Aberdeen 2 Rangers 3: Arfield grabs dramatic late DOUBLE as Duk and Clarkson stunners pegged back

IT seemed Rangers’ slender title hopes were about to go up in a plume of red smoke.

Referee Willie Collum had already played five of the additional seven minutes.

Pittodrie was poised to erupt – manager Jim Goodwin set to savour his first ever league win over Gers.

Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.

In a spell-binding closing two minutes, super sub Scott Arfield turned this crazy game on its head – cutting Celtic’s lead at the top of the table back to six points.

How it all happened is for another day.

But from the jaws of a damaging defeat, Micheal Beale’s side snatched victory.

Did they deserve it? Probably not.

But you cannot question their new found spirit under the new man in charge.

Twice they came from behind against Hibs to give Beale a win in his first game in charge.

Here they couldn’t have left it any later.

Beale’s men looked to have run out of ideas, but in the 95th minute Arfield steered the ball home at the back post.

The travelling fans were still celebrating when the same player popped up at the near post to bundle home the winner.

Have Gers finally found a cure for their travel sickness?

On Saturday, the Dons never looked like upstaging the other half of the Old Firm at the weekend with Aberdeen managing just two shots on target compared to Celtic’s 33.

The Pittodrie boss has come under heavy fire ever since with fans blasting his ‘negative’ approach.

Yet pre-match Goodwin doubled-down – insisting it’s the only way to contain Ange Postecoglou’s league leaders.

Against Rangers, the Dons supporters were never going to settle for a repeat.

They hadn’t seen their team beat Gers at home since September 2016.

They were demanding a reaction following their side’s tame showing against the champions.

The visitors – who’d got Beale’s reign up and running with a hard fought win over Hibs last Thursday – were boosted by the return of Connor Goldson.

The 30-year-old has been sidelined for two months – Gers going to pieces in his absence.

The Ibrox side were just two points behind Celtic on October 12.

They began last night nine behind their bitter rivals.

Goldson replaced John Lundstram in the only change for the visitors.

Aberdeen made two changes from their weekend loss.

When these two sides meet there’s usually fireworks, this was no exception.

Referee Collum seems to revel in the role of panto villain and last night he booked five players in the first half alone.

There was still nothing separating the sides at the break.

Rangers had deservedly taking the lead, but you couldn’t grudge Aberdeen their equaliser, coming just two minutes from half-time,

The visitors certainly started the brighter with Ryan Kent flashing a shot past Kelle Roos’ hand post.

With 12 minutes gone, Beale’s men stormed in front.

It’s not a passage of play Aberdeen skipper Anthony Stewart will want to see again after he gift-wrapped the opener for Fashion Sakala.

Ryan Jack picked out Alfredo Morelos with a perfected weighted through ball.

The Colombian cut it back for Sakala whose first attempt was blocked by Stewart.

But instead of clearing his lines, he played the ball back to the Rangers striker who drilled the ball home at the second attempt.

Two minutes later and Gers almost doubled their advantage.

Malik Tillman did superbly to cut the ball back for Morelos whose shot was brilliantly beaten away by Roos.

Aberdeen were living dangerously.

But they seemed to grow in confidence after James Tavernier turned a Jayden Richardson cross onto his own post.

Moments later they should have been level.

Both Goldson and James Sands lost their footing allowing Duk to cross for Ylber Ramandani.

The midfielder was completely unmarked at the back post yet somehow he failed to even hit the target.

Jack, Ramadani, Liam Scales, Connor Barron and Sands all then entered the book in a manic 15 minute spell where Collum threatened to lose all control.

Sands’ foul of Bojan Miovski – right on the edge of the Gers box – would prove costly.

Duk placed it before smashing an unstoppable shot past Allan McGregor.

It was a stunning free-kick, although you had to question the positioning of the Rangers keeper.

Right behind his wall, he stepped to his left as the ball was struck.

The goal lifted the home support with the Dons emerging for the second half on the front foot.

You could see Rangers were rattled and with 53 minutes on the clock, Goodwin’s snatched the lead.

Again, it was another glorious strike.

The Gers defence – and Sands in particular – failed to deal with a hopeful looking Scales cross.

When the ball broke to Clarkson on the edge of the box he brought it under control with his first touch.

With his second, he lashed a brilliant, dipping volley beyond McGregor.

Beale responded by making four changes – Ben Davies, Lundstram, Arfield and Scott Wright were all introduced.

Lundstram was booked following a clash with Marley Watkins – there was little in the way of festive cheer.

Dons sub Jonny Hayes then flashed an effort past McGregor’s post as the Dons went in search of a third.

At the other end, a combination of Stewart and Ross McCrorie scrambled an Arfield effort off the line.

Seven minutes of injury time was the last thing Goodwin needed. 

And so it proved with Arfield scoring twice in two minutes to stun Aberdeen.

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