Hearts 1 - 2 Rangers

STEVEN NAISMTIH'S goal four minutes into stoppage time preserved Rangers' 100 per cent SPL record and denied Hearts a point at the end of a thoroughly engrossing encounter at Tynecastle. However, the Edinburgh club could now incur punishment from the Scottish Football Association after supporters threw missiles upon celebrating Rangers players after the winning goal.

Several objects rained down upon Naismith and his colleagues from the front of the stadium's main stand, one of them injuring assistant referee Willie Conquer. Lighters, coins, a plastic bottle and cups were thrown by irate Hearts supporters, although Naismith's wisdom in celebrating so close to home fans also must be questioned having just scored the game's decisive goal.

The hosts were angered by five allocated minutes of stoppage time at the end of a match that was anything but dirty. Seeing Naismith score proved too much for some who will almost certainly be indentified and banned from Tynecastle regardless of any prospective sanctions upon their club.

Rudi Skacel had scored first and, for much of the afternoon, Hearts' gameplan centred around keeping Rangers at bay. They battled manfully for long periods but visitnig substitute Kyle Lafferty equalised by dint of a free-kick before Naismith's late conversion denied the hosts a point.

The resilience shown by both teams was commendable and made for an encounter from which observers could not afford to remove their gaze for a second. The Hearts team, showing five changes from last weekend's home defeat to Motherwell, lined up in a 5-3-2 formation with Craig Thomson and David Obua operating as wing-backs. Rangers made two alterations from their midweek Champions League success against Bursaspor.

One of those reinstated, Nikica Jelavic, was first to threaten. Marian Kello could only parry his ninth-minute drive after the home defence parted all to easily. Steven Davis' follow-up was blocked on the Hearts goal line by Ismael Bouzid. Rangers commanded much of the frantic early exchanges but it was Skacel, on his first start since returning to Tynecastle, who opened the scoring.

Kevin Kyle glanced Bouzid's long ball into the path of the advancing Czech, who was not tracked by any visiting midfielder as he entered the penalty area. He moved to strike at goal and was bounced off the ball in the act of shooting by Madjid Bougherra. That deceived Allan McGregor and consequently Skacel was left with the straightforward task of stroking the ball into an empty net from four yards. For the first goal of his second spell in Gorgie, there were naturally some extensive celebrations.

Rangers quickly applied further concerted pressure on their hosts and were monopolising much of the play with Hearts content to break forward sporadically. On 35 minutes it required a quite stupefying instinctive save from Kello to prevent Jelavic's spectacular overhead attempt nestling in his net.

As first half became second, the pattern of play altered litte. The hosts sat dangerously deep allowing Rangers possession for long periods until they entered the final third. A Sasa Papac volley lashed Kello's right post on 66 minutes, and 60 seconds later a Davis-Jelavic one-two ended with the Irishman's oustretched right foot dispatching the ball into the Roseburn Stand.

Kello collected low to his left when Steven Whittaker's low drive deflected off Steven Naismith's calf, and with every passing minute the pressure seemed to intensify on the Hearts goal. The suspicion that if Rangers were continunally allowed to probe they would eventually score was proved correct with 11 minutes remaining. Darren Barr took Naismith out 20 yards from goal and Lafferty, minutes after replacing Jelavic, rolled the resultant free-kick through a suspiciously fragile home wall and into the net.

With that, Hearts promptly emerged from their shell and went on the offensive. Kyle ought to have restored their advantage from Craig Thomson's right-sided cross but succeeded only in heading a precious opportunity high of the Rangers crossbar. Substitute Ruben Palazuelos then stung McGregor's palms with a 30-yard left-footed volley.

Kello produced two miraculous acts of defiance in the closing stages. The outstanding Slovakian saved with his foot as Lafferty attempted to convert Davis' cross in the final minute of regulation time. A minute later, he touched Davis' looping volley onto his left post. His expertise looked to have secured Hearts a useful point before Naismith's late intervention, four minutes into stoppage time.

Referee Craig Thomson awarded a dubious free-kick against his Hearts namesake for high feet, which Naismith took quickly 30 yards from his own goal. The Scotland forward then ventured forward 60 yards, exchanged passes with Lafferty and evaded Adrian Mrowiec to arc a low finish across Kello and into the corner. Elated though he was, he became partly culpable in the ugly scenes in the aftermath of scoring for choosing to celebrate in front of Hearts supporters in the main stand.

Several items rained down on the group of Rangers players who gathered to congratulate the goalscorer. That could potentially mean sanctions for Hearts from the SFA. It was a needless end to an enthralling game in which both teams played their part. Rangers probably deserved their victory purely on the balance of play, but that will not make it any easier for Hearts to stomach.

Hearts (5-3-2): Kello; C Thomson, Bouzid, Mrowiec, Barr, Obua (J Thomson 67); Jonsson, Black (Palazuelos 82), Skacel (Stevenson 77); Kyle, C Elliot. Subs: Balogh, Suso, Templeton, Glen.

Rangers (4-4-2): McGregor; Whittaker, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Naismith, Edu, Davis, Weiss (Wylde; Jelavic (Lafferty 77), Miller. Subs: Alexander, Foster, Webster, Little, Wylde, Hutton.

Referee: Craig Thomson.

Attendance: 15,637.

Taken from the Scotsman