Hibs 0 - 0 Rangers: Steven Gerrard's men rue missed chances

Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos cuts a frustrated figure. Picture: SNS

Finding the breakthrough was all that was lacking from the his side’s display as the first half got into its stride and try as they might they simply couldn’t rectify that in the second half either.

The Ibrox side had moved top of the Premiership at the weekend and were looking to protect that position and Hibernian struggled to find the form that would upset those ambitions.

Neil Lennon had opted for an unchanged side but if the personnel was the same, the performance was a shadow of the one the Leith side gave against the double treble winners.

The pressing and high tempo showing was replaced by laboured progress as Rangers stamped their authority on the midfield, snuffing out the threat posed by the likes of Stevie Mallan Daryl Horgan, the latter paying the price for his inability to get into the game, substituted at the start of the second half as the home boss sought a solution to his team’s insipid showing in the first 45 minutes.

Put under pressure by the visitors, who had arrived in the capital with a game plan designed to frustrate and nullify their hosts, Hibs were slack with their passing and were forced to defend doggedly as Steven Gerrard’s men took a firm hold on proceedings.

The clearances grew more and more frantic as the corners began to add up and the away side grew in confidence and while the home backline stood firm, they were offered little respite as the men in front of them struggled to keep the ball up the park.

Hibs had seen goalkeeper Ofir Marciano hobble off after just 13 minutes. Dropping to get his body behind a James Tavernier cross cum shot he immediately signalled to the bench that he was struggling with what looked like a calf injury.

Replaced by Adam Bogdan, given the territorial superiority enjoyed by the Glasgow side, the substitute should have been far busier but Gerrard knows that his team have been somewhat goalshy in recent weeks. Drawing blanks in three of their last six matches, they were again struggling with that goalmouth impotency.

Hibs defence can claim some of the credit for that, bravely getting bodies in the way, sneaking deflections and putting in last-gasp challenges or simply crowding out any shooting opportunity and doing just enough to scramble or hoof the ball away.

Weathering so many attacks and corners, they should have been punished.

The fact they were not will frustrated Gerrard. His team’s profligacy was illustrated perfectly in the 75th minute when Daniel Candeias zipped in a cross for Tavernier, who, as was the case all too often, was given the freedom to gallop upfield and into the box, but with plenty space he failed to even connect, when a tap in was all that was required.

But the Rangers captain was not the only one to squander opportunities.

Hibs had started the game looking for another early goal. The early effort against Celtic had given them the upperhand and something to build on but although Florian Kamberi had Allan McGregor diving to make sure, the Swiss striker couldn’t find the target.

Rangers attacks in that early period came predominantly from quick counters but when Eros Grezda cut inside his effort was weak.

But even Alfredo Morelos was finding it hard to find the clinical finish Rangers needed.

He wrong-footed young Ryan Porteous who had come across to cover Efe Ambrose but there was relief in the home ranks and frustration in the away dugout as his effort was deflected off target.

That had stemmed from another quick counterattack and an incisive switch of play from Scott Arfield.

From another Barisic corner it was Gareth McAuley who failed to connect, right in front of goal, and Hibs knew they were living dangerously.

Despite that they could have gone in one up at the break if Ryan Jack had not challenged Horgan as he was about to pull the trigger in the 33rd minute.

Lennon tried to instigate an improvement, sending on Mark Milligan after the break as he looked to toughen up his midfield and Hibs were more a of an attacking threat as Oli Shaw passed up a couple of great chances, when he was played in by Kamberi in the 60th minute and then three minutes later when he nipped into the box before being crowded out by thre rangers defence and again sent his effort over. He was then replaced by Martin Boyle in the 64th minute.

But it was still Rangers who had control of proceedings. They just couldn’t get the goal that would see their efforts reflected adequately in the scoreline.