Connor Goldson confesses Rangers wouldn’t have won Aberdeen clash ‘six weeks ago’

Connor Goldson reckons that Rangers should take confidence from “winning ugly” against Aberdeen because they would not have claimed maximum points from their last two Premiership fixtures had they been played prior to the World Cup break.

The Ibrox side came from behind to secure back-to-back 3-2 wins over Hibernian and the Dons in new boss Michael Beale’ first two competitive matches in charge, with Scott Arfield’s stoppage time double sealing a dramatic triumph at Pittodrie on Tuesday night.

For dependable centre-half Goldson, the game marked his return to action for the first time since October after recovering from a thigh injury sustained in their heavy Champions League defeat at home to Liverpool.

The 30-year-old insists there is a growing belief in the Light Blues dressing room after grinding out an important victory in the North East, claiming that the game would likely have resulted in more dropped points had they faced similar circumstances before Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s dismissal.

He told Rangers TV: “We said in there, in probably the last six to eight weeks, we probably wouldn’t have won those games. I’ve obviously been watch from the stands like the fans, it hasn’t been nice because when we have conceded goals it has looked like we couldn’t come back into games.

“Obviously the boys have tried their best but it hasn’t happened, we haven’t created chances but we kept going and luckily got two chances and Scotty put them away. Hopefully now we get a bit of confidence back as a whole group and start picking up three points more often.

“I don’t think it was the best we have played or the best we will play, but at the same time, over a season you have to pick up three points sometimes playing ugly and hopefully with those two victories - a home and away win against two of the better teams in the league - it can build confidence.”

Goldson faces a quick three-day turnaround with Rangers due to face Ross County in Dingwall on Friday night and the defender stressed the importance of building on their two hard-fought victories.

He added: “Hopefully it can give the whole group confidence to go into Friday and get another three points. I am sure the manager will analyse a lot of things and how we can improve - which we need to - but at the same time, we got three points and it makes for a happy changing room.

“I have trained twice but I want to play. I knew that whenever the first game was, it was going to be hard and I knew I had to get that out of the way - but will try to recover now and on to Friday. I just want to play as soon as I could and I am really happy to be back.”