Warburton sees 'room for improvement' after Rangers edge out Dundee

Rangers boss Mark Warburton praised his side for battling past Dundee - then rapped them for allowing the Dark Blues back into the contest.

The Ibrox side produced some impressive football during an entertaining first half at Dens Park.

Harry Forrester put Rangers ahead after 13 minutes before 36-year-old Kenny Miller added a second six minutes before the break.

But when the veteran frontman failed to beat Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain moments later, that allowed Mark O'Hara to put the pressure back on as he headed home in the 44th minute.

The goal made the second half more uncomfortable that it should have been according to Warburton, with Rangers holding on for a 2-1 Ladbrokes Premiership win.

But the Englishman was just relieved to see his men come through without suffering any more scares after last weekend's opening day draw with Hamilton.

He said: There was resilience, but we shouldn't have to show resilience. I thought we were very, very good in the first half. We controlled the game and our movement was good. We created chance after chance and Lee Wallace was excellent on the left-hand side.

We should have been more clinical, and then in the second half we shouldn't have to show resilience. First half, it should have been game over. It could have been four or five with the chances we had.''

Forrester hooked home Rangers' opener after 14 minutes when Dundee failed to cope with the visitors' raid down the right.

Miller then finished off a clever move that started when Barrie McKay released Wallace on the opposite flank. Former Scotland striker Miller could not dribble past Bain, though, when he attempted to put Rangers 3-0 up, and O'Hara put the home side back into the contest when he ran off the back of Joey Barton to nod home.

Forrester was booked early in the second period after smashing into Dundee's Darren O'Dea and was left skating on thin ice after two further risky challenges on Cammy Kerr and Michael Duffy.

Warburton appeared to replace the former Doncaster playmaker for his own good with 25 minutes left, but the manager said: Michael O'Halloran was always coming on for Harry. That was always the plan.

Another referee might have given it (a second yellow) but I can't comment on that.''

Dundee boss Paul Hartley was unhappy with the goals his side lost but picked out O'Hara for special mention.

The former Kilmarnock defender has been handed a more advanced midfield road since joining up with the Dark Blues this summer and Hartley believes he can help replace Greg Stewart following his move to Birmingham.

Hartley said: I felt O'Hara was absolutely outstanding today. He showed what he can do at 20 years of age.

His running power was superb. That was the pleasing thing for me, he gets his goal but his marking was excellent and he dominated the game second half.

As soon as I spoke to him I wanted him playing central midfield pushing forward. I wasn't interested in him playing right-back or in defence. We just changed his position a little bit and it just showed you. At 20 he can only get better. He has great energy, a great engine and he scores goals.

We have lost two players in Kane Hemmings (who joined Oxford) and Stewart. They got almost 40 goals between them last season, and it is my job to try and replace them so we will try and strengthen. To be fair, the players who came in today did very well so it is up to them also to go and push for a starting place.''