Pre-season 2010: Rangers 2-1 Newcastle - Lovenkrands strike not enough as Gers triumph

Toon defeated despite striker's goal against former employees...

7 Aug 2010 16:39:00

by Gareth Lovell

More On :  Newcastle United, Rangers
Peter Lovenkrands, Newcastle United (Getty Images)
Ibrox, Glasgow, UK
Kick-Off 13.00 BST

Rangers 2-1
Newcastle United
Miller 24
Naismith 66
Lovenkrands 70



Peter Lovenkrands scored with his first touch against his former club but it wasn’t enough to rescue Newcastle United from a 2-1 defeat with goals from Kenny Miller and Steven Naismith handing Rangers the victory.

Sol Campbell didn’t travel with his new club as Newcastle started with Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini in defence.

Joey Barton came close to giving Newcastle the lead but his header flew over the bar before Lee McCulloch himself headed over from a similar distance as both sides enjoyed equal pressure early on.

Whittaker proved to be Rangers' best player in the half, working well from the left and he could have given the home side the lead earlier after playing in a dangerous ball which eluded his team mates.

Yet the opening goal wasn’t too far away and Whittaker was again involved, the Scotland international cutting in on his right and crossing for Miller to head home after making some space for himself in the Newcastle box.

The visitors struggled for an equaliser for much of the second half, their pressure not amounting to much in the final third.

Kirk Broadfoot came close to giving Rangers a second but Steve Harper saved well and pushed his shot over the bar.

Rangers then took a two-goal lead in the 66th minute after a good run from Steven Davis saw him run at the Newcastle defence before playing the ball through to Naismith whose lung-bursting run saw him finish coolly past Harper into the bottom corner.

The introduction of Lovenkrands saw him greeted with huge applause from Rangers but he immediately gave Newcastle more reason to cheer as he netted in from close range in the 70th minute after Allan McGregor parried Kevin Nolan’s shot into Lovenkrands' path giving the striker an easy finish.

Newcastle then pressed on for an equaliser but attempts by both Nolan and Lovenkrands in the 89th minute were both saved well by McGregor.

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