Rangers 2 Hearts 0

By Lisa Gray, PA Sport

Paul Le Guen told Kris Boyd to do his talking on the pitch and the Rangers striker responded by helping himself to a double which secured victory over Hearts.

Two goals in three minutes signalled his intent for the rest of the season and, more importantly, provided the result which could finally kick-start Rangers' campaign.

On the same day Hearts boss Valdas Ivanauskas had hit out at claims from a former player that he was Vladimir Romanov's puppet, Le Guen made it clear he was the one pulling all the strings at Rangers.

Boyd had spoken earlier in the week of his frustration at not starting a game this season and the Ibrox boss reminded him who was responsible for team selection.

However, after three weeks of keeping faith with the same 11 players, Le Guen eventually decided to ring the changes for the visit of Hearts.

Draws against Dundee United and Dunfermline had triggered early rumblings of discontent among the Ibrox faithful and he knew a victory over last season's SPL runners-up was needed.

Boyd and Chris Burke were in, meaning Thomas Buffel and Libor Sionko were out.

Manchester United loan signing Phil Bardsley was handed his debut in his favoured right-back role at the expense of Alan Hutton, while his Old Trafford club-mate Lee Martin made his first start ahead of Charlie Adam.

Hearts talisman Paul Hartley's fight back to fitness took him only as far as the bench but eyebrows were raised when Calum Elliot started the game despite the likelihood of him joining Motherwell or Falkirk on loan.

Rangers had the best of the chances in the first half, with the changes in personnel seemingly providing the shot in the arm they had been looking for.

Burke embarked upon a mazy run before threading the ball into the path of Boyd. He set up Jeremy Clement for the shot but the Frenchman drilled well wide of target.

Karl Svensson then came close with a header from a Burke corner but goalkeeper Craig Gordon managed to smother on the line.

Hearts eventually tested Rangers through a Bruno Aguiar free-kick from 25 yards but goalkeeper Lionel Letizi managed to tip it over the bar.

The Hearts goalkeeper then prevented an audacious Boyd overhead kick hitting the back of the net.

Last-gasp defending from Hearts denied Rangers the opener before the interval. Prso's shot was blocked by Gordon before Boyd's rebound was cleared off the line by Robbie Neilson.

Hearts swapped Roman Bednar for Michal Pospisil at the break but it was Rangers who had an immediate impact on the second half.

With just 30 seconds gone, referee Kenny Clark pointed to the penalty spot after Neilson clipped the heels of Prso in the box.

It was Boyd who stepped up for the pressure kick and his finishing was clinical as he converted from 12 yards.

With 48 minutes on the clock, the striker was celebrating his second goal. This time, he met a Martin free-kick on the six-yard line and bulleted a header past a stunned Gordon.

Boyd then turned provider to set up Prso for a terrific strike and only the post prevented Hearts from falling further behind.

There was further misery for the Tynecastle side when the injured Pospisil was forced out of the game with just over an hour gone. The substitute was replaced by Neil McCann.

Rangers also made a change when Hutton was introduced to the action for Bardsley who had taken a knock.

Hearts threw Hartley into the game for the final 20 minutes in place of Saulius Mikoliunas, while there would be no hat-trick for Boyd who made way for Filip Sebo.

Tempers flared as Jambos skipper Steven Pressley was cautioned for dissent, before being followed into the book by team-mates Takis Fyssas and Neilson.

Neilson's misery was compounded when he was shown the red card in injury time for a foul on Martin.

Hearts huffed and puffed but failed to salvage a result that would provide a confidence-booster ahead of next week's visit to AEK Athens for a Champions League tie they already looked unlikely to win.

Teams:

Rangers Letizi, Bardsley (Hutton 66), Rodriguez, Svensson,Smith, Burke (Buffel 88), Hemdani, Clement, Martin, Prso,Kris Boyd (Sebo 71).

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Rae, Sionko, Adam.

Booked: Prso.

Goals: Kris Boyd 47 pen, 49.

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Berra, Fyssas,Mikoliunas (Hartley 70), Aguiar, Brellier, Elliot, Jankauskas,Bednar (Pospisil 45), Pospisil (McCann 62).

Subs Not Used: Banks, Wallace, Karipidis, Mole.

Sent Off: Neilson (90).

Booked: Brellier, Pressley, Fyssas, Neilson.

Att: 50,239

Ref: K Clark (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com