Aberdeen 2 - 0 Rangers

Aberdeen maintained their top spot in the league after this game as Rangers continued their dismal run of poor results at Pittodrie. Ian Angus played his first full game for the Dons and Derek Johnstone was distraught as he headed the ball into his own net.
Right away McDonald fouled Gordon Strachan and this action set the pattern for the early stages. Ian Angus was quickly prominent with a well-judged through ball to Walker McCall and it took a desperate clearance into the terracing by McCloy to avert the danger. The game settled into a campaign of attrition as both sides sought to gain supremacy in midfield. Ian Scanlon roused the home fans in the 20,000 crowd with a raging 20 yard drive which skimmed McCloy's crossbar. In 14 minutes Doug Considine gathered a loose ball to send a low shot past McCloy, but the goal was disallowed for offside against McCall. Ill feeling was becoming more prevalent and one or two vendettas began to surface. In one incident Gordon Strachan was kicked in the stomach but the referee still did not reach for his black book. Chances were certainly few and far between. Willie Johnstone was Rangers' danger man and he was testing the Dons' defence with a number of teasing crosses. Russell almost scored in 32 minutes but Jim Leighton had a glorious diving save and, at the other end, Scanlon went close with a header from a Mark McGhee cross. As half time approached Rangers accelerated and put the Aberdeen goal under severe pressure but the whistle signalled the end of a dour, uncompromising first period.

The inevitable booking came in 53 minutes when Jackson brought down McGhee. Then followed a spell of continuous pressure from the home team and McCall, McGhee and Strachan all threatened to open the scoring. A free kick to Aberdeen brought the opening goal in 67 minutes. Strachan clipped the ball to McGhee, whose rocket shot whistled past McCloy's outstretched left arm. Within a minute McGhee almost scored again but his effort shaved the upright. Rangers retaliated and Redford had a reasonable chance of scoring but his shot spun harmlessly past. The Dons were now taking control and only a brilliant reflex save by the tall McCloy stopped a powerful McCall header from a McGhee cross. Manager John Greig felt that the turning point in the match came when Leighton defied McDonald with a spectacular one-handed save. As if to emphasise the point the Dons scored the vital second goal shortly afterwards in 79 minutes. With the visitors' defence looking slack McCall attempted to lob McCloy. It appeared as if the keeper might have saved it but Derek Johnstone intervened to head the ball out of McCloy's reach. Aberdeen thus kept then record of having lost only one Premier League match at Pittodrie since February, 1980.

Source: Match Programme, 2nd February 1993