Rangers missed the chance to move third in the Scottish Premiership after being held to a goalless draw by a stubborn Falkirk at Ibrox. Full-time boos greeted the home side as Danny Röhl’s winning league start was halted by the Bairns, who had earlier drawn with Russell Martin’s side this season.
Both teams struggled to create clear opportunities. Rangers substitute Djeidi Gassama came closest to breaking the deadlock late on, but Falkirk goalkeeper Scott Bain kept the visitors in the game with several key saves.
Rangers sit nine points behind leaders Hearts, albeit with a game in hand, and seven adrift of Celtic. Falkirk are two points behind Rangers and have taken 15 from the last 24 available.
Match summary
The first half offered little goal threat. Connor Barron forced an early save from Scott Bain, but for long stretches neither side troubled the target. Thelo Aasgaard shot well over from distance and Oliver Antman nodded a header wide as Rangers struggled to fashion even half-chances. Falkirk largely appeared content to frustrate.
Late in the first half Bojan Miovski tangled with Falkirk defender Liam Henderson in the box, but Rangers’ penalty appeals were rejected. Nedim Bajrami and Barron fired just wide from the edge of the area, while Calvin Miller had a shot blocked at the other end.
The game opened up after the break as Falkirk adopted a more ambitious approach. Bain denied Miovski from close range and Aasgaard headed off target from a good chance. At the other end Jack Butland rushed off his line to smother a chance for Calvin Miller, who later went off with an eye injury.
Falkirk introduced Steven Naismith-era campaigner Steven Arfield and youngster Alfredo Agyeman; Agyeman squandered two openings after slack play from Butland and Nasser Djiga. Rangers’ best moment came when Nico Raskin slipped a pass to substitute Gassama, who cut inside and looked set to score before Bain produced a fine save. Bain also held a James Tavernier volley, and both Agyeman and Ethan Williams tested Butland as the Bairns forced late pressure but could not find a winner.
Danny Röhl reaction
Röhl said his team failed in decision-making at key moments and must improve the final pass and timing in transition. He felt Rangers controlled large parts of the game and created several transition moments where they could have exploited space but did not find the right options. Röhl highlighted Gassama’s chance as the clearest opportunity and stressed the need for injured players to return and others to seize their chances.
John McGlynn reaction
Falkirk boss John McGlynn urged focus on one game at a time, calling the league harsh and praising his team’s accumulation of points. He acknowledged the challenge ahead, pointing to upcoming opposition Motherwell, and insisted on keeping attention on the immediate fixtures.