Rangers Blow Chance to Go Top as Dan Neil Error Hands Dundee a 2-2 Draw

Rangers passed up the opportunity to move back to the top of the William Hill Premiership as they were held to a pulsating 2-2 draw by Dundee at Dens Park, with a costly Dan Neil error ultimately undoing their second-half revival.

Derek McInnes' side arrived on a run of seven straight wins and full of optimism, but they were punished for a disjointed first-half display and could not hold on to their second-half lead. The result leaves Rangers one point behind leaders Celtic, who can extend their advantage at the summit to four points when they welcome Hearts on Sunday (15:00 BST).

Fink strikes, Bouanani answers in style

After naming the same side for three successive games, McInnes made one change, handing a second start to 21-year-old Algeria international Badredine Bouanani — on loan from Bundesliga club Stuttgart — with striker Kevin Kelsy dropping to the bench. Steven Pressley's unchanged Dundee side were keen to take the game to Rangers from the off.

Gers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur saved a long-distance drive from Dundee wide-man Alan Forrest in the 14th minute, and Forrest then set up attacker Joe Bevan, who screwed a shot wide of the far post. Pandur tipped a looping Ryan Astley header over the bar, and from the resulting corner striker Ash Hay crashed a header off the woodwork as the visitors wobbled.

The pressure told in the 38th minute. When a long ball caused panic in the Rangers defence and right-back Dujon Sterling tried to knock the ball back to Pandur, Bradley Fink — on loan from Wycombe — intercepted, rounded the goalkeeper and slid the ball in off the near post to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Dundee's celebrations had barely died down when Bouanani, after seeing his low drive blocked, picked up the rebound, shifted to the edge of the box and curled the ball into the top corner three minutes later — his first Rangers goal, greeted with relief by the visiting supporters.

Raskin rocket, then a gift for Jones

The Ibrox side emerged re-energised after the break. Kim Min-Su came close with a long-distance effort, moments before Dundee keeper Owen Goodman pushed a Bouanani shot past the post. In the 55th minute Goodman made another crucial save, diving to his right to thwart Djeidi Gassama.

Fink had a weak header saved by Pandur and, moments later, the home side were made to pay when Nico Raskin took a pass from skipper Dan Neil, looked up and sent a shot from 25 yards high past Goodman on the hour mark.

Rangers went in search of a third, with Goodman making two more key stops from Bouanani and Gassama. But their failure to kill the game off proved decisive. The stumbling Neil was caught in possession 30 yards from goal by Callum Jones, who raced through to guide the ball past Pandur in the 68th minute to level.

Sterling was booked by referee Duncan Nicolson in the 78th minute for a foul on Forrest as he raced clear, surviving a VAR check for a straight red. In the final minute, Rangers substitute Findlay Curtis saw a lob cleared away from goal by Owen Bevan, and the chance of a late winner was gone. Dundee, for their part, were well worth their point.

'Like a balloon popping' — McInnes rues missed opportunity

McInnes was blunt about the moment the game slipped away from his side, telling BBC Scotland: "We've made a mistake for Dundee's equaliser and it was like a balloon popping. We then had to dig deep and go again, and we never quite managed to get to the same levels."

He added: "It does feel like a missed opportunity, but in fairness to Dundee they were good value in the first half — it shows you why they are where they are in the league. But we can't come away from home and have to score three goals to win a game."

The manager praised the 25-minute spell after the interval, saying it "shows what the team are capable of", adding: "When we play in that manner, we're a very good team."

But former Rangers midfielder and title winner Derek Ferguson warned that short bursts will not deliver silverware. "If Rangers want to win games in this league, then they can't just play for 20 or 25 minutes," Ferguson said on BBC Sportsound. "When you look back at it, they were sensational for that amount of time, but that has to be for 70 minutes or so if they are going to win league titles."

Rangers' expected goals (xG) rating of almost two reflected the goals they scored at Dens Park, but their finishing has been a season-long theme of concern: the Ibrox side have scored 13 league goals from a total accumulated xG of just under 20, an underperformance of almost seven goals.

McInnes acknowledged the issue, telling Sky Sports: "We had so many better chances than [Raskin's goal] to take the game away from Dundee. It's something we need to be far better at. It's the same kind of theme for me a lot of the time. We've had dominant performances but not really had the goals to show for it."

With a challenging run of fixtures on the horizon and Celtic able to pull four points clear on Sunday, Rangers' profligacy could yet prove costly in the title race.