changes almost paid off immediately with Steven Davis and Steven Naismith both involved in a scramble in Motherwell's goal area but neither were able to meaningfully divert the ball goalwards. There was alsoa shout for a penalty as Ruddy brought down Naismith but the claims were waved away correctly by referee Dougie McDonald.

This the signalled the point where the game would start to open up.

As the game started to go from end-to-end and Rangers committed more men forward in the search for the opening goal, Davie Weir was booked crudely halting a Motherwell counter attack.

Novo extracted a good save once again from Ruddy after the Spaniard worked space well for himself from a neat interchange with Naismith.

Rangers were having most of the play but Motherwell looked threatening on the counter attack and Rangers almost paid the price as Coke headed narrowly over from a Moutaouakil cross. Tom Hateley, the son of Rangers legend Mark, passed up a good opportunity by snatching at a shot from the edge of the box after stepping inside a Rangers defender.

From this point, things almost rapidly deteriorated for Rangers as Madjid Bougherra conceded a needless openalty with a needless attempt at a tackle. It did appear that the Motherwell player was fouled but Bougherra was incensed by the decisions and set about trying to change the referee's mind (never a good idea, Madjid). Referee McDonald took exception to Bougherra's attention and showed him the yellow card. But this was not enough of a warning who continued his protestations, leaving the official with no opportunity but to show a second yellow and send the player off.

As Bougherra headed off the pitch for his early bath, Jim O'Brien stepped up to take Well's spot kick. Allan McGregor, who many feel should be replaced by Neil Alexander, showed why he has such a superb record in facing penalty kicks with another superb stop. O'Brien, who struck the penalty with plenty of power was left with his head in his hands as McGregor sprung to his left to first the ball clear of danger.

The tide of the game had now turned though with Rangers down to ten men, and they had plenty of defending to do as Motherwell applied more pressure. Motherwell again came close in the last minute with only Steven Whittaker's sliding tackle in the six-yard box denying Motherwell's Coke an easy conversion.

Rangers never managed to muster any further threat on the Well goal and after a frantic final ten minutes, the referee below the final whistle.

On reflection, taking into account Bougherra's red card (as stupid as it was), and the saved penalty, Rangers will be happy to leave with a point, although they could have had the game wrapped up earlier with some of the chances they passed up. Overall though a draw was a fair result.

It ends the 100% start to the season but we were going to drop points somewhere and we generally do find Fir Park a tricky place to go. Well manager Jim Gannon appears to have his team playing good, confident, passing football. There were times when Rangers couldn't get near the ball. Celtic now have the chance to go 2 points clear by this evening and if they do, it's disappointing to have allowed them that advantage so early in the season.

Man of the match: It was going to be Sasa Papac for another of his typically consistent performances but it has to go to Allan McGregor for saving that penalty, and a point, for his team.