The Thistle Archive

Media report

DANISH star Erik Bo Andersen was a hat-trick hero for Rangers. The pounds 1.5million signing from Aalborg took over the striking role from the injured Ally McCoist and proved himself an equally able poacher with two goals in three minutes. He then netted with a second-half header to complete a thoroughly successful afternoon. Stuart McCall hit the fourth from close in after good work by Brian Laudrup. Skipper Richard Gough made it 5-0 with a last-minute header - meeting a corner from substitute Trevor Steven. With Paul Gascoigne and Laudrup parading all the arts and crafts of their profession, basement battlers Thistle simply didn't know what hit them. Gazza was unlucky not to get on the scoring chart with a tremendous 25- yard shot on 79 minutes which crashed off the crossbar.

Laudrup was behind the opener on 18 minutes. A superb long-distance pass found Andersen on the edge of the box. He took it on the run, blasting an unstoppable shot high and wide of Scotland No 3 keeper Nicky Walker. Within three minutes, Andersen had struck again - pouncing to swerve a left- foot drive between Walker and his near post.

And just to prove how accomplished a player he is, the Dane met a Laudrup floater at the far post to head the ball out of Walker's reach after 65 minutes. The closest the Jags came to scoring was when giant Jim Slavin out-jumped the home defence only to see Andy Goram bring off an instinctive stop on 78 minutes. Gordon Durie nearly got among the goals late on, meeting yet another Laudrup cross at the far post only for Walker to make a superb stop. Seven points ahead at the top - the Rangers cry to chasers Celtic is: Catch us if you can!

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