- Home >
- Soccer >
- Premiership >
- Points over performances for Rangers boss Rohl after Livingston victory
Points over performances for Rangers boss Rohl after Livingston victory
Rangers made it four league wins from four under new boss Danny Rohl, but they were made to work for their victory over Livingston.
Danny Rohl was quick to highlight the importance of Rangers' 2-1 victory over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership, despite citing areas of improvement in their performance.
Rohl watched on as his team made it four league wins from four since he replaced Russell Martin at Ibrox Stadium, with Mohamed Diomande's 78th-minute strike the difference.
Emmanuel Fernandez's header with nine minutes played put Rangers in front, only for Livingston to hit back in the 18th minute through Tete Yengi's fine finish into the net.
But 12 minutes from time, Diomande found the back of the net to secure the victory, with his goal initially ruled out for offside, but overturned following a VAR review.
Rangers were somewhat fortunate to come away with the win, having registered an expected goals (xG) total of just 1.38 from their nine attempts, compared to Livingston's 1.52 from the same number of shots.
Rohl, however, revealed that his half-time tweaks had got Rangers, who are now nine points adrift of leaders Hearts, over the line on Saturday.
"It was a hard-work performance and a hard-work victory," Rangers told BBC Scotland.
"After the goal, we start to not concentrate enough, and the opponents go behind with a long ball – it was too easy.
"We changed small details at half-time. We are pleased to have the win and that's the most important.
"We told the players at half-time we have to do more, invest more, need more runs without the ball. We will analyse the game as always and then go again."
Livingstone remain bottom of the table after their winless run stretched to 11 matches, though boss David Martindale was left far from impressed by the officiating in the game.
Martindale believed his side should have had a penalty when Yengi's goal-bound attempt struck the arm of Fernandez in the first half, but those appeals were waved away.
The visitors then thought Diomande's winner should also have been ruled out, not for offside, but for a foul on goalkeeper Jerome Prior in the build-up.
"I don't know where to go with the handball decision. It hits his arm, it's going on target, could be a goal," David Martindale said.
"I'd like Willie [Collum] to phone me and explain that one. It's not his fault, but the technology is not being used properly if that's not a penalty.
"I know if that's at Livingston and against us, that's a penalty against us. It's a penalty, nobody will change my mind on that."
Livingstone have won just one of their 13 league matches this season (D5 L7), which is the fewest of any team in the competition this season.
It is also the club's fewest victories at this stage of a Scottish Premiership season in their history, ahead of only 2005-06, when they failed to win any.












