Hearts 2 Rangers 3

By Ken Gaunt, PA Sport

Stephane Guivarc'h scored twice for Rangers as they maintained their push for the Premier League title.

The former Newcastle striker brought the Ibrox side level after 15 minutes then added a second in the 63rd minute.

Gary Locke opened the scoring for Hearts after just two minutes with his first goal in two-and-a-half-years. Rod Wallace was also on target for his 16th goal of the season as Rangers chalked up a notable victory at a ground where they went down on the opening day.

Former Hearts star Neil McCann returned to Tynecastle just five days after his £1.6million move to Premier League leaders Rangers. But the Scotland squad member had to settle for a place on the bench against his former team-mates.

Rangers manager Dick Advocaat recalled Stale Stensaas to the side as Arthur Numan was sidelined with an ankle injury. Rob McKinnon returned to the Hearts side with left-back Gary Naysmith suffering from a damaged cheekbone.

Rangers were rocked back on their heels after just two minutes of the game. Locke was left celebrating after scoring a rare goal with a fine piece of opportunism. Thomas Flogel got away down the left and floated in a fine cross that evaded the Rangers defence. Locke flicked in a header which keeper Antti Niemi deflected superbly onto the post.

However the Finland international's luck was out with the ball bouncing about a foot over the line.

Hearts kept up the pressure and Niemi twice came to Rangers rescue in the space of a couple of minutes. Jim Hamilton had a hand in both the build ups and was left shaking his head in disbelief.

Jorg Albertz saw a 20-yard thunderbolt turned away by Hearts keeper Gilles Rousset before Rangers pulled level after 15 minutes. Albertz began the move, releasing Stensaas on the left. The Norwegian defender took the ball on before squaring it to Guivarc'h in the box.

The Frenchman's effort was firmly struck but Rousset was left wrong-footed after the ball took a deflection off Stevie Fulton.

Hearts striker Hamilton was having a good first-half and directed a powerful header narrowly wide of the target after Fulton had floated in a corner from the right. But keeper Rousset had to look lively as Rangers broke forward in a bid to take the lead.

Rod Wallace put Paul Ritchie under so much pressure he lost possession inside the six-yard area. However Rousset was alert to the danger and raced off his line to boot the ball clear. Rangers stepped up a gear at the start of the second-half and Rousset did well to beat away a shot from Albertz.

Then Barry Ferguson sent a shot into the crowd after Andrei Kanchelskis headed down a cross from Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Dutch midfielder van Bronckhorst was beginning to make an impact on the match and one powerful effort from outside the box went just past the post.

Rangers then took a grip on the game in the space of four minutes to stun the home crowd. Albertz fed Wallace in the 59th minute and the former Leeds striker took advantage of a slip by Hearts defender David Weir.

He raced on to fire a shot beyond Rousset, although the keeper got a hand to it. Rangers made it 3-1 in the 63rd minute when Wallace ran deep into the heart of the home defence before finding Guivarc'h. The Frenchman made no mistake for his second goal of the game.

Hearts pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Hamilton thumped home a cross from Flogel. But Rangers stayed in control and gave McCann his debut with 11 minutes to go. He was roundly jeered but that won't bother him as he will pick up a win bonus in his first game.

Teams:

Hearts: Rousset, McPherson, Weir, Ritchie, Fulton, Adam (Juanjo 75), Hamilton, Locke (Quitongo 82), Flogel, McKinnon, Murray (Makel 70).

Subs Not Used: Hogarth, Horn.

Booked: McKinnon, Locke, Flogel.

Goals: Locke 2, Hamilton 69.

Rangers: Niemi, Porrini, Amoruso, B. Ferguson, Kanchelskis, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Guivarc'h, Wallace, Stensaas (I. Ferguson 45), Vidmar, I. Ferguson (McCann 79).

Subs Not Used: Amato, Brown, Malcolm.

Booked: Amoruso, Porrini, B. Ferguson.

Goals: Guivarc'h 16, Wallace 58, Guivarc'h 63.

Att: 17,134

Ref: S Dougal (Glasgow)


Taken from sportinglife.com