Steven Naismith caps memorable week to help Rangers rally once again

Skacel 12

Rangers 2

Lafferty 79, Naismith 90+4

JIM Jefferies sat in a seat in the stand, and Walter Smith chose a perch behind the away dug out. Both would have been glad of the better view this provided as Hearts and Rangers staged what was possibly the finest SPL game so far this season.

Last Sunday's match between Aberdeen and Rangers might run it close, but Tynecastle kept those fortunate enough to be inside the stadium rapt until the final seconds, when the visitors completed their second comeback in a six-day spell which could prove pivotal to their ambitions.

That these wins book-end a fine Champions League victory makes it a week to remember for Smith's team, who took their time to figure out a new defensive formation from Jefferies but made enough in-roads in the end to justify victory. It was so action packed that the story which appeared set to be the headline one was relegated to that of a side-issue. Rudi Skacel scored the opener on his first start since returning to Tynecastle, and could not have wished for such an explosive way to re-start his Hearts career. His tenth minute strike, however, was reduced to just a footnote. There was, perhaps inevitably, an air of bitterness emitted from the home stands, no where more so than the main stand enclosure. Steven Naismith landed a tribute from Craig Levein last week. "I believe in that boy," the Scotland manager said as he was being pressed about his squad selection. The Rangers player is a favourite of Smith's too. However, due to an apparent inability to keep his feet in previous appearances at Tynecastle, the blond striker is an unlikely villain in Gorgie. The sight of him celebrating his winner, which came in the fourth minute of injury time, was simply too much for some. Bottles, coins and in one instance a lighter, which hit linesman Willie Conquer on the arm, were hurled at the celebrating melee of Rangers players, who cavorted, perhaps ill-advisedly, in front of a traditionally volatile section of the Tynecastle crowd.

"I've had stick like that before here," said Naismith later. "It seems to last for the full 90 minutes. I wasn't hit by anything. I saw a few coins fly by but I just hit the deck and let my team mates take it. I was away with the moment."

It's no surprise that he avoided being struck. The striker could walk through a shower of bullets without sustaining so much as a graze just now, it seems. This decisive goal followed his match-winner in midweek against Bursaspor, while last Sunday he was a notable performer for Rangers in the 3-2 win at Aberdeen.

Levein is also set to hand him significant roles in the up-coming matches with Czech Republic and Spain. Yet it seems only yesterday when doubters were preparing to give up on the hope that Naismith might ever recover from a string of bad injuries, i ncluding a cruciate ligament rupture.

"When people mention the injuries, it is a reminder that I don't want to go back there," he said. "When you've been down there, it makes you appreciate the good times so much more."

The personalities of Rangers' match-winners could not be more different. Naismith has talent but is also a trier, and, despite what the Hearts fans may feel, seems a genuinely honest worker. Indeed, he actually took the free-kick which led to his own winner, tapping the ball to David Weir just inside his own half after referee Craig Thomson had felt his namesake in the Hearts side had gone in too high in a challenge with Sasa Papac. Kyle Lafferty, in contrast, is a less likeable character, at least in the way he conducts himself on the pitch. But there were signs on Saturday to suggest he has taken on board the warning to cool it from his manager, issued in Edinburgh on the second weekend of the season and after Lafferty had managed to get himself sent-off before half-time against Hibernian. He was threatened with losing his place in the side, something which has come to pass.

Lafferty made just a cameo appearance on Saturday, but contributed greatly to his team's success. His intelligent strike from a free-kick saw him take advantage of a shoddily-assembled wall. Ian Black appeared to be too detached and Lafferty aimed a shot just inside Marian Kello's post, with the goalkeeper stranded further down his goal-line. Rather than indulge in cringe-inducing robotic dancing, Lafferty made haste back towards his own half, and with the minimum of fuss.

Ostensibly, only 11 minutes remained, but referee Thomson made the decision to add on a further five minutes of injury time. Although there had been five substitutions, each of these procedures is usually allotted just 30 seconds when it comes to adding on time at the end. David Obua was treated for an injury, but, as Jefferies pointed out, this was done off the pitch and play was not held up. "I was wondering if he (Thomson] had added on the time for Obua, but he was not getting treatment on the pitch," Jefferies noted. "I didn't see too many other stoppages. When I saw five minutes going up, I thought it was just a little bit too much."

Jefferies was fairly sanguine although he lamented the chance missed by Kevin Kyle at the end, following a fine cross from Craig Thomson. The striker just had to get his header on target but lifted it over the bar. The Hearts manager was in a forgiving mood and this state of mind was helped by the display from his team. There could be no doubting the endeavour.

Just as Rangers have to be applauded for their own work ethic, Hearts appeared to find a new five-man defence, with the full-backs allowed to push up, to their liking.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Marian Kello

It is not often that a member of the losing side emerges as a stand-out candidate, but Kello excelled for Hearts and kept them in the game. One save, from Nikica Jelavic's overhead kick, was stunning. He also made a point-blank block late on from Lafferty.

MISSILES THROWN

HEARTS could be in trouble after missiles were thrown on to the pitch after Steven Naismith's winning goal for Rangers on Saturday. Coins and lighters were collected after the incident, and at least one object is believed to have struck assistant referee Willie Conquer. "This is an utterly unacceptable situation and Hearts will pursue those who have let the good name of the club down," said a club spokesman.

Referee: C Thomson

Attendance: 15,637

Taken from the Scotsman