Hibernian 2 (Bowie 16, Boyle 66) Rangers 2 (Dessers 2, Raskin 50)
Attendance 18,793
By Robert McEllroy
The curtain came down on Season 2024-25 for Rangers in the most extraordinary of circumstances with a 2-2 draw against Hibernian at Easter Road – but the final encounter of the campaign for the Ibrox men was one that Barry Ferguson’s men should have won comfortably only to be robbed of all three points by some truly appalling decisions by both Referee Nick Walsh and VAR Official Andrew Dallas.
There were two changes in the visitors’ starting line-up from the midweek win over Dundee United with Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Danilo coming in for Jefte and Hamza Igamane.
Rangers got off to the perfect start, opening the scoring in the second minute when Cyriel Dessers netted with a shot on the turn from a Nico Raskin opening.
Even in these early exchanges Ferguson’s men looked capable of scoring with almost every attack – but there was yet another injury blow in the tenth minute when Leon Balogun limped off, to be substituted by Robin Propper.
Rangers looked capable of cutting open the Hibs defence almost at will – and when Danilo released Vaclav Cerny through the middle five minutes later a second goal appeared on the cards – only for the Czech forward to be denied by the outrushing ‘keeper Jordan Smith.
The game’s most controversial incident occurred sixty seconds later when Mohamed Diomande fed Raskin, who clearly turned the ball over the line before Rocky Bushiri cleared. The referee did not award a goal and Hibernian raced up the park with Martin Boyle breaking free down the left before crossing for Kieron Bowie to net.
Quite incredibly, a score-line that should have read 0-2 was now 1-1, with VAR quite lamentably failing to intercede.
Rangers continued to look the likelier to score – before the half-hour mark a superb 25-yard free-kick from James Tavernier was turned wide by Smith. Then four minutes later the ‘keeper again denied Cerny, holding his shot following a one-two with Danilo.
Level at the interval, the Ibrox men regained the lead five minutes after the restart when a Tavernier corner to the near post was headed home by Raskin.
Shortly afterwards Tom Lawrence was introduced for Diomande.
Kasanwirjo was prominent on the left for the visitors – and from one break just after the hour his cutback found Danilo only for Smith to produce another fine save.
With time ticking on a third goal for Rangers appeared inevitable – yet midway through the half Hibernian produced another equaliser when Boyle headed home from a Nicky Cadden cross.
Once again the award of the goal was controversial as immediately beforehand a promising ‘Gers attack had been halted by a blatant handball, completely overlooked by Nick Walsh.
It was end-to-end stuff from both sides as the minutes ticked away – with Bailey Rice and Oscar Cortes substituting for Raskin and Cerny in the 81st minute.
Neither side could find a winner however – although a Dessers break on the left should have paid dividends when his cutback found Danilo only for the Brazilian striker to fire wide of the target in the dying seconds.
Hibernian: Smith; O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale (Obita 90); C. Cadden, Manneh (Moriah-Welsh 57), Hoilett (Campbell 57), Triantis (Levitt 79), N. Cadden; Boyle, Bowie (Gayle 57)
Unused Subs: Ekpiteta, Youan, Bursik, Kuharevich
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun (Propper 10), Kasanwirjo; Cerny (Cortes 81), Barron, Raskin (Rice 81), Diomande (Lawrence 53), Danilo; Dessers
Unused Subs: Kelly, Nsiala, McCausland, Curtis, McCallion
Referee: Nick Walsh
