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Football

Livingston

vs Rangers. Scottish Premiership.

3: 00pm, Sunday 28th September 2025.

Tony Macaroni Arena.

Report as Rangers secure first Scottish Premiership win of the season; Tavernier gave his side the lead with an acrobatic effort before seeing his penalty saved by Jerome Prior; Mohamed Sylla cancelled out the early strike; Max Aarons scored in the 94th minute

Football Journalist

@williambitibiri

Sunday 28 September 2025 20: 00, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Max Aarons came off the bench to score an injury-time winner for Rangers as they secured their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season, beating Livingston 2-1 to ease the pressure on Russell Martin. It looked for all involved that it was the same old story for Rangers, who had been hit back by a second-half Mohamed Sylla equaliser in what would have continued a dismal league start for Martin who would have gone winless at the sixth time of asking. But a 94th-minute thundered effort from Aarons, set up by fellow substitute Mikey Moore, spared an under-fire Martin more unwanted records. Martin's Rangers, who were still booed off by the away end once again, showed early positive signs. Djeidi Gassama's cross to the back post, which found Antman before it was cushioned into Tarvernier's sights for him to acrobatically finish, was the result of an impressive start for Martin's side. They could have been ahead much earlier had Bojan Miovski, in for Youssef Chermiti, not launched an early one-on-one opportunity over the bar. Livingston: Prior (7); Finlayson (7), Wilson (6), Montgomery(7); Sylla (7), Susoho (6), Pittman (6), Tait (6); Smith (7), May (6), Winter (6).

Subs: Blaney (5), Mc Lennan (6), Bokila (6), Carey (5), Yengi (n/a)

Rangers: Butland (7); Tavernier (8), Souttar (7), Cornelius (7), Meghoma (6), Raskin (8), Barron (6), Aasgaard (6), Gassama (6), Antman (7), Miovski (5).

Subs: Aarons (8), Rothwell (6), Chermitti (6), Moore (7), Bajrami (6)

Player of the Match: James Tavernier It was a start worthy of righting the wrongs of a midweek setback in the Europa League to Genk as Rangers fell to a 1-0 defeat. Like that game, there was some VAR drama as, within minutes of Tavernier's opener, he had the opportunity to double his side's lead from the penalty spot, which was saved by Jerome Prior after Nicolas Raskin was pulled down by Stevie May in the area.

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VAR worked against Rangers shortly after, as Derek Cornelius' goal on the brink of half-time was ruled out for handball after another check. Livi began the second half as the better of the two sides, making them good value for Sylla's 68th-minute equaliser. However, that buoyed Gers, who had eight minutes of added time to find a winner. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Prior made a superb stop to keep out Miovski late on, but ceded under pressure as Aarons, who hadn't made an appearance since being sent off as Rangers were knocked out of Champions League qualifying by Club Brugge in August. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Aarons' first goal in three years means Rangers move into eighth, over now 10th-place Livingston, whose winless run continues. Rangers boss Russell Martin: "The first half was the best we've played. We played some brilliant football; really fast, really forward-thinking and we should probably score three goals. Then, just a bit of anxiety crept in in the second - we didn't start very well. "We deserved to win, over the course of the whole game, for sure. We should score more goals, but what I loved is the togetherness. They are fighting for each other, for us as a coaching staff and I love that because that's really grown. "I said before the game how much that spirit has improved and they deserved to win because of that. "You saw some proper performances from people today. Tav was incredible - he played three different positions in the game, drove the team on, scored, his reaction to the penalty miss was brilliant. "I'm really proud of them. It shouldn't need a late winner, with how well we played in the first half, but it did and they did it and we can hopefully use that as a catalyst to really kick on. "I think the pitch got sticky. It's not an excuse. But they got more aggressive as well, so we needed to move a bit more. I'll have to watch it back and we'll learn a lot from that. But the Hibs game and the first 45 minutes from today, I think the players feel there's something building in there and they are really capable of doing it. "Now we really have to sustain that and be more consistent with it. "I have no feel about it [fan discontent], genuinely. I just want to concentrate on my team, the people I work with, the staff. "If we win more games, it will make people happy. I can't control anything else apart from that. " Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd on Sky Sports Football: "Rangers should have been out of sight in the first half. In the second half, they stopped doing what got them success in the first half; they went back to tippy-tappy, playing it around and really going nowhere. "All of a sudden, Livingston get a lift, get the goal, ask questions of Rangers again and James Tavernier ends up playing three or four positions. "Russell Martin says he's going to stick to his principles, but as soon as they are in the moment of need, everything gets shuffled about. "Let's not be kidding, it's papered over the cracks. It's still not good enough for Rangers Football Club. The fans will be delighted the players have managed to find a way to get three points, but that's it. "After the winning goal, the first song the Rangers fans went to was towards Russell Martin and wanting him removed. It's a relief, but it's papered over the cracks. " Rangers' Max Aarons on Sky Sports Football: "It was carnage. It was a crazy end, but we knew we had to push after they got themselves back in it. "Moments like this, the togetherness that we want to show as a team, are what make you. "Hopefully, in future, it's a bit easier and more on our terms than that, but we had to do what we had to do. " Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Rangers' James Tavernier on Sky Sports Football: "We should have put the game away in the first half as we created a lot of chances. I should've put the penalty away. "We made it hard for ourselves, but with the togetherness and just pushing until the end, I think we deserved the win. We've just got to build from this; keep the consistency up, the quality in the final third. "We came here to win the game and we did that. Now we've just got to keep the consistency of winning games. We want the performances to come with it, but it's all about winning. " Livingston boss David Martindale: "I don't think the boys deserved that, if I'm really honest. Poor free kick that gets given, really, really soft in the middle of the apartment. Tait, never a foul. That then leads to the corner, then that leads to the goal. We were saying that at the time. "But I think I've got to put a lot of positives in the game. I felt we were the better team in the second half. There was a spell in the first half. Rangers were pretty dominant. Around the time they get the goal, and then the penalty. Which I think is a penalty. "After that, I thought the first 15-20, we started the game really well. We were really good. A couple of good chances. And I thought the second half, we were fantastic. "I thought the players were fantastic. We don't do our job right at a set play. It's why we're probably sitting here. It's not why it is. But I don't think it's a free kick. "I thought too many times. Cheap free kicks for Rangers. Players just going down, get a free kick. Player goes down, gets a free kick. It doesn't seem to work like that in the other way, if I'm honest. " Correctly predict six scorelines for a chance to win £250, 000 for free. Entries by 3pm Saturday.

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