Rangers and the '3 pens at Dens' revisited as 2003 Treble hero sounds alarm to Gio and Co

One unforgettable afternoon at Dens Park still sends a shiver down Bob Malcolm’s spine.

There’s a wince as he walks down memory lane with reflecting on a day at Dundee that almost cost Rangers the title.

A 2-2 draw, two penalty misses from Barry Ferguson, two dropped points.

The fear Alex McLeish’s men had blown a nine-point lead and were about to be pipped to the post by Celtic.

Fabian Caballero’s double for the Dark Blues in May 2003 came after Arthur Numan’s opener – but Mikel Arteta took over responsibility from the spot to give the Ibrox side a leveller.

The history books show it would be a happy ending for the Light Blues who swept the board with a domestic Treble which included a title secured on the last day and on goal difference.

But as Rangers head once more to Dundee today, with the title race at boiling point, Malcolm recalls an unfolding nightmare two decades ago.

He said: “It was a mental game. It’s remembered as the one when Barry missed twice from the spot – I remind him of that match now and again.

“Numan scored an early goal for us, we settled down and were doing well.

“All of a sudden it changed. Dundee scored twice, Barry missed a penalty and we went in at the break a goal behind.

“Barry then missed another penalty – we were given three that day – but Arteta scored the final one to get us a point.

“It was also the reason why Arteta became the man to hit the penalties.

“He went on to score the decisive sixth goal from the spot in injury-time against Dunfermline on the last day of the season to win the league for us on goal difference.”

Rangers started to hit the hurdles in the closing stages of the 2002-03 season after moving nine points clear with six games left at the start of April.

Malcolm