Manager Ally McCoist has praised the performance and the attitude of Dean Shiels saying that the way he stepped up to the plate in the match against East Fife as that’s exactly how he wants all fringe players in the squad to react when they get a chance to return to the first team.
Shiels struck once in each half to give us a two nil victory and another win in the league campaign this season, and it was the perfect return for the Northern Ireland international who was making his first start for Rangers since the second week of our league one season having overcome the knee injury that has plagued him.
Speaking to the Official Site about the 28 year oldm McCoist said he did look short of fitness in the Stranraer game back then, but his impact this time round was perfect and he couldn’t have been more pleased for him.
‘Dean gave me something to think about and I’m delighted for him. He has waited long enough for his chance. I thought his two goals and particularly his second finish were typical Dean Shiels goals. I’m maybe even being unfair there as his first one is a great strike.’
McCoist goes on to say that he knows Dean has had a ‘torrid time’ with injuries and obviously not being in the squad hasn’t left him happy, but you wouldn’t expect any player to be happy at not playing, so with the team doing so well this season, Shiels couldn’t have done anymore to put him in the mind of the gaffer again, especially given how he’s already shown his attitude in training.
Nicky Law also had praise for the Man of the Match in the victory, given it was only his third start of the season so far.
‘It was a fantastic start for Deano. Everybody’s delighted to see him get his two goals because it’s been a tough season for him so far with injuries and things like that.’
Law goes on to say that he’s the consummate professional in training and he can consider himself very unlucky because as he’s been about to make a return, he’s picked up another niggle that has kept him out again, and the delight for the squad is he’s a bit different in style to our other forwards so he can definitely offer us something different in games and play his part now he is fit and raring to go again.
Back to Ally and the game itself.
Speaking more about the performance on the day of the team as a whole, the gaffer did however admit that he knows again we have played better than that and our performance levels weren’t what they should’ve been or he wanted to see, but again it’s a case of we need to win ugly if we are going to get ourselves back into the top flight as quickly as we can.
‘I thought we deserved our victory and to keep a clean sheet again was pleasing. I have to thank our goalkeeper for that because I thought we switched off at the back a couple of times. We didn’t keep a good line at all and played them onside a couple of times which allowed them to get through us. Our keeper did very well.’
McCoist goes on to say though that with the chances we had at the other end he still feels we should’ve really killed the game off earlier than we did and then defensively it wouldn’t have been such an issue, but our failure to kill teams off of late is becoming an issue as we aren’t quite getting the second goals quick enough.
‘As strange as it may seem, getting the first goal is obviously very important but at this moment in time, probably at home, the second one seems more vital.’
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