By Robert McElroy
Hearts 1 (Steinwender 49) Rangers 3 (McCart 2 [20og, 73og], Cerny 73)
Attendance 18,356
Rangers returned to winning ways following a most difficult week with a 3-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday afternoon.
Philippe Clement made five changes following last Sunday’s Scottish Cup debacle with Jack Butland, John Souttar, Clinton Nsiala, Nico Raskin and Tom Lawrence coming in for Liam Kelly, Robin Propper, Rafael Fernandes, Nedim Bajrami and Bailey Rice.
Tribute was paid to former Hearts goalkeeper Gordon Marshall who had recently passed away at the age of 85 with a one-minute round of applause that was impeccably observed before kick-off by both teams and the entire crowd of 18,356 spectators. Gordon’s son of the same name had the distinction of playing in goal for Rangers.
Tynecastle has always been amongst the most difficult of venues for visiting teams to secure a result – and this game would be no exception with Hearts on an eight-game unbeaten run since Boxing Day.
There was the usual frenetic opening to proceedings in Gorgie – indeed Rangers had the ball in the net inside two minutes when Souttar netted at the back post from a Ianis Hagi cross only for the goal to be chalked off for offside.
Hearts were soon pressing for the opener – in the eighteenth minute Elton Kabangu played a one-two with Blair Spittal to take him clear through only for Butland to produce a fine save.
A goal was not long delayed however – two minutes later it duly arrived at the other end when Vaclav Cerny released Hagi on the left, his cutback being touched away by home ‘keeper Craig Gordon only for the ball to be diverted into his own net by Jamie McCart.
The first goal was always going to be important in such a game – and for once the Ibrox men, wearing white shirts, blue shorts, and white socks, had received a break of the ball.
Hearts were far from down heartened however – within the next few minutes Butland would twice deny Kabangu an equaliser, then just after the half-hour mark a superb Lawrence Shankland twenty-yard volley from a James Wilson lay-off produced a stunning save by the ‘Gers ‘keeper who turned the ball over the bar.
It was far from one-way traffic however – Raskin’s twenty-yard shot following a James Tavernier 36th minute break was held by Gordon, and the interval arrived with Rangers still holding their one-goal advantage.
The equaliser arrived however four minutes after the restart when from a James Penrice corner Michael Steinwender rose almost unchallenged to head home. It was yet another goal conceded from a dead-ball situation by the Ibrox men – and a poor, poor one to concede.
Hearts now scented blood – and went flat out for the lead, but their intent on attack would cost them dear when, just after the hour mark in a classic counter-attack, Lawrence released Hamza Igamane whose shot was blocked, the loose ball falling to Cerny who slotted home.
Hearts did continue to threaten with Butland denying both Kabangu and substitute Sander Kartum – but that Cerny strike would prove decisive as the visitors were able to pick the opposition off on the break.
So it would prove in 73 minutes when a fine Hagi flick released substitute Cyriel Dessers through the middle, only for McCart, in attempting to clear the danger, to net his second own goal of the afternoon and Rangers’ third.
The points were secured – but there was still time, five minutes later, for Dessers to have a goal chalked off for offside and the final score remained at 3-1.
Hearts: Gordon; Forrester, Steinwender (Neilson 72), McCart, Penrice; Grant (Kartum 70), Baningime, Spittal (Nieuwenhof 70); Wilson (Drammeh 80), Shankland, Kabangu (Vargas 80)
Unused Subs: Clark, Forrest, Milne, Taylor
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier (Fernandes 90), Souttar (Propper 77), Nsiala, Jefte; Cerny, Diomande, Raskin, Lawrence (Dessers 71), Hagi (Curtis 90); Igamane
Unused Subs: Kelly, Yilmaz, Bajrami, King, Rice
Referee: John Beaton
