Advocaat team builds lead inspired by Kanchelskis

CONSIDERING their state of readiness for European competition, Rangers put up a welcome show for the 35,392 who turned up at Ibrox wondering how the team that Dick is building would shape up. The answer was pretty impressive, even if they did have to face only 10 men for 82 minutes of this UEFA Cup qualifying tie.

In a first leg away from home, as was the case for the Greeks, that is not too serious a set-back, and they simply packed their defence with the 10 left. That made it extremely difficult and often frustrating for Rangers and at half-time with the score 0-0 there was concern among the troops.

However, inside 10 minutes of the second half, Andrei Kanchelskis, their most dangerous attacker, headed in a fine opening goal and 13 minutes later Rod Wallace hit in a sizzling right foot 25-yard effort, to make it two.

That eased the tension in the stands and, no doubt in the dug-out where Dick Advocaat was entitled to a smile of satisfaction.

His fellow Dutchmen, Arthur Numan and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, were largely responsible for the improvement in penetration in the second period and when Jorg Albertz came on he, too, lent an extra threat. It would have been a welcome bonus for the trip to Salonika in a fortnight if they had added a third goal as a cushion in the fiery passion of the Toumba Stadium, but a two-goal lead is a good result on any European stage.

Nevertheless, the Greek observers on site assured us that the two goals may not yet be sufficient if their own side can get its frontline act together next time out.

Even so, Advocaat, a hugely experienced man at this level, will surely set out his team in such a fashion that one counter attack by them could end for good any

further ambitions PAOK harbour.

Rangers may have played reasonably well but the coach is very aware that there is plenty of room for improvement, especially when they lose the pace of Gordon Durie, as they did early on. The Scotland man's appaling luck continued as he suffered a broken ankle.

Overall, though, there was more to be pleased about than not and when we recall some of the European efforts at this stage of the season in the past it would be churlish indeed to be hypercritical.

The Ibrox side have given themselves a great chance to get into the real UEFA Cup next month.

To be fair to PAOK, they suffered a psychological set-back when they lost defender, Trianafillos Mahairidis. If England felt harshly treated by Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen when David Beckham was sent off in one of the World Cup's most controversial incidents, the Greeks were

positively flabbergasted when their defender was shown a second

yellow card after just eight minutes and took the walk up the tunnel.

The Greek player had earlier badly fouled Durie - who had to be replaced by Amato. He was booked for that - and should have been punished further - but his second admonishment did seem a bit excessive. Van Bronckhorst was fouled and Mahairidis carried the ball away briefly before quickly returning it to the Rangers players. Mr Nielsen pursued him none the less and left the Salonika man astonished when he sent him off.

Soon after there was further

trouble for PAOK when Porrini was fouled and as the referee booked the culprit, Kapetanopoulos, there was a posse surrounding the referee who took the name of Olivares for dissent. Before and after this excitement, Rangers had played the ball around patiently and well without causing the Greek keeper any serious concern.

Craig Moore had to be taken off for some treatment after he collided with Konstantinidis but recovered as Rangers stepped up the pace.

Kancheslkis was the man most involved in the next few minutes of good attacking by Rangers. His first intervention was a good shot which brought out the first real save from the keeper but it was his fellow forward, Rod Wallace, who was given a clear chance by a telling Barry Ferguson pass. The ex-Leeds player hit the ball against the outrushing keeper, however.

From the corner on the left the goalie palmed the ball out to the edge of the area where Kancheslkis hit a sizzling low shot that seemed set for the net till it was deflected by a defender. Van Bronckhorst was booked for not retreating 10 yards at a free kick, another illustration of how severe the man in the purple shirt was.

PAOk made one change at the start of the second half, Zafeiriou coming on for the captain, Toursounidis, and could have silenced the crowd who were getting

anxious, when Amoruso made a mistake, Frantzeskos seized the ball and sent Vrizas through. The striker finished it all off with a weak shot but it illustrated how dangerous PAOK could be.

However, at last Rangers showed they had a finishing touch and took the lead in 55 minutes.

It was a United Nations effort, too, with Dutchman Van Bronckhorst setting Englishman Wallace speeding down the left and when his superbly weighted cross to the back post came over there was Ukranian Kancheslskis timing his header perfectly and directing it diagonally over the line.

PAOK changed things in 65 minutes when they brought on Cominges for Vrizas and a minute later Rangers, to the crowd's great delight, put on Jorg Albertz for Barry Ferguson.

The crowd knew a thing or two, as well, because Albertz was immediately involved in the second goal. He fed Wallace who, from 25 yards, hit a tremendous shot low into the corner of the net.

RANGERS - Niemi, Porrini, Moore, Amoruso, Numan, Kanchelskis, B Ferguson, I Ferguson, Van Bronckhorst, Wallace, Durie. Substitutes - Charbonnier, Amato, Albertz, Petric, Gattuso, Johansson, Miller.

PAOK Salonika - Mihopoulos, Bantovic, Mahairidis, Vrizas, Toursoundidis, Frantzeskos, Nagre, Katsiabis, Konstantinidis, Naxaridis. Sustitutes - Zafeiriou, Koulakiotis, Cominges, Velis, Argyriou, Marifauiev, Uafes.

Referee - K Nielsen (Denmark).