Rangers knock Celtic off top

STEPHEN HALLIDAY AT IBROX

RANGERS 3-2 HEARTS
Referee: D McDonald. Attendance: 48,494

RANGERS entered territory uncharted for the last 14 months when they overcame an admirable Hearts side in a memorable encounter yesterday to claim the victory which takes them one point clear of Celtic at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

Not since September 2003 have Alex McLeish’s team enjoyed the status of SPL leaders at the conclusion of a weekend’s action and, having trailed their great rivals by seven points just a month ago, it was little wonder that they savoured the moment with their supporters.

If Hearts could consider themselves extremely unfortunate not to leave Ibrox with at least a point for their sterling and refreshingly adventurous efforts, there is equally no disputing the strength of character which has propelled Rangers on an unbeaten run which now extends to 16 games.

Nacho Novo, with a double which took his goals tally for the season to 14, proved the matchwinner for Rangers once more. Hearts, having led through Paul Hartley’s early penalty kick, were left to rue referee Dougie McDonald’s failure to reduce Rangers to ten men at the same time as he judged a caution as suitable punishment for Jean-Alain Boumsong’s foul on Mark de Vries as the big striker prepared to shoot from close range.

It may all have been so less contentious had Dado Prso, a curate’s egg of a striker if ever there was one, given Rangers what would have been an anxiety-easing lead inside the opening 90 seconds.

Fernando Ricksen’s through ball found Peter Lovenkrands on the left and when the Danish winger’s low cross was completely missed by Andy Webster, Prso was left with what should have been a facile tap-in. Inexplicably, the gangling Croat sliced his shot wide from no more than four yards out.

Craig Gordon was then forced to react smartly to hold a well-struck low shot by Novo as Hearts appeared untypically vulnerable at the back.

They quickly recovered their poise, however, and proceeded to play the more composed and fluid football for much of the first half. De Vries, who had provided Boumsong with his most uncomfortable afternoon in Scottish football at Tynecastle back in September, proved a real handful for Rangers’ prize asset once again.

Never previously booked in his perfect attendance of 23 first team appearances since joining the Ibrox club, Boumsong was fortunate only to receive a yellow card when he conceded the penalty kick which gave Hearts their 15th-minute lead.

Webster’s headed through ball found de Vries goal side of Boumsong, the big defender finding himself with little option but to pull the Dutchman down as he bustled into the penalty-area. Referee McDonald had no hesitation in pointing to the spot but Hearts coach John Robertson was incensed that Boumsong was not dismissed for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Hartley stepped up to make an emphatic job of the spot kick, Stefan Klos unable to get to the midfielder’s powerfully struck effort despite diving correctly to his right.

While Gordon had to make a decent save from a Prso long range effort, Hearts appeared as comfortable with their lead as Robertson could have hoped for the next 20 minutes in which Rangers were toiling to come to terms with the challenge which had been set them.

Consciously or otherwise, however, Hearts gradually defended deeper as the first half wore on and Rangers were able to impose themselves as an attacking force. The growing momentum carried by the home team suggested an equaliser was inevitable, but Hearts were left to curse the manner and timing of its concession just before half-time.

De Vries was penalised for a foul on Boumsong and as Hearts disputed the decision, Rangers took the free-kick quickly. Hamed Namouchi swept the ball into the penalty-area where Steven Pressley’s attempted clearance directed it to Lovenkrands and his low driven cross was bundled into his own net by McAllister under pressure from Ricksen.

Both teams were forced into changes at the start of the second half, 19-year-old Steven Smith making his Rangers debut as replacement for Maurice Ross at left-back while Christophe Berra took over from the ailing Pressley at the back for Hearts.

It was McLeish’s side who carried their momentum forward into the second half and their dominance of the opening stages was rewarded with a fine goal to give them the lead after 56 minutes. Zurab Khizanishvili’s raking pass down the right found Novo unmarked and with plenty of space to run into. He required no further encouragement, sprinting into the box and delivering a lofted finish over Gordon from 12 yards.

The home support clearly felt their team’s work was done for the afternoon, breaking into their first chorus of ‘We shall not be moved’ for many a month in anticipation of the victory which would take them to the top of the league. The celebration was premature, however, as a resilient Hearts side silenced them temporarily just ten minutes later.

When Namouchi carelessly lost possession, Joe Hamill embarked on a surging run down the right. The youngster, who scored Hearts’ winner on their previous visit to Ibrox, cut inside and swept a cross on to the head of de Vries who planted the ball firmly beyond Klos into the corner of the net. At 2-2, the striker might have then put his team in a position to record another famous victory when he again eluded both Boumsong and Marvin Andrews to get on the end of a McAllister cross, only to this time send his header over. De Vries held his head in his hands in anguish, painfully aware of how crucial the miss might be.

In a pulsating finale, Gordon made a magnificent save to keep out a ferocious header from Andrews as Rangers poured forward in search of the winner which was delivered by Novo. Hearts paid for trying to play their way out of trouble near their own penalty area, substitute Michael Stewart dispossessed by Ricksen who swept the to ball out to Stephen Hughes on the left. The substitute’s cross was perfect, picking out the unmarked Novo who nodded beyond the helpless Gordon from close range.

Rangers: Klos, Khizanishvili, Andrews, Boumsong, Ross (S Smith 46); Namouchi (Hughes 75), Ricksen, Rae, Lovenkrands; Prso, Novo. Subs not used: G Smith, Malcolm, Mladenovic, Hutton, Fetai.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley (Berra 46), Webster, McAllister; Kisnorbo, Hartley, Hamill; Wyness (Weir 59), De Vries, Pereira (Stewart 71). Subs not used: Moilanen, Macfarlane, Janczyk, Sloan.

Taken from the Scotsman