Arveladze signs off in style to keep title dream alive

Rangers 4 - Motherwell 1

Shota Arveladze said farewell to Ibrox yesterday, marking the occasion with two goals that keep Rangers' title ambitions intact going into the final day of the Scottish Premier League season.

Shota Arveladze said farewell to Ibrox yesterday, marking the occasion with two goals that keep Rangers' title ambitions intact going into the final day of the Scottish Premier League season.

The Georgian, who is returning to Europe as a free agent, spoke on Friday of his regret that Rangers have been second best to Celtic during his time in Glasgow. That state of affairs could be resumed today, when Celtic visit Hearts in their own penultimate fixture.

Arveladze, who was given the honour of leading out Rangers, has been inconsistent in his four years at the club, as he vividly underlined in the opening stages. He ruined the fine work of Nacho Novo and Dado Prso which saw the latter pick out the striker with a fine cross, only for Arveladze to head over the bar when a goal beckoned.

However, Thomas Buffel displayed greater poise when he scored after 12 minutes. Prso's flick directed a long ball into the run of Buffel, who survived an attempt by William Kinniburgh to bring him down and recovered his balance before steering a right-foot shot beyond goalkeeper Gordon Marshall.

Five minutes later, Arveladze was given a chance to atone. His initial shot was spilled by Marshall, but Prso seized on the loose ball and clipped it back across the face of the penalty box for Arveladze to bury a right-foot finish past Marshall.

Motherwell, who were without their usual central-defensive pairing of Stephen Craigan and David Partridge, looked as if they would be on the end of a hammering. However, they gradually recovered and ought to have cut the deficit before the half-hour mark when David Clarkson failed to turn in Scott McDonald's low cross from just six yards out.

Perhaps the most fortunate thing for Rangers was that they reached half-time without losing Sotiros Kyrgiakos, who was booked for an ugly flare-up and then, moments later, elbowed McDonald in the face.

Rangers took their foot off the pedal after half-time and were almost punished when Marvin Andrews' mistake allowed Clarkson a chance but goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus spared his colleague's blushes by producing a fine save.

Ironically, this slack period was merely the precursor to a ruthless three minutes that saw Rangers score twice. Novo's irresistible 54th-minute run carved Motherwell open and his low cut-back was swept in by Arveladze's sidefoot finish.

Buffel swiftly netted his own second. Motherwell stood off and Arveladze hooked the ball in Prso's direction. The Croat laid it into the path of Buffel, whose left-foot shot flew past Marshall.

However, the copybook was blotted as Andrews scored an own goal for the second game in a row, turning Clarkson's cross past Waterreus.