Ayr 0-2 Rangers
Kilmarnock players, past or present, are rarely given a warm welcome in the unrefined surroundings of Somerset Park.
Cammy Bell, abused throughout by the Ayr United supporters, can now proudly consider himself Public Enemy Number One.
Nicky Law and Jon Daly may have scored the goals that racked up Rangers’ 23rd victory in 24 league matches to put them, mathematically, five wins from the League One title.
However, it was Bell, spirited from Rugby Park to Ibrox last summer, who laid the foundations for a hard-fought win thanks to three excellent first-half saves from former Rangers striker Kevin Kyle, Craig Malcolm and Michael Donald.
Light Blue legend Andy Goram, in the opposing dugout as part of the Honest Men’s coaching team, lavished praised upon him after the final whistle and Daly insisted he is in the kind of form required to make a return to the Scotland set-up just days before Gordon Strachan names his squad for next month’s friendly away to Poland.
‘There are a number of good Scottish goalkeepers and it will be difficult for Cammy, but he wouldn’t let the Scottish national side down if called upon,’ said prolific centre-forward Daly.
Manager Ally McCoist, who had a meeting with chief executive Graham Wallace on Friday and came out after the match to insist he has not demanded £30million to rebuild the side, was delighted with Bell’s display.
‘That was as good a performance as you’ll see from any keeper in the country,’ said McCoist.
It took only three minutes for Bell to announce his return to darkest Ayrshire.
Kyle, noticeably bigger than his opponents in width as well as height, thundered around like The Incredible Hulk and he should have opened the scoring when moving onto a cutback from Alan Forrest.
Bell was his equal, though, with a low block.
The pick of his saves came just before the quarter-hour mark when he threw himself at Craig Malcolm’s netbound effort from 22 yards, diverting the ball over the bar with his fingertips.
Michael Donald was next to be denied on 28 minutes and Rangers immediately broke upfield only to see Fraser Aird squander a golden opportunity when hitting the bar after being picked out by Nicky Law.
Aird turned provider with a low cross for former Motherwell midfielder Law to silence the home crowd with the opener just 30 seconds into the second half.
After 59 minutes, Daly scored Rangers’ second with his 21st goal of the campaign.
Lee Wallace delivered a curling cross into the area and the Irishman was left unattended to power a header past David Hutton.
—Daily Mail