Rangers 2-0 Hearts

Most of the pre-match chat surrounded Stephen Frail naming an unchanged line-up from the eleven who defeated Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday afternoon, the first Hearts coach to do so since the back-to-back wins which sealed Champions' League qualification in May 2006. That meant a place on the bench for fit-again Andrew Driver, but no return for Deividas Cesnauskis who was still suffering from the illness that kept him out of the squad at the weekend.

Rangers meanwhile were shorn of the talents of Alan Hutton and Daniel Cousin, the former having completed his move to Spurs earlier in the day, while the latter awaits confirmation from FIFA that his proposed transfer to Fulham can be ratified. Still plenty of talent on the pitch for the Ibrox side, though, with the core of the team that currently sits four points clear at the top of the SPL and a full 26 points ahead of Hearts.

Still there was little sign of that gulf as Hearts kicked off towards the sizable Rangers support in the West Stand. Almost immediately, the ball was with Christian Nade who immediately made a beeline for David Weir at the heart of the Ibrox side's defence. The run took him skipping past two challenges, but the third, from Cuellar, was enough to stop this promising early surge.

Jose Goncalves challenges Lee McCulloch

The Frenchman then tried the same trick again a minute later, again outwitting a couple of opponents before finding himself crowded out just he was shaping to shoot, but any encouragement we took from this early dominance soon dissipated as Rangers gradually found their feet.

Aided by a couple of uncertain moments from Christos Karipidis, who found it hard initially to judge the pace (or lack of pace) in the pitch, Rangers were soon making inroads of their own into the Hearts area. Only some brave goalkeeping from Steve Banks prevented Lee McCulloch from capitalising on a couple of through balls.

As so often happens on these occasions, Hearts appeared to be finding it hard to cope with the size of Hampden playing surface. Chris Burke and Charlie Adam were the men trying to cash in on either flank, but although each got to the byline on more than one occasion, the Englishman in the Hearts goal dealt with the eventual crosses easily.

He also dealt well with arguably the best opportunity either side created in the first period, a 12-yard volley from Adam after Steven Whittaker's cross form the right had evaded a clutch of players in the centre. The keeper twisted well to his left to push the effort to safety.

Hearts hit back through the industrious Nade, who burst past Carlos Cuellar on the Rangers right and then crumpled to the turf as he tried to make his way into the area. There may indeed have been some contact from the Rangers man, but it was minimal at most and Mr McCurry rightly waved away the Hearts man's protests.

Eggert Jonsson makes the challenge

The Tynecastle side threatened again seven minutes later as Nade cut in from the right and wriggled clear of two challenges before edging a misdirected cutback in the general direction of Andrius Velicka in the centre. The Lithuanian was never favourite to get in a shot as the ball dropped behind him, and the danger fizzled out anyway when the referee stopped play to allow treatment on Barry Ferguson's leg injury.

Rangers had a penalty claim of their own five minutes from half-time when the otherwise subdued Jean-Claude Darcheville barrelled his way into the box before crumpling under the modesty challenge of Karipidis and Robbie Neilson, but again Mr McCurry remained uninterested.

And Hearts almost capitalised inside a minute when a neat midfield combination allowed Michael Stewart to feed Eggert Jonsson wide on the right. The Icelander's cross was floated rather than wicked, but Velicka rose highest and made good contact with a header that looped over Allan McGregor before dropping agonisingly onto the top of the crossbar.

A good chance and a soft penalty claim each at half-time then, but it was the Ibrox side who looked the more menacing at the start of the second period as both sides sought that elusive opening goal. Charlie Adam looked to have a decent opportunity with a 30-yard free-kick from the inside left position, but the midfielder's delivery was neither shot nor cross and was easily mopped up by Christophe Berra and co.

Eggert Jonsson wins the ball

They dealt less well with a period of sustained Rangers pressure five minutes into the half and their failure to decisively clear their lines would ultimately cost Hearts the opening goal. Burke it was who picked up possession outside the box and swung a ball into the area towards his Barry Ferguson. The Rangers skipper's initial control was poor and clearly employed his left arm, but the subsequent finish was sumptuous, a swivel and left-foot strike that left Banks absolutely helpless.

Things weren't looking good for Hearts, although we did briefly perk up as Mikoliunas got goal side of Whittaker before being cynically brought down by the former Hibernian man. Miko had received nothing in his favour in the first half, not even when Whittaker grabbed him round the throat in the sort of tackle that will be frowned upon at Murrayfield this weekend. This time though Mr Mc Curry saw fit to administer the first booking of the evening.

Andrew Driver replaced the Lithuanian shortly afterwards and he almost put his side in trouble with some careless defending that conceded possession to Burke on the Hearts byline. The winger found McCulloch at the edge of the area but his effort was woefully wide of the target. The same could be said of Velicka's effort a minute later, this one coming after great build-up involving Stewart and Nade. The Frenchman's ball into the centre found the top scorer in acres of space, but his wild slash flew yards wide of McGregor's goal.

Christian Nade eases past Charlie Adam

It was to prove a costly miss. 68 minutes in and Hearts were undone again by the simplest of goals. Whittaker's throw-in on the right was headed on by McCulloch, Goncalves was outmuscled by Chris Burke, who made tracks for the byline before playing a delightful pass across goal between Banks and the backtracking defender. Darcheville tapped home from three yards.

And that was all it took. What remained was a flurry of substitutions for both sides and a flurry of mostly needless bookings for Rangers players. Hearts bumped forlornly at the Rangers back-line, but there was little conviction about their efforts and it was the Glasgow team who continued to look the more dangerous. Ferguson came closest to a third goal for them with a 35-yard chip after McCulloch's neat flick, but the ball sailed a yard clear of Banks's crossbar. At the other end, Jonsson passed up the chance of an injury-time consolation goal when he fired straight at McGregor from inside the area.

Rangers: McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Cuellar, Papac; Burke, Hemdani, Ferguson, Adam; McCulloch, Darcheville (Novo 76). Booked: Whittaker, Darcheville, Adam, McCulloch. Subs not used: Smith, Faye, Broadfoot, Boyd.

Hearts: Banks; Neilson, Karipidis, Berra, Goncalves (Wallace 84); Mikoliunas (Driver 59), Stewart, Jonsson, Palazuelos; Velicka, Nade (Beniusis 72). Subs not used: Basso, McCann.

Referee: Michael McCurry

Top man: Christian Nade

Hearts World