THE HURT LOCKER HEROES

RANGERS’ rearguard action against Athletic Bilbao for 90-odd minutes with 10 men - and the last few with nine - is the stuff heroes are made of.

- BY ROSS PILCHER

But there's always the danger it has taken enough of a toll to see them become villains at Pittodrie.

Many feared a Spanish inquisition was coming when Robin Propper was sent off for denying Inaki Williams a goal-scoring opportunity just 13 minutes into Thursday Europa League quarter-final first leg.

But Barry Ferguson's team seemed to improve after going a man down. It at least simplified the plan and objective.

Assistant boss Billy Dodds was hailing the collective when he described the players - a good number of them booed off at Ibrox in recent weeks - as heroic.

Liam Kelly's dramatic penalty save from Alex Berenguer was the sort of moment you wait for in any superhero flick - the local lad using his newly acquired powers to send the bad guys packing.

OK, there's still a second leg to go and Bilbao could yet wreak their revenge at the San Mames this week.

But for now Dodds is simply marvelling at the show of defensive doggedness and true grit that has been sorely lacking at Ibrox for most of this season.