McCulloch off as Gers are held

Rangers struck first when McCulloch crossed for Charlie Adam to score from close range but the creator of that goal was then sent-off for kicking out at Scott Severin as tempers boiled over after Chris Clark's crude challenge on Alan Hutton.

Aberdeen restored parity with the final chance of the half when Lee Miller pounced after Allan McGregor could not gather Richie Byrne's cross, leaving Rangers two points behind Celtic albeit with two matches in hand.

Jamie Smith was the first player to threaten with a shot which just missed McGregor's near post after Steven Whittaker had failed to successfully cut out a flighted pass from Severin.

Rangers responded with Barry Ferguson playing in Hutton, who drew Jamie Langfield into a block before the Aberdeen keeper was again called into action shortly afterwards as he stretched to claw away a Steven Naismith header.

The contest exploded into life when Rangers broke the deadlock. McCulloch was the architect in driving a well-placed cross into the Aberdeen six-yard-box where Adam turned the ball into the net.

Passions were ignited when Hutton needlessly chopped down Clark, with Miller instigating a melee as he charged over to remonstrate with the Rangers defender. But that skirmish was nothing compared to the one which broke out immediately after Clark callously scythed down Hutton in an act of merciless retribution.

McCulloch completely lost the plot as he kicked out at Severin and on the instructions of assistant George Drummond, referee Kenny Clark dismissed the former Wigan striker, with Ferguson lucky to escape punishment for his involvement in the unsavoury incident.

Aberdeen forced an equaliser in first-half stoppage time, as Byrne's low cross was only partially blocked by McGregor and Miller headed the ball over the line at a time when Rangers were down to nine men as Kevin Thomson was off the field receiving treatment.

Rangers continued to push forward whenever possible and Zander Diamond was extremely fortunate not to score an own goal in the 80th minute. Naismith wriggled into the Aberdeen penalty area, drove in a cross and Diamond's sliced clearance somehow spun over his own crossbar.