By Alistair Aird
After a brief hiatus for international friendlies, iuwe got back down to title-chasing business at a sun-drenched Ibrox Stadium this afternoon. The farcical late postponement of the match against Dundee at Dens Park meant that Rangers went into this one trailing Celtic by a single point. With Brendan Rodgers’ team due to take on rock bottom Livingston tomorrow, it was imperative that the Light Blues didn’t let anything slip in this one.
Rangers are no strangers to a home league win over Hibernian. The teams first faced off in a league match at Ibrox on 23 November 1895. Jimmy Oswald scored twice in a 4-0 win, and he would go one better a few weeks later when he netted a hat trick in a 7-2 mauling of Hearts.
The goalkeeper for Rangers in that inaugural league fixture was John Bell. He was enjoying a run of games in the team, but the next time Rangers played Hibernian at Ibrox, in the Scottish Cup in February 1896, it was the last time Bell played for the club. Disappointed with his performance in the 3-2 defeat, Bell returned to the pavilion after the game, gathered his belongings and left never again to return.
A couple of years later, Rangers thrashed their Edinburgh visitors 10-0. That was one of 18 wins out of 18 in an unprecedented ‘Invincible’ league season. And the last of the 107 Ibrox league wins proved to be a seminal moment in this current season, Rangers winning 4-0 in what was Philippe Clement’s first game in charge. Not many who witnessed that routine win would have imagined that it would be the launchpad to the position Rangers find themselves in now.
Hibernian have only won on 13.63% of their visits to Ibrox in the league. Among them are a 4-2 win in season 1948/49 – the only home defeat Rangers suffered in their Treble-winning season – and a 3-0 win in season 2005/06. But you have to go back to February 2018 for the last time Hibernian went back along the M8 with the taste of victory. Against a Rangers side that had David Bates and Russell Martin at centre back, the Easter Road side won 2-1. Sean Goss was the man on the scoresheet for the home side.
The only player still at Rangers that played in that game is James Tavernier, and the skipper was in his usual position for this one. There was an enforced change in the other full back position, though. Ridvan Yilmaz was injured on international duty, so his place went to Borna Barisic.
Sandwiched between Tavernier and Barisic were Connor Goldson and John Souttar, while John Lundstram and Mo Diomande looked to be the duo that would sit in front of the back four. There have been some worrying rumbles this week about Lundstram’s contract talks. By all accounts, no deal has been agreed, although Clement seems confident that a resolution will be reached. Given how impressive Lundstram has been under Clement, it is imperative that that is signed, sealed, and delivered sooner rather than later.
At the sharp end, Cyriel Dessers, who scored his second goal for Nigeria during the break, was through the middle, with the trio behind him comprising Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Fabio Silva. The latter had also enjoyed a productive break, adding a goal and a couple of assists to his impressive tally for the Portugal U21 side. Capped on 21 occasions, he now has 11 goals and 14 assists at that level.
But as the eyes scanned beyond the starting XI to the bench, hearts were warmed on a chilly day by the sight of Abdallah Sima’s name. Absent with a hamstring injury since January, the loanee from Brighton and Hove Albion was in electric form prior to that with 15 goals and two assists in 33 appearances. With Celtic due to visit Ibrox next weekend, his return to fitness was a timely one.
The digital clock in the centre of the Sandy Jardine Stand showed 14:59 when the teams emerged from the tunnel. ‘Everything From Everyone’ was emblazoned on the big screens, and Tina Turner’s vocals were blasting through the speaker system. The synergy that Clement speaks of fondly was evident again. It was time for his side to stand up and be counted once more.
Rangers were on the front foot from the off and forced the first corner inside the opening two minutes. Barisic took it, and when the ball dropped to Tavernier, he lashed a volley towards goal that was blocked before spinning away. The captain was setting his sights.
Another couple of corners followed before Cantwell, sporting a huge rip in the back of his left sock, was hacked down some 30 yards from goal. Barisic dinked in into the box but couldn’t find anyone in a blue jersey.
After 10 minutes the ball broke to Wright at the edge of the box, and he fizzed a low shot wide of the target, and a couple of minutes later, Lundstram also zipped one in from long range. Alas, his dipping shot had the same outcome to that of Wright’s.
The winger was involved again after 16 minutes and on this occasion, he should have opened the scoring. Diomande burst out of defence and sprayed a beautiful ball out wide to Dessers. The Nigerian did superbly to reach the bye-line and his cutback found Wright six yards from goal. His tame effort was blocked for a corner, but from that should have come the opening goal of the game.
Barisic flighted the ball in and Souttar was clearly impeded by Triantis. VAR was called upon, but it was the proverbial stonewaller. James Tavernier, who missed from the spot the last time Rangers had faced Hibernian, did the same again, but Scott Wright made no mistake from the rebound, drilling the ball into the far corner. Alas, VAR stepped in again and the goal was chalked off due to encroachment by the goalscorer. Viewing footage of the incident showed that the decision was tight, and it could be argued that even one of the Hibernian players encroached too. It would be the first of myriad decisions that officials got wrong throughout this one. But the opening goal was only delayed by a matter of minutes. The ball broke to Tavernier who was lurking just inside the penalty area, and he thumped it on the volley beyond Marshall. The skipper had redeemed himself with what was his 22ndgoal of the season and his 123rd overall in a Rangers shirt. Remarkable.
