MAX AARONS SCORED a stoppage-time winner as embattled Rangers manager Russell Martin eked out his first Scottish Premiership victory in six attempts with a 2-1 triumph away to Livingston.
James Tavernier put Gers in front midway through the first half but the captain blew the chance to extend their lead when he had a penalty saved by Lions goalkeeper Jerome Prior.
The hosts capitalised on this reprieve to equalise through Mo Sylla after the break, leaving Rangers staring at the prospect of a sixth league game without a win.
But substitute Aarons popped up in the dying moments to elevate the Light Blues from 11th to eighth in the table and ensure some form of reprieve for Martin, who – as has become the norm this season – was the subject of vociferous calls for his sacking throughout the afternoon from a huge travelling support in West Lothian.
Lions boss David Martindale made three changes to the side that started the 3-2 defeat at Dundee as Andy Winter, Stevie May and debutant Mo Susoho replaced Shane Blaney, Tete Yengi and Robbie Muirhead.
There were also three changes to the Rangers side following Thursday’s Europa League defeat by Genk as Connor Barron, Oliver Antman and Bojan Miovski started in place of Mohamed Diomande, Mikey Moore and Youssef Chermiti.
The visitors had an early opportunity when Djeidi Gassama cut in from the left and saw his shot blocked behind for a corner.
Livi soon cranked up the intensity, however, and Lewis Smith shot wide from just outside the box before May burst into the box and saw a low shot from a tight angle saved by Jack Butland.
Smith then curled an effort just wide from the edge of the box as the pumped-up hosts continued to ask questions of their vulnerable visitors.
Rangers had a great chance to open the scoring in the 12th minute when Nico Raskin cleverly flicked John Souttar’s pass in behind the Lions defence, but Miovski blazed wastefully over the crossbar with just Prior to beat.
That opportunity aside, Gers were generally struggling to impose themselves and the first chants of “Martin get to f***” and “Russell Martin, get out of our club” went up in the 16th minute.
With tension rising in the stands, the under-fire Englishman would have been mightily relieved to see his side go ahead in the 23rd minute. Gassama’s cross from the left was cushioned back into the danger area from Antman at the back post and Tavernier hooked home an acrobatic volley from the edge of the six-yard box.
Rangers were presented with an opportunity to double their lead five minutes later when they were awarded a penalty after May grabbed Raskin’s jersey in the box following a Tavernier corner, but the captain’s firmly-struck spot-kick was superbly saved by Prior.
The Lions keeper continued to frustrate the Light Blues as he pulled off another couple of impressive stops to deny Barron and Miovski.
Tavernier’s deliveries were causing problems for Livingston and it looked like his free-kick from the right had led to a second goal when Derek Cornelius fired home in the 43rd minute, but the celebrations were eventually halted when a VAR review detected a handball from the Canadian.
Given the way his side had finished the first half, Martin would have been entitled to feel aggrieved at not being more than a goal ahead.
And Rangers’ fragility was exposed in the 68th minute when Sylla headed home Adam Montgomery’s inswinging free-kick from the right, sparking regular waves of chants against the manager in the closing quarter of the match.
Aarons eased the pressure slightly when he turned in from close range after Raskin had helped on Tavernier’s corner to secure the Light Blues’ first away win in the league since March 29, although Martin remained on the end of audible ire from the away support after the full-time whistle.
