Rangers 1 - 1 Hibernian - match report

Published on Saturday 24 October 2009 18:07

HIBS missed the chance to go top of the SPL table for at least the next 24 hours but departed Ibrox with a hard-earned point against champions Rangers.

The Easter Road outfit fell behind to a Kris Boyd goal after just eight minutes but a piece of magic from Anthony Stokes, juggling the ball between Steven Whittaker and Davie Weir and then lofting it past goalkeeper Allan McGregor in the 63rd minute brought the teams level.

Hibs boss John Hughes showed his intent by naming the same team for the third match running and both sides had chances to open the scoring within the first two minutes, Derek Riordan taking a pass from Liam Miller before hammering the ball off former Easter Road team-mate Steven Whittaker only to collect the rebound and dispatch a shot which beat Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor but slipped past the far post.

At the other end Boyd turned Chris Hogg but guided the ball wide of target. Boyd wasn't so profligate, however, as the Ibrox side took the lead in the eighth minute with the simplest of goals. Steven Naismith's deep cross from the right took out David Wotherspoon beyond the back post allowing Kyle Lafferty to nod the ball back across goal where Boyd had the easiest of tasks to knock it home.

Hibs thought they'd equalised in the 22nd minute after Merouane Zemmama burrowed deep into the home side's penalty area before seeing his shot deflected wide. McGregor could only punch Riordan's inswinging corner out from under his bar, the ball falling for Zemmama who fired in a shot which came back off the post.

Stokes was onto it in an instant, putting the ball into the empty net only to find assistant referee James Bee already had the offside flag raised.

Boyd should have made it two for Rangers when he turned both Hogg and Sol Bamba leaving him with only Hibs' Graham Stack to beat but the goalkeeper was more than up to the task, thrusting out his left boot to save. Lafferty had another opportunity only seconds later but shot straight at Stack before Stokes saw a decent shot pushed away by McGregor who maintained the Glassgow club's lead at half-time by beating down a deflected effort from Wotherspoon.

Rangers came out after the interval intent on getting that killer second goal, Stack pushing aside a shot from Boyd before Kenny Miller should have done better than head a Steven Smith free-kick over.

Stack got a hand to prevent Kenny Miller increasing the Ibrox outfit's lead and then Sasa Papac saw a long-range effort deflected into the sidenetting before a mistake by substitute Lewis Stevenson, making his first appearance of the season, offered Boyd another opportunity which he squandered by blasting high over the bar.

But so long as they remained just one goal in arrears there was hope for Hibs as was shown when McGregor was forced to fist a rising shot from Zemmama over before repeating the trick as he touched aside a curling effort by Riordan.

And the Edinburgh club silenced the home fans as they equalised in the 63rd minute. There appeared to be little danger as Stokes gathered Zemmama's pass with his back to goal but the Republic of Ireland striker managed to take the ball away from Whittaker and Weir before lobbing it beyond the stranded McGregor.

There were furious calls for a penalty as Sol Bamba slipped as he intercepted a Smith cross but referee Charlie Richmond indicated the ball had struck the chest of the Hibs defender before McGregor was again called into action, pushing a rising shot from Stokes into the air.

There was a real scare for Hibs with 11 minutes remaining as Bamba got his head to John Fleck's free kick, the ball dropping dangerously near the base of Stack's post with everyone rooted to the spot - but thankfully for the visiting side it fell wide.

Colin Nish, who had replaced Riordan, went close with just four minutes remaining, his shot inches wide after good work by Stokes as the home side, still smarting from that Champions League hammering in midweek, became increasingly anxious.

And in added on time Nacho Novo thought he had won it for Rangers only to be ruled offside. In the end a draw was probably a fair result from what had been a pulsating match.

Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Weir, Papac, S Smith, Naismith, Davis, McCulloch (Fleck 41), Lafferty, Boyd, K Miller (Novo 73). Subs not used: Alexander,Rothen, Beasley, Roy, Wilson.

Hibs: Stack, Wotherspoon (Stevenson 58), Hogg, Bamba, Murray, Zemmama, McBride, L Miller, Riordan (Nish 79), Benjelloun (Galbraith 73), Stokes. Subs not used: Ma-Kalambay, Cregg, Rankin, Byrne.

Referee: Charlie Richmond.