FootyChatter.com

Chants target Russell Martin before sit-down protest Under-fire manager escorted by security out of stadium Russell Martin accepted full responsibility after another dismal Rangers performance ended with a 1-1 draw at Falkirk after which enraged fans tried to block the team bus from leaving the ground. When striker Bojan Miovski tapped in after 41 minutes, the travelling supporters again turned their ire on the Rangers manager and there were repeated chants against the former Southampton coach before and after John Mc Glynn’s side deservedly levelled in the 73rd minute through substitute Henry Cartwright. Afterwards Rangers fans sat down to attempt to stop the bus leaving but they were dispersed by police. Images showed that Martin was escorted out of another part of the stadium by security guards before leaving in a car escorted by police horses. The Ibrox side are in eighth place with one win in seven Scottish Premiership fixtures, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic and Martin, who described the chants as “character building”, was asked if he was getting enough from the players. He said: “They’re giving us everything they’ve got. I think they’re really trying. So I have to take responsibility for it, not them. There’s been some really honest discussions with them in the dressing room, some frustration with them and each other, but ultimately I’m the one in charge of the team, so I have to accept responsibility. We haven’t had enough wins on days like today, so it’s been a frustrating period. ” Martin conceded the backing of the Ibrox board is not infinite but remains confident that he can get it right. He said: “I think it’s the same everywhere. Just this club is intensified and the scrutiny is much higher, the noise is much louder. So every draw we’ve had has felt like a defeat because of the stature of this club and what it means and what we have to try and fight for. “So I can’t answer your question really, you’d have to ask the people above me. I feel that the players and the staff are really behind me. I felt really supported by everyone else above me as well, and I can’t dictate whether that changes or not. “I have to just try and focus on winning football matches (and we can do that) because of what I see every day with the players, how invested they are in it, how hard they run. If I felt any differently, I would feel differently here. It probably wouldn’t hurt as much, but I know they’re really trying. ” Mc Glynn expressed sympathy for his counterpart but admitted he scented blood after Rangers’ 2-1 defeat by Sturm Graz in Austria on Thursday night. The Falkirk manager said: “Absolutely, you’ve got to have sympathy for Russell. It’s not nice. As a manager, you’re trying to do your best. But we smelt blood today. There would be something wrong if I didn’t mention that to the players this week. “European football is difficult and they were in Austria last week. We had to take advantage of that. There have been ongoing issues with Rangers and the fans. Russell doesn’t necessarily get a break and I’m extremely sympathetic. “That’s never happened before [chant against the manager after team scores]. I’ve never heard that. It’s very strange but we knew it would happen. It happened last week so it was going to happen this week. ” Meanwhile at Celtic Park, Daizen Maeda headed a stoppage-time winner to inflict a first defeat on Motherwell’s manager, Jens Berthel Askou. The visitors had led through an Apostolos Stamatelopoulos double but Benjamin Nygren was handed an equaliser before Maeda’s diving header sealed a 3-2 victory for the hosts. The comeback prevented the champions going into the international break five points behind Hearts. Kelechi Iheanacho had opened the scoring from the spot in the 28th minute but Stamatelopoulos turned the game on its head either side of the break. The Australian scored with a diving header and a penalty after a video assistant referee intervention to put Motherwell on course for a first win at Celtic Park in 10 years. However, Motherwell’s commitment to playing out from the back – such a positive aspect of their early-season form – led to the equaliser as the goalkeeper Calum Ward passed the ball straight to Nygren eight yards from goal. The substitute Michel-Ange Balikwisha then delivered his first big moment as a Celtic player three minutes into time added on as he sent over a low cross which Maeda converted. The goal ended a 14-match unbeaten run for Motherwell, their longest as a top-flight team since they won the 1952 Scottish Cup final. Jesper Karlsson scored twice as Aberdeen thrashed Dundee 4-0 to record a long-awaited first Premiership win of the campaign. The bottom-placed Dons, who had not registered a league goal in six attempts prior to this match, finally seemed to click, with Karlsson opening the scoring from the penalty spot before further efforts from Adil Aouchiche and Emmanuel Gyamfi gave the hosts a comfortable half-time cushion. Karlsson added a fourth just after the hour mark to seal a win that brings Jimmy Thelin’s side back in touching distance of the teams above them.