Sideshow fireworks

RANGERS fans have had precious little to cheer about this season, but at least in the form of Craig Beattie they have discovered a gift which keeps on giving.

Less than a week after the 28-year-old, a former Rangers youth team player before he alighted at Parkhead, had clipped in the Hampden penalty kick which deprived Celtic of the chance to complete a league and cup double, he was unable to repeat the feat yesterday.

Instead he struck the bar from 12 yards late on to end the home side's chances of taking anything from this game. "You only score against the Celtic," the visiting fans chanted gleefully.

This match was far closer and evenly-fought than its eventual scoreline, brought about by an early free-kick from Sone Aluko and a double from Andy Little, would indicate.

But rarely can a meeting between two of Scotland's elite clubs have seemed like such a sideshow. If Hearts were understandably pre-occupied with preparations for the biggest Edinburgh derby since 1896, the big match at Rangers this weekend is US trucking tycoon Bill Miller versus Paul Murray's Blue Knights and Brian Kennedy for preferred bidder status at the club, a showdown which should finally be resolved one way or the other by the close of play tomorrow.

Victory for the Ibrox club reduced their arrears on Celtic to 15 points, but even the possibility of cutting it to single figures in order to salvage some bragging rights seemed like small beer compared to the very existence of the club.

In addition to praising his team, manager Ally McCoist last night indicated he had spoken to Murray on Friday night and Kennedy earlier in the day and appeared to give them a fuller endorsement than Miller.

Miller's £11.2 million bid is conditional on no additional punishments from the SFA and SPL, and aims to launch Rangers as a newco while administrators attempt to salvage the old company via a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) over a longer-term period.

"It's a massive 48 to 72 hours for the football club, it really is," McCoist said. "I spoke to Paul again on Friday night, and I spoke to Brian Kennedy earlier in the day and when you have guys like that who, it's safe to say, have the club's best interests at heart – and I'm guaranteeing that – then we have got a chance. We're all aware of the pitfalls around the corner but it won't help anyone me showing negativity. I'm really, really hopeful.

"I haven't really studied [the Miller offer] because of when it was released," he added. "I have looked at it but I don't know enough about the legalities of it and how we'll deal with the SFA and SPL.

"I certainly don't think we're in a position to ask anyone for guarantees. I wouldn't say leniency, just fairness and realism from the powers that be, because we are in the wrong and we have to accept that. Given everything else going on, this was a fantastic result."

Beattie's spot-kick miss – which means Hearts have scored only four of their last 10 penalties – came after referee Calum Murray spotted a clear trip by Aluko on Hearts substitute David Templeton.

But not everything the match official did yesterday met with approval from Hearts manager Paulo Sergio.

He felt the referee was culpable in allowing both of Rangers' first half goals, first when Andy Webster was adjudged to have fouled Maurice Edu, leading to Aluko's sweetly struck 22-yard free-kick, then when he ignored contact between Little and goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald before the Northern Ireland international steered in a scruffy left-foot shot. "I don't want to criticise or find excuses for our defeat with the referee's performance but I believe that two moments of both first goals, Calum was not at his top level," Sergio said.

"He is one of the best in the country, but I can't agree with those decisions. We all make mistakes but these changed the game at this moment and Rangers had done nothing to be leading 2-0. Of course I still have confidence in Beattie. I know he is going to take the ball again because he is a confident player."

Allan McGregor also pulled off a fine low save to defy a low Rudi Skacel shot before Rangers, minus the injured Steven Davis, made the game safe to go into next Sunday's Old Firm game with a win. Little tapped in his fifth goal since administration from an inadvertant Lee Wallace assist.

Taken from the Herald