KYLE HAS THE LAST LAFF

By Kenny MacDonald, 17/08/2008

Scorer: RANGERS: Lafferty, Boyd

KYLE LAFFERTY grabbed his first goal to send Rangers on the way to an ideal home start — minutes after he was to be subbed.

The Irishman went down in a heap halfway through the first half after tweaking his hamstring and after treatment Rangers got Kenny Miller stripped and ready for entry into the action

But Lafferty struggled to his feet and after a couple of tender-looking jogs along the main stand touchline, was sent back into the fray.

Ten minutes later, he was in the right place to soothe the jangling nerves of the home support with a tidy finish.

Rangers had huffed and puffed to an amazing lack of effect but the opener was just the kind managers like to see — created by one recent signing, and scored by another!

Maghid Bougherra presumably wasn’t brought in for his creative acumen or his dancing wing play.

But it was he who popped up on the right, went past Lee Wallace without too much difficulty, and pulled the ball back to the edge of the area, where Lafferty drilled a side-footer past debut Jambo Jamie MacDonald.

Lafferty eventually had to give up as his hamstring tightened after the break and Walter Smith admitted: “We were close to taking him off the first time he felt it. But then he said it wasn’t a problem and he could play on.

”It isn’t a tear, it’s just a bit of tightness and we’re hopeful he’ll be okay for next week.”

Once that opener went in, that was pretty much the destination of the points settled.

And if Csaba Laszlo is going to stamp his own imprint on Hearts he’ll need to sort out a long-standing failing when they head along the M8.

This defeat makes it 19 losses in their last 21 Ibrox visits and unless he and his charges show a bit more gumption and self-belief that statistic isn’t going to improve. Yesterday they looked totally lacking in confidence up front and the sole extent of Allan McGregor’s endeavours was a save from Andrius Ksanavicius after the keeper had spilled Andrew Driver’s driven cross.

What the new manager can certainly do without is contributors to the cause like Saulius Mikoliunas, who picked up his fourth red card against Rangers.

The cherubic-looking Lithuanian came on as a sub for Larry Kingston after 65 minutes.

He was booed on by the home fans and I’d like to think that was with the memory of his blatant dive while playing for Lithuania against Scotland in September 2007.

But it’s more likely to stem from the petulance he displayed in a defeat against Rangers in March 2005.

He was given two red cards during the game and a five-game ban after it — subsequently reduced to three — for barging into a linesman, which was followed later that year by another ordering-off against Rangers.

Yesterday he lost no time in continuing his charm offensive. Within two minutes of his arrival he was booked for a blatant dive.

Six minutes after that he went in high and late on Miller and was invited to have first use of the bathtub soap by Stuart Dougal.

It’s well-known Vladimir Romanov has a particular soft spot for Mikoliunas, whose driven winner against Motherwell last week showed what he is capable of.

But displays like yesterday’s Laszlo can do without.

Mind you, it would be wrong to say the ordering-off of Mikoliunas ended Hearts’ hopes of taking anything back to Edinburgh with them.

I didn’t think they’d shown any sign they thought they were going to go home with anything to show for their performance.

Although their new manager got very animated a couple of minutes from time claiming a penalty when Driver’s volley cannoned into Bougherra — it wasn’t — his side will need to show a bit more appetite, application and spirit than this if they’re to make any kind of headway among the big boys this season. The irony was that Rangers, even with the boost of new boy Pedro Mendes in midfield, were dominant without ever being totally in control.

Mendes looks tidy but was clearly still feeling his way into his surroundings after a whirlwind 48 hours. However, he and Kevin Thomson didn’t produce much for the frontmen and widemen Lee McCulloch and Lafferty contributed even less in the way of creativity.

Mind you, Kris Boyd and Andrius Velicka struck me as an odd striking combination from the start.

They’re both classic chance-takers who I expect to get their share of goals in a blue jersey.

But neither one is really famed for his relentless workrate or harrying of defenders and Christophe Berra and Marius Zaliukas have had — and will have — more difficult afternoons.

Nevertheless, Boyd will have been pleased to get what will doubtless prove to be the first of many goals this season in injury-time.

Miller created the chance with a twinkle-toed run which was halted by a trip by Lee Wallace. Boyd drilled in the penalty to make the points safe.

Hearts boss Laszlo said: “I thought it was a very intreresting game. We were always in it — even after the red card we still had a chance.

“It’s easy to talk about the referee’s decisions but we played well last week against Motherwell and if we can follow this, I’ll be happy.”

One other point. We’re asked to believe Laszlo when he says goalkeeper Marian Kello was HIS signing and not the man who paid his wages with FBK Kaunas, Vladimir Romanov.

The Slovak stopper played for Kaunas in the midweek 2-0 Champions League defeat to Danes Aalborg.

Not a great result for the Lithuanians. But not exactly the end of their Champions League dreams with the home leg to come.

Yet before that second leg they let their first-choice keeper leave for Hearts.

Must be an awfully persuasive fellow, that Laszlo...

RANGERS: McGregor, Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac, McCulloch (Miller 59), Thomson, Mendes, Lafferty (Beasley 63), Velicka (Darcheville 82), Boyd. Subs not used: Alexander, Dailly, Furman, Fleck.

HEARTS: MacDonald, Thomson, Berra, Zaliukas, Wallace, Karipidis, Kingston (Mikoliunas 65), Stewart, Driver, Ksanavicius (Nade 50), Mole (Cesnauskis 75). Subs not used: Kello, Palazuelos, Makela, Jonsson.