Hearts 0 Rangers 4

By Jon West, PA Sport

Rangers hit Hearts with a four-goal second-half barrage in a bad-tempered encounter in which home defender Alan Maybury was sent off.

It could have been a far more painful score for the home side but for Roddy McKenzie's fine form throughout the game.

The result also means there will be just a single point separating champions Celtic, who beat Motherwell, and challengers Rangers when the two meet at Ibrox next Saturday for the second Old Firm derby of the season.

The home side had been hit by injuries before kick-off, although midfielders Phil Stamp and Scott Severin had been passed fit to play, and they began without inspirational skipper Steven Pressley for the first time this season.

That would explain chief coach Craig Levein's decision to opt for a 4-5-1 formation with just Mark de Vries up front and in the first 45 minutes the only times they threatened the Rangers goal was from long-rangers, with Stamp and centre-back Kevin McKenna both forcing Stefan Klos into saves.

There were a number of narrow escapes for the home side, with the first coming when the flag stayed down and Shota Arveladze found himself alone in the box with only McKenzie to beat.

The Georgian's strike rate has been questioned before this season and he was unable to provide a riposte to his detractors with a shot that the goalkeeper blocked with his legs.

Former Jambo Neil McCann was indulging in a bad-tempered tussle with Maybury down the left flank that saw both players booked in the first half.

But it was centre-back Andy Webster who denied the diminutive winger a goal with a goalline clearance when it seemed certain McCann would head home.

Again the danger had come from a moment when Rangers had not been caught offside, with the fit-again Ronald de Boer sending fellow countryman Fernando Ricksen away down the right.

The Dutchman, who complained beforehand of getting abusive phonecalls from rival fans, fired in a low shot that McKenzie blocked at his near post but the ball was soon heading for McCann in the box, with Webster tracking back to make the crucial block.

Lorenzo Amoruso was also back in the Rangers side following absence through injury and he also came close to breaking the deadlock before the break.

Skipper Barry Ferguson played a one-two with McCann following a corner but when the Scotland international found the Italian at the back post the ball ended up only in the side-netting.

Rangers were forced into a change in midfield before the break when Mikel Arteta limped off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by Stephen Hughes.

A chance came Arveladze's way soon after the restart when he chested down a de Boer ball on the run and he lofted the ball over McKenzie only to see it land agonisingly on the roof of the net.

But the opening goal was not long in coming and was supplied by Ricksen in the 52nd minute.

McCann's tussle with Maybury was again a factor as the Rangers winger ran down his man to win possession before feeding Arthur Numan down the left. McKenna could only head his cross as far as the Dutchman on the edge of the box and Ricksen had enough time to steady himself before lashing home off a defender.

The McCann-Maybury bout was settled in the Rangers' man's favour before the hour mark when the Irishman felled his opponent and referee Hugh Dallas brandished a second yellow card.

De Boer might have made it two soon after but despite being unmarked in the six-yard box merely allowed McCann's cross to bounce off him and all Rangers got from the resulting scramble was a corner.

McKenzie denied Arveladze once again with a fine parry from the Georgian, who had let fly with a powerful shot from inside the box.

Austin McCann had been booked for a crude challenge on Arveladze and when his namesake Neil was replaced by Michael Mols near the end he was booed by the fans who used to chant his name.

McKenzie made another excellent save from de Boer on the volley after Ricksen had lofted the ball over his head to the far post.

There was a brief moment of hope for the 10 men when Jean-Louis Valois caught Klos off his line with a shot from just inside the Rangers half.

But that also cleared the crossbar and two killer blows were not long in coming.

The first came from the penalty spot from Ferguson when Mols was barged over by Austin McCann as he moved to meet a de Boer cross from the left.

A couple of minutes later Ricksen made sure with a firm header from an Arveladze cross into the box from the left byline.

Mols might have made it four after Hughes had seen a shot blocked but with the goal at his mercy he fired wide.

And McKenzie denied Ricksen the match ball at the death with his best save on an excellent afternoon, a tip-over of a fierce, rising drive.

But Hughes had the final say in stoppage-time, firing past McKenzie as the 10 men found themselves over-stretched once more.

Teams

Hearts McKenzie, Maybury, McKenna, Webster, McCann, Queifio (Kirk 71), MacFarlane, Severin, Stamp (Simmons 62), Valois, de Vries (Wales 71).

Subs Not Used: Gordon, McMullan.

Sent Off: Maybury (58).

Booked: Maybury, McCann, McKenna.

Rangers Klos, Muscat, Moore, Amoruso (Malcolm 83), Numan, Ricksen, Arteta (Hughes 40), Ferguson, Arveladze, de Boer, McCann (Mols 70).

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Latapy.

Booked: McCann.

Goals: Ricksen 52, Ferguson 79 pen, Ricksen 81, Hughes 90.

Att: 12,156

Ref: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com