Jablonec 1 Rangers 0 (1-1 agg, 4-3 pens): Disastrous night for Derek McInnes after Conference League elimination

FIRST beaten by a team that looks like a wifi password. Now locked out of Europe altogether by another that most would struggle to connect with. Rangers are OUT of the Conference League Credit: Shutterstock Editorial It’s a shocker of a night for Derek McInnes and Co who are eliminated on penalties Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Missed penalties by Findlay Curtis and James Penrice – one blazened over, the other saved – left the sorry Gers cursing shoot-out misery in the Stadion Strelnice. And for the second time in just 72-hours it was a night of Old Firm ignominy on the continental stage. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Rangers were abject for virtually all of the 120 minutes of action. Make no mistake, the pressure is back on Derek McInnes after a disastrous and costly exit from a second Euro competition in a fortnight – after being put out of the Europa League by Jagiellonia Bialystok. Vakhtang Tchanturishvili forced extra-time with a late second half strike to level the aggregate score but the teams couldn’t be separated. But despite subs Lawrence Shankland, Bojan Miovski and Thelo Aasgaard all netting their spot-kicks it would be dejection after Jan Chramosta sealed an unforgettable triumph for the minnows. For the biggest match yet of his fledgling spell as Gers boss McInnes kept faith with the same starting side that achieved a slender first leg lead. And that again meant skipper Shankland having to settle for a bench spot for the third straight game. Most read in Football OUR BEST FREE BETS & SIGN-UP OFFERS But Ryan Naderi had earned the right to stay up top – two goals in two games, including last week’s winner. The heat was literally on the Light Blues – kick-off coming amid a sweltering near 80-degrees. But for the opening five minutes or so in this modest, compact little venue – a 5,600 sell-out crowd – they were cool and collected. After just 28 seconds an excellent Daisuke Yokota left foot cross – right where the Czechs didn’t want it – found Naderi ten-yards out but, agonisingly, he could only manage a harmless looping header which dropped over. But Rangers enjoyed reasonable possession while Emmanuel Fernandez was troublesome with searching balls from the back. Then Jablonec woke up. It needed a desperate Fernandez clearance six yards out to deal with a superbly drilled Matej Polidar cross. Boss McInnes cut an anxious technical zone figure – agitated and animated. Daisuke Yokota of Rangers runs with the ball Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Vakhtang Tchanturishvili of Jablonec and Rangers’ Djeidi Gassama battle for the ball Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Jablonec had played eight games in Europe and at home, with their only scoreless fixture being in Govan. They carried a decent threat in Glasgow – with man-mountain striker Lamin Jawo once again a huge worry. And when he darted clean through into the box in the 13th minute he looked an absolute certainty to score after Nemanja Tekijaski and Jan Suchan had too easily penetrated the Gers midfield and defence. But Jawo instead fired wide from point-blank range – a massive escape for Gers. It was quickly clear Jablonec had identified right-back Dujon Sterling as a weak link – constantly firing passes to his flank. And they were getting joy from it. Yet, the Gers created another half chance in the 20th minute. James Penrice’s delivery picked out Tochi Chukwuani but the midfielder, like Naderi, couldn’t get enough on his glancing header to worry keeper Jan Hanus although he still produced a diving save for the cameras. Ivor Pandur had to look alert soon after to dive out and punch clear a byeline cross from Richard Sediacek. Pandur then had simple saves from a Jawo header and Polidar shot as the home outfit tried to turn the screw but couldn’t get the breakthrough before half time. Rangers had dropped off badly by then – poor in keeping the ball and a dire lack of quality and imagination in attack. Jablonec went forward at will and their own deficiencies were all that had prevented the tie being levelled. Rangers, and McInnes especially, had to respond – and he did with wholesale changes for the second half. Shankland, Connor Barron and Curtis came on with new signings Dan Neil and Yokota replaced. Neil, it has to be said, was mediocre again. Pandur saved a Suchan volley – but Gers quickly responded with a Naderi bye-line cut-back for Shankland whose goalbound shot was brilliantly blocked. But the brutal truth was it was two bang average sides, with Jablonec marginally better in attack. How they rated Rangers: Pandur 6, Sterling 5 (Miovski 2), Penrice 5, Fernandez 5, Makhanya 7, Neil 4 (Barron 6) Dragojevic 4 (Aasgaard 3), Chukwuani 4, Naderi 5 (Nedeljkovic 3), Yokota 5 (Curtis 3), Gassama 4 (Shankland 3). Booked: Shankland And in fairness to Jablonec, at least they hadn’t cost anywhere near as much as the visitors to put together. By the hour mark Gers were effectively camped in their own half and asking for trouble – one way traffic for the hosts. The one major positive for McInnes had been Jablonec’s failure to produce further clear-cut openings. Until, that is, the 73rd minute…and it was celebration time for Lubos Kozel’s men. Penrice was turned far too easily by Tchanturishvili and from 14-yards he blasted home a fine shot. Whenever Rangers got up the park time after time they were woeful when it mattered. Yet, the tie was still on a knife edge heading for the closing stages of normal time. Jablonec should’ve gone ahead in the 85th minute – a quickly taken free-kick by sub Filip Zorvan leaving Sebastian Nebyla racing into the box at an angle but then wildly firing over instead of across Pandur. Extra time it became. Sub Chramosta flashed an effort across Pandur’s goal. Then replacement frontman Antonin Rusek scuffed a shot inches past the post. Curtis had a go himself but was well wide. By now it was two weary teams. Pandur denied sub Filip Novak and Shankland had a header deflected over but we went to penalties. And in a region of Czechia famed for its glassmaking industry it would be Rangers left shattered. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page Comment now