Motherwell 1 (Longelo 87) Rangers 1 (Tavernier 13)

Attendance 10,616

For a third consecutive League campaign Rangers dropped points on the opening day of the season with the after-effects of the draining midweek encounter in Athens crucially taking their toll.

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Russell Martin made one change from Athens with Djeidi Gassama coming in for Findlay Curtis.

The game had a frantic opening few minutes with the Fir Park men more than holding their own – but the first real threat to either goal in the fifth minute came when James Tavernier’s twenty-yard free-kick was turned over by home ‘keeper Calum Ward

Three minutes later a Nico Raskin lay-off allowed Gassama to send in a curling effort that was inches wide.

Rangers – wearing all-blue – had now taken command – and when another Raskin opening found Danilo some 22 yards out in a move that had originated with Jack Butland, his effort struck the top of the crossbar.

The opening goal duly arrived on thirteen minutes when – following a needlessly-conceded corner – Joe Rothwell crossed for James Tavernier to rise unchallenged to head home.

Rangers were now in command, dominating possession, yet ‘Well were far from out of it – Butland being forced into a double save ten minutes later to deny Emmanuel Longelo and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.

Both sides were clearly committed to attack – with the home side intent on attacking down the flanks – but the Light Blues carried the greater threat, although a series corners came to nought, and the half ended with just the one goal in it.

With no changes from either side at the interval, the Ibrox men restarted on the offensive with Gassama’s header from a Kieran Dowell cross held by Ward.

Motherwell struck right back within four minutes – when Callum Slattery’s free-kick found Elijah Just at the back post, his header missing the target altogether.

The ‘Steelmen’ were forcing the pace now, with the visitors perhaps feeling the effects of their midweek exertions in Athens – and Butland kept the lead intact with a superb one-handed save from Paul McGinn in the 55th minute, with John Souttar making a crucial interception with the loose ball.

Rangers had offered little thus far in the second-half – but just after the hour mark Max Aarons broke down the left, his low shot comfortably held by Ward.

Russell Martin immediately made a double substitution with Lyall Cameron and Cyriel Dessers introduced for Mohammed Diomande and Danilo.

Cameron was soon involved in the action, yellow-carded within sixty seconds for a foul on Lukas Fadinger, then shortly afterwards seeing a shot held by Ward.

Another double substitution in the 72nd minute saw Nedim Bajrami and Connor Barron coming on for Raskin and Rothwell.

With the minutes ticking away it was Motherwell who had the bulk of the pressure, looking the likelier to equalise than Rangers were to double their advantage.

So it proved – for a deserved equaliser finally arrived on 87 minutes when Longelo drilled home a shot from a Just lay-off.

There would be no response from the Ibrox men and for a third consecutive season Rangers had failed to win their opening League fixture.

Motherwell: Ward; Koutroumbis, McGinn, Gordon (O’Donnell 70), Longelo; Maswanhise, Slattery (Sparrow 89), Fadinger, Watt, Just (Balmer 89); Stamatelopoulos (Said 77)

Unused Subs: Oxborough, Halliday, Wilson, Whyte, Ross

Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Djiga, Aarons; Dowell, Diomande (Cameron 63), Rothwell (Barron 72), Raskin (Bajrami 72), Gassama (Cortes 81); Danilo (Dessers 63)

Unused Subs: Kelly, Jefte, Fernandez, Curtis

Referee: Steven McLean

By Robert McElroy