Hearts-Rangers Reaction: Beale defends hat-trick chasing Morelos after "the look"; Seven-in-a-row to forget for Hearts; Rangers manager's celebrations cut short

Three talking points after Rangers defeated Hearts 3-0 to go 19 points clear of the Tynecastle side after a surprisingly tame and one-sided Premiership contest in Gorgie.

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos celebrates his second goal after making it 3-0 against Hearts (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Seven-in-a-row

Sometimes statistics just creep on you. It seems like only yesterday that Steven Gerrard was sitting in the press room at Tynecastle looking like he was about to call it a day there and then.

His side had just been knocked out of the Scottish Cup by an Oli Bozanic goal - Hearts' second victory over Rangers in a matter of weeks - to all but confirm another season without a domestic trophy for the Ibrox side, who were already trailing far behind Celtic in the league.

The current Rangers manager Michael Beale will remember that evening shortly before the pandemic three years ago well. He was first team coach at the time and rightly feared a trip to Tynecastle. Hearts v Rangers games always seem like an upset might be on the cards.

But since then Rangers have been unbeaten in eight matches against Hearts, and have now racked up seven consecutive - yes, consecutive - wins against the Tynecastle outfit after last night’s comprehensive 3-0 victory, which was their fourth success in a row in Gorgie. The score aggregate in these meetings is 20-2 in Rangers' favour.

Strange, then, that so many people seemed to anticipate the in-form Hearts securing three points last night, with even manager Robbie Neilson perhaps being lulled into that belief on the evidence of his adventurous set up.

The manager isn't always right

The margin of defeat might well have been worse for Hearts if not for VAR, which struck off three ‘goals’ for Rangers, with the second of these, after Ryan Kent had nicked the ball through for Fashion Sakala to score, looking particularly tight with the naked eye.

Even with the benefit of replays, Rangers manager Michael Beale was convinced his team had struck a second goal, which did prove only delayed.

While the VAR check was ongoing, the manager frantically waved his players back to their own half, in anticipation of the goal being given. He and his coaches were sure the game would re-start with a Hearts kick-off to the extent they were celebrating in the dug out. But fists had to be quickly unclenched when referee John Beaton signalled that VAR had, once again, made a no-goal ruling.

Beale explained afterwards that the camera delivering footage to him and his coaching staff’s laptop was positioned at the back of the main stand, and thus was not really giving them the angle required to judge what was offside or otherwise. He deferred to the VAR team's better judgement - and equipment.

“We had the most lousy camera angle where we were from the top of the stand," he said. "The one from Fashion might have just been offside but they (the VAR team) get to see all the angles and the officials probably got them all right."

Beale defends Morelos after 'the look'

Michael Beale revealed that Alfredo Morelos was again unhappy about being taken off while sitting on two goals. The same thing happened against Kilmarnock last month. For all his goals for Rangers, the striker has never scored a Premiership hat-trick for the Ibrox club. Last night was his tenth double in the league. He made way for Antonio Colak after 76 minutes and looked about as delighted as one would expect with that decision.

Beale is simply happy the striker, who has looked short of confidence at times this season, is back to something approaching his best. The Colombian is also still baiting opposition supporters, although he has never really stopped doing that.

Morelos made sure he celebrated in front of the Hearts fans - sliding on his knees towards them - after his second goal was ruled legitimate having initially been flagged for offside. Beale defended him.

“A lot is thrown at him but the boy we see every day, he seems very calm and is enjoying his football,” said the Rangers manager. “He could have had three or four at the weekend (v St Johnstone).

"I mentioned that (to him) and he rewarded us. He’s frustrated because I’ve brought him off on two goals with 15 minutes to go again. He gave me that little look but I’m keeping him on his toes.“He always does that celebration,” Beale added, when asked his thoughts on the extravagant nature of the striker's celebrations in front of Hearts fans, who had taunted him when the goal was flagged for offside, erroneously it proved.

“I don’t think he knows where he’s running!” he said. “VAR stops you celebrating in the moment. The whole bench and players aren’t sure (what's happening) - that’s the only setback.”