Hearts 1 Rangers 2

Aug 24 2009 Neil Cameron

IT WAS fitting this incredible match was settled by a disputed late penalty scored by an 88th-minute substitute whose celebrations infuriated the opposition fans.

Everything happened at Tynecastle yesterday and then some. How can Scottish football be in crisis when it can serve up entertainment like this?

And when all the dust eventually settled it was Rangers who won thanks to Kris Boyd, a man who after being thrown on to see out a 1-1 draw used his first touch to flick the ball to Stevie Naismith who was fouled on the edge of the box by Hearts defender Ismael Bouzid.

Referee Craig Thomson pointed to the spot, much to the dismay of Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo, and Boyd's second touch sent the ball into the net.

Hearts were furious with the decision, and they perhaps had a point as it looked borderline, but they should have had this match killed off long before Rangers fought their way back into a contest in which all their problems wereself-inflicted.

Kevin Thomson was sent off after just 13 minutes then Allan McGregor made the kind of mistake keepers have nightmares about to give Hearts a 1-0 lead.

But despite the Jambos starting the second half well, Rangers showed some spirit to equalise through Lee McCulloch then up stepped Boyd to do what he does best.

He then enraged Hearts fans sitting in the lower main stand for having the temerity to celebrate in front of them. There were more than a few who looked ready to have a face-to-face chat with him, although you have to take it if you dish out abuse.

So there were controversial refereeing decisions, three goals, a late winner, missed chances, bad mistakes, many bookings, a sending off and even some bits of skill if you looked hard enough.

Please forgive me if I've left out anything. Having watched his side ship six goals in two games, Laszlo had to tinker and there were three changes from the 11 humiliated in Zagreb.

No Michael Stewart, of course, as the captain was sent off atTannadice last week. Ian Black replaced him and there was also a change of keeper as Janos Balogh came in for Marian Kello while David Witteveen replaced Marius Zaliukas up front.

For Rangers, Walter Smith opted for what seemed to be an adventurous 4-3-3 line-up. The front three was made up of Kenny Miller, Naismith and John Fleck.

The sight of Thomson starting for the first time in nine months was welcomed but he hardly got a chance to get his boots dirty.

We had a hint of things to come after just three minutes when both sides had a player booked.

Hearts' Spanish winger Suso was naughty to come through the back of Miller as he ushered the ball out of play close to the halfway line. The Rangers man didn't take kindly to this and motioned to throw a punch, which was never going to land. Referee Thomson brought out his yellow card twice.

Then after 13 minutes Rangers were down to 10 and Thomson's day was over.

He will argue the ball was there to be won and he was just late in on Black but the midfielder caught his opponent high and hard, which could easily have left his opponent with a bad injury.

Thomson didn't hesitate to flash his red card and there wasn't much of a complaint from the Rangers bench. Smith asked Fleck and Naismith to move back to what was a 4-4-1 but the Rangers manager could have done without having to change his system so early.

Miller is used to trying to do the job of two men on his own and, to be fair, he didn't give Hearts' central defence a moment's peace all day.

Never more so than in 19 minutes when his running forced Jose Goncalves into an awful headed backpass that barely made the penalty box. The Rangers striker held off Bouzid and when he tried to shoot, Goncalves got back to shoulder him off the ball but no penalty was given.

Hearts almost took the lead in bizarre fashion in 24 minutes when Madjid Bougherra made an uncharacteristic mistake - his only one of an outstanding performance.

The Algerian thought he had escorted the ball over his own line - he hadn't - and Suso stole possession, bought some space inside the box and his shot rattled the bar. However, the opening goal was only six minutes away.

Big Christian Nade eventually got his name in the book after his fourth foul - a charge into Bougherra.

However, he showed some delicacy with a subtle return pass in a one-two with Witteveen which allowed the Austrian a shot at goal. He opted to aim his side-foot effort toward the near post, which McGregor had covered, yet somehow the ball squirmed from his arms and just made it over the line.

As Hearts celebrated, Nade was hooked for Gary Glen before he was sent off. The substitute's first touch saw him steal the ball from McCulloch and his left-foot shot didn't go past McGregor's post by much.

Rangers were a shambles at this point. Only Steve Davis and Bougherra looked as if they could control the ball or make a pass.

But at least Miller got close to a Bougherra cross which Bouzid nicked away from him at the last moment and McCulloch tried a long-range effort that proved to the travelling support the game was far from over.

Fleck stayed in the dressing room at the break as StevieSmith came on as Rangers' third system of the day, a 3-4-2, was set up to save the match.

It worked out in the end but within two minutes of the restart Hearts had come close to doubling their lead.

A punt from Balogh sent Witteveen scampering through on goal, only for Bougherra to win the race for the ball. From that corner, Glen's inswinger was glanced towards goal by Goncalves but this time McGregor was at his best to tip the header on to the woodwork.

Rangers had two chances to equalise. First, DavidWeir's header from a Davis freekick fell just the wrong side of the post then Naismith's close-range header sailed over.

It was now Hearts' turn to help Rangers. David Obua conceded a foul for stamping on Miller's ankle. Smith aimed his freekick towards McCulloch who directed a superb header into the top corner.

Suso had a shot saved by an unsteady McGregor at the near post in 86 minutes but there was almost an inevitability about the outcome when Boyd made his late appearance.

Who needs the Fringe when football in the capital is this exciting?

Man Of The Match
Madjid Bougherra (Rangers)

Taken from the Daily Record