Rangers had been relentless from the get-go both in and out of possession. To illustrate Jack Butland, clad in orange, only touched the ball 10 times in the opening 35 minutes compared to 22 by his opposite number, Marshall.
Seeking a second goal to add a more accurate reflection to the way the match had panned out, Tavernier sent in another effort that dipped over the bar and a through ball only just eluded a determined Dessers. Fabio Silva then tried to engineer an opening, but his right foot shot was blocked. But out of nowhere, the visitors were level, and it was another goal that highlighted weakness in the Rangers defence. Moments after seven minutes of stoppage time were announced, Ellie Youan broke forward on the right, and his cross eventually found its way to Maolida who poked the ball beyond Butland. Hesitancy and indecision were the hallmarks of the defending from the home side.
Dessers rose to direct a header towards goal, but Marshall pawed it over the bar. But when the Nigerian was picked out again a minute later, the net billowed. Cantwell sent a sumptuous cross into the heart of the area, and Dessers was up like a salmon to bullet the ball into the net via the underside of the bar.
That goal rounded off a manic end to a first half that Rangers had dominated. But that moment of slackness in defence illustrated that this day wasn’t done just yet and that would no doubt have been at the heart of the messages delivered by Clement as energy levels were replenished in the home dressing room. There were no changes to the Rangers XI as the second half got underway, but it was inevitable there would be at some point. Clement had good options at his disposal when that moment arrived.
Traffic was once again flowing towards David Marshall’s goal. Cantwell blasted in a shot that was deflected wide before Lundstram thudded one in from distance that hit Dessers and skewed well wide of the target. Dessers then saw a header from a Barisic cross clawed away by the Hibernian goalkeeper.
But it wasn’t long before the referee was front and centre again. David Dickinson had had a wretched opening half punctuated by hesitancy, indecisiveness, and poor officiating. That didn’t change as the second half evolved. Perhaps he should consider following in the footsteps of his perma-tanned namesake and pursue a career in the world of antiques. On the basis of this performance and others this season, refereeing at this level clearly isn’t for him.
After 55 minutes, Tavernier trundled a shot wide. He should have hit the target and things weren’t well at this moment. Hibernian were offering more going forward and there were some worrying moments at the back for Rangers.
Clearly, the manager felt the need for freshness. Off came Cantwell and Wright, with Tom Lawrence taking over as the number 10 and the versatile Dujon Sterling patrolling the right side of the attack. Given that Wright and Cantwell have had lengthy spells out recently, the changes made sense.
On the hour mark it should have been game over. Goldson played a superb ball over the top that released Tavernier. The captain controlled it and laid it on a plate for Dessers who after taking a touch, somehow fired his shot wide of goal. It was the proverbial sitter, and this game once again summed up just how enigmatic Dessers is. His goal was superbly executed, yet when presented with a much simpler chance, he fluffed his lines. There is no doubt that he has played an important role in getting Rangers into the position they are in – he has scored 14 goals since Clement arrived – but in the heat of battles like the next two Old Firm games will be, he has to be doing better in those positions.
Ross McCausland, who took a heavy knock following a dreadful challenge in the last home match against Motherwell, was brought on for Barisic after 67 minutes. Sterling moved to left back to fill the void left by the departing Croatian. It is inevitable Barisic will depart permanently in the summer too. A good servant for Rangers, he has 10 goals and 54 assists in 231 appearances, but the time is right for both parties to terminate their relationship.
As the match entered its final 15 minutes, tension was rising. Tight title races bring that – that’s why we love them – but nails were being nibbled as the noise levels rose as the fans tried to roar on their heroes to the finish line. But there were anguished shouts too when Lawrence, in a good position, failed to pick out a teammate in the box.
Clement made his final changes with 11 minutes to go. Silva and Dessers were withdrawn, Matondo and Sima were their replacements. Could either of them grab the goal that everyone who was giving everything wanted?
The answer was an overwhelming ‘yes’.
There was time for more dilly dallying from Dickinson when he restarted play after a Hibernian player had suffered a head knock. The ball was in the possession of Tom Lawrence when play was halted, so surely it should have restarted with a Rangers player offered possession of the ball.
But all that mattered little when Rabbi Matondo sealed the points in spectacular fashion. Picking the ball up on the left, he danced his way into a shooting position and belted the ball into the net with his right foot. It was a breathtaking strike, one worthy of gracing any game across the globe.
As four minutes of additional time was announced, there was concern for Rangers as Tavernier went to ground. It looked like cramp and after some treatment and the mandatory leaving of the pitch, the captain returned, and you could hear over 50,000 people audibly sigh with relief. Losing him for next weekend would’ve been catastrophic.
Sima tugged a shot wide of goal in the last action of the match. That would have added a sheen to what was already a very polished performance. This was another vital step along the road to the Scottish Premiership title, another gut check passed. It wasn’t picture perfect, but it was all about three points and the pressure has now shifted to the other side of the city.
The bandwagon rolls on and it’s ticking over very nicely ahead of the visit of ‘the other mob’ next weekend. We’ll need that synergy and ‘everything from everyone’ again as our heroes go once more into the breach for us as the quest to deliver 56 continues.
