Aberdeen 1 - 1 Rangers Sun 23/12/07

Charlie Adam (30)

Rangers missed the opportunity to move level on points with leaders Celtic at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, although they survived the wrongful dismissal of Lee McCulloch to earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Aberdeen.

Rangers struck first when McCulloch crossed for Charlie Adam to score from close range but the creator of that goal was then sent-off as tempers boiled over after Chris Clark's crude challenge on Alan Hutton which should have been red carded.

Aberdeen restored parity with the final chance of the half when Lee Miller pounced after Allan McGregor could not gather Richie Byrne's cross, leaving Rangers two points behind Celtic albeit with two matches in hand.

The early stages did little to suggest what drama would follow in the closing 15 minutes of the first half, as a swirling wind made playing conditions very difficult.

Jamie Smith was the first player to threaten with a shot which went well wide of McGregor's near post after Steven Whittaker had failed to successfully cut out a flighted pass from Severin.

Rangers responded with Barry Ferguson playing in Hutton, who drew Jamie Langfield into a block before the Aberdeen keeper was again called into action shortly afterwards as he stretched to claw away a Steven Naismith header.

A strong run from Whittaker then presented Daniel Cousin with the opportunity to shoot but, under pressure from Byrne, the striker was off target.

The contest exploded into life when Rangers broke the deadlock.

Hutton slid the ball to McCulloch who was the architect in driving a well-placed cross into the Aberdeen six-yard-box where Adam turned the ball into the net.

Passions were ignited when Hutton tried to prevent a corner although he won the ball he chopped down Clark with the follow through, with Miller instigating a melee as he charged over to remonstrate with the Rangers defender.

But that skirmish was nothing compared to the one which broke out immediately after Clark callously scythed down Hutton in an act of merciless retribution the next time the two players came together which should have resulted in a red card for Clark but was let of lightly with a yellow..

The far side linesman came running across the park and accused McCulloch of kicking out at Severin when he was clearly try to get past him and was blocked by Severin referee Kenny Clark dismissed the former Wigan striker.

Rangers coped well in the immediate aftermath and when Naismith launched a volley at goal Langfield was forced to acrobatically tip the ball over his crossbar, before Adam had a free-kick saved.

Aberdeen forced an equaliser in first-half stoppage time, as Byrne's low cross was only partially blocked by McGregor and Miller headed the ball over the line at a time when Rangers were down to nine men as Kevin Thomson was off the field receiving treatment.

Rangers took control from the kick-off in the second half with 10 men and in the 63rd minute they surged forward with real menace.

Naismith led the charge and pushed a pass straight into the path of the advancing Daniel Cousin, whose attempt to take the ball around Langfield was thwarted by a perfectly-timed tackle.

Rangers continued to push forward whenever possible and Zander Diamond was extremely fortunate not to score an own goal in the 80th minute.

Naismith wriggled into the Aberdeen penalty area, drove in a cross and Diamond's sliced clearance somehow spun over his own crossbar.

Another cross from Naismith then just eluded Kris Boyd as, despite performing admirably in the wake of McCulloch's moment of madness, Rangers were forced to settle for a point when it should have been three even with 10 men.

RANGERS: McGregor, Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Whittaker, Ferguson, Thomson, Adam, Cousin (Boyd 74), McCulloch, Naismith,

Subs Not Used: Carroll, Papac, Ehiogu, Hemdani, Efrem, Furman,

Ref: Kenny Clarke

Man-of-the-match: Naismith

Attendance: 17,798