Video nasty fails to stop rangers recording win

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Craig Whyte, accompanied by Ali Russell and Gordon Smith, takes in the action at Tynecastle Steven Naismith lashes Rangers opener beyond Marian Kello. Pictures: SNS

graeme macpherson at tynecastle graeme.macpherson@heraldandtimes.co.uk

24 Oct 2011

JUST three days after the controversial BBC documentary that questioned aspects of his business history, here was a television broadcast much more to Craig Whyte's liking.

In front of 15,495 inside Tynecastle, including the Rangers owner and many more watching live on ESPN, Ally McCoist's side put on an impressive performance to strengthen their position at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Cynics may argue that Rangers need every win they can get right now in case they should eventually fall into administration and incur a 10-point penalty, but here was further evidence that off-field matters have done little to distract McCoist and his players from the job in hand.

It was far from Rangers' finest performance of the season but they defended solidly as a team and had Allan McGregor to thank for making the saves that ensured their record of not having conceded a goal on the road this season remains intact. They did not create a plethora of chances but when they did venture forward they were clinical, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic again proving how important they are to this Rangers team with a goal in either half. It was their 13th away league win in a row.

At least the Hearts players, still waiting for this month's wages, won't have to fret over their win bonus this weekend. This was a frustrating afternoon for Paulo Sergio's side, who dominated possession for large spells of the match but did little with it.

They may come to look back on an eight-minute spell in the second half – the time between them missing an opportunity to cancel out Naismith's first-half goal and Rangers scoring a second – as a pivotal period. Firstly, the Hearts miss after 66 minutes. David Templeton, an enterprising figure all afternoon, skipped past Dorin Goian on the left wing and sped into the box before fizzing in a low, enticing cross. It traversed the Rangers penalty box before arriving at Adrian Mrowiec who, from only 12 yards out, could not direct a left shot on target. It looked easier to score.

Then came the sucker punch as Rangers killed the game with their second after 74 minutes, a strike that again illustrated the importance of Jelavic. He had begun on the bench after struggling to shake off a virus but wasted no time in making an impression once called upon to replace the ineffective Kyle Lafferty. Just 90 seconds after taking to the field he watched a searching Carlos Bocanegra pass all the way on to his right foot and cushioned a volley beyond Marian Kello. In a moment, the game was won.

Hearts had been the better side for most of the first half, but it was Rangers who scored the only goal. Twenty-one fairly uneventful minutes had passed by the time Steven Whittaker assumed possession in the middle of the park, the defender embarking on the kind of spectacular meandering run that he produces from time to time. After breaking through a few half-hearted tackles, the former Hibernian full-back seemed to have run out of room at the edge of the Hearts penalty box. However, he still had the presence to shove a pass through to Naismith, who in turn thrashed a shot under Kello. It was Naismith's ninth goal of the season but the combined celebrations with Whittaker acknowledged the sizeable contribution his team-mate had made. It was also only the second league goal Hearts had conceded at home all season.

If, as has been suggested, the Hearts squad are on the brink of mutiny as a result of their wages being delayed, they put their pent-up anger to good use. They started off looking bright, purposeful and aggressive, although it took until the closing minutes of the first half before they troubled the Rangers goal.

Ryan Stevenson – again asked to play centre-forward – was thwarted by a combination of Bocanegra and Lee Wallace after fastening on to Ian Black's long ball, before a stinging Rudi Skacel drive required a smart save from McGregor. With seconds remaining, Stevenson tried to re-direct a cross beyond the Rangers goalkepper with his hand and was duly booked.

Rangers had the half-time lead, but Hearts were far from out of it. It was more even after the break although the ebb-and-flow of the contest did not lead to an abundance of chances for either side, McGregor relieved to see the offside flag go up against Stevenson after the goalkeeper had spilled Eggert Jonsson's shot. Then came Mrowiec's miss and Jelavic's sweet strike, before McGregor thwarted Stevenson with an acrobatic stop from short range and then sprung to keep out a second attempt from the same player. In that moment Hearts knew the game was up. Rangers' relentless run goes on.

Taken from the Herald