RANGERS boss Stuart McCall will adopt an ultra-defensive game plan in a bid to avoid a hat-trick of defeats against Queen of the South at bogey ground Palmerston Park.

 

McCall's side will take on James Fowler's team in the first leg of the SPFL Premiership Play-Off quarter-final away from home on Saturday.

The Gers finished third in the Championship table behind Hibs at the weekend to miss out on the semi-final spot they had targeted.

It will be a difficult outing in Dumfries for the Ibrox club who have a dire record on the artificial pitch there during the 2014/15 campaign.

The Light Blues lost 2-0 back in December in Ally McCoist's penultimate match in charge - then crashed to a 3-0 reverse at the same venue last month.

However, McCall admitted he had approached that fixture the wrong way and is set to send his side out to cancel out their opponents' counter-attacking style.

He said: "I don't think the pitch is the problem. It is one of the better artificial surfaces that we play on during the season.

"I think the issue has possibly been how we have played the games. We have possibly been guilty of being too attacking down there in the past.

"They play a counter-attacking game and are very comfortable at doing that on their own pitch. I think we have to be conscious of that.

"When we go back down there we might not approach the game in the same way or play with the same tactics as we did before.

"The quarter-final is over two legs so we have 180 minutes of football to play to try and win. We have to bear that in mind as well.

"The tie won't be won in the game on Saturday. No side will book their place in the semi-finals with a win this weekend."

Meanwhile, McCall has backed young midfielder Andy Murdoch to cope with the pressure of the play-offs - after being impressed by his performance against a former La Liga star.

Murdoch was outstanding in the 2-2 draw with Championship winners Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday despite being up against ex-Levante player Miguel Pallardo.

And his manager is confident the 20-year-old, who gelled well with Dean Shiels in the middle of the park, will continue to flourish in the games coming up.

McCall said: "He really has been top drawer. It is not easy to play for this club when things are going well, and it is even harder when everything is a battle but he has handled everything brilliantly.

"His performances have mature beyond his years. He was up against two very experienced midfield players on Saturday.

"Pallardo has played for Valencia, Levante and Getafe in La Liga. He is a really good player. Gomis won the Hearts player of the year award and has had a great season.

"Murdoch shone against two excellent midfield players. I love not only his enthusiasm for the game but his ability and his quality. And he is getting better. I have been so pleased with him."