HIBERNIAN 1
Zemmama 88
RANGERS 2
Naismith 12; Cousin 59RANGERS upped the ante ahead of the second Old Firm match of the season and reminded Celtic that, in this campaign, they will have to fend off a challenge if they want t
o retain the title. For Hibs there was just more misery.
When these teams last squared up, at Ibrox in October, Hibs were on an unbeaten run of nine games, and added Rangers' scalp to the collection with what remains the Old Firm side's only home league defeat of the season. Since then, the Easter Road side have endured a massive downturn in fortunes.
Going into this one on the back of one win in ten games, without key players such as the injured Steven Fletcher, David Murphy and Abdessalam Benjelloun and minus a manager, there was a sense of dread in the stands.
In recent times the capital side's record against the Old Firm sides has negated those worries. A record of five games on the trot without losing to the Glasgow pair has been impressive but, in the current climate, it was one which never really stood a chance of being extended.
There was too much at stake for Rangers. With Celtic not playing until later, they wanted to make the most of the early kick-off to leapfrog their title rivals, albeit temporarily, and pile on the pressure ahead of the January 2 derby. With two games in hand, they knew victory here would give them the real psychological advantage.
And from the outset they were the team with the fluency and fire to push forward. With the central midfield trio of Barry Ferguson, Brahim Hemdani and Kevin Thomson bossing the middle of the park, the threat was posed down the flanks, with Chris Burke and Steven Naismith occupying the minds of the Hibs backline, who were far from comfortable as Rangers swung in crosses for Daniel Cousin and even more uneasy when the tricky duo cut inside and ran at them. Tackles were missed and frustration mounted, especially as it took goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay time to settle and every time they did venture forward, a lack of options meant they were soon on the retreat again.
There were shouts for a Rangers penalty in the fifth minute when Burke went to ground under the close attentions of Lewis Stevenson but referee Charlie Richmond waved the appeals aside. Barry Ferguson then had a long-range pop.
There was the feeling that an opening Rangers goal was imminent but as the visitors allowed the ball to do the work and Hibs huffed and puffed, chasing shadows and trying to close the opposition down, the understanding was that even if they didn't break the deadlock in that early period, the goal would materialise later in the game as the home team's energy supplies depleted.
Without Fletcher and Benji, Hibs had little creativity or presence up front, Clayton Donaldson anonymous until the substitute board was held up in the 63rd minute to signal his withdrawal for Merouane Zemmama and remind everyone he had actually been on the pitch. By then the Govan side were already two goals up and cruising. The opener had come in the 12th minute when the two wide men combined. Burke, having cut in and bypassed Ross Chisholm, played the ball across to the back post where the onrushing Naismith beat Thierry Gatheussi to the ball and lashed it into the net.
The second could have arrived a lot sooner than it did, given Rangers' dominance. In the 29th, minute Ma-Kalambay failed to hold an in-swinging Thomson free-kick and the keeper was lucky that his body blocked the follow-up shot from Carlos Ceullar before Gatheussi cleared.
It was 33 minutes before Hibs really made a nuisance of themselves in the away box but there were too many bodies for Dean Shiels to make anything of it. Cousin then tried a long-range effort at the other end. Just before half time, Thomson went on a mazy run, cutting through the midfield before laying off to Ferguson who breenged into the box unhindered but somehow Hibs escaped without going another goal down.
In the second half, Shiels forced Allan McGregor's involvement with a low drive but it was an easy take for the Rangers keeper, while the 55th-minute cross from Alan O'Brien summed up Hibs problems, coming in too close to Steven Whittaker, who headed away. Four minutes later Cousin perfected the long-range effort he had tried in the first half, sending a searing strike into the Hibs net from about 20 yards for a two-goal lead.
Even with Rangers dropping down a gear, conserving their lead and energy, fairly confident that Hibs lacked the cutting edge to pull two back, the amount of possession enjoyed was incredible for an away side at Easter Road. But it did eventually lead to a lack in concentration. So comfy, it was unsurprising that they momentarily dozed off to allow Hibs a late, futile lifeline. For all the extra work Hibs had been putting in to render themselves less penetrable, there was still a lack of spark in the ranks and the unshakeable feeling that, while they were showing more industry, there was no cutting edge. Until Zemmama eventually entered the fray.
With 88 minutes gone, the little Moroccan sent in a long-range effort which caught Rangers off guard and reduced the deficit and, while he made another burst upfield when the ball broke soon after, skipping through a handful of players before attempting to squeeze the ball through to O'Brien, Rangers managed to get the intervention.
It was a more anxious ending that Rangers' dominance and Hibs' dullness had merited but it was still three points to mix up the title race even further and see Hibs slump extended to only one win in 11 games.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Chris Burke was a constant thorn in the Hibs side and the width offered by him and Steven Naismith may be a telling factor at Celtic Park on Wednesday if they get the nod.
ASIDE: The biggest cheer from the Hibs fans was reserved for the announcement that the temporary closure of the M8 meant Rangers fans and players were going to have a long journey home.
The full article contains 1076 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
