RANGERS came from behind to re-take top spot in the Scottish Premiership with a gutsy performance against 10-man Hibernian at Ibrox this afternoon.
Trailing to Kevin Nisbet’s seventh-minute opener, Ryan Porteous was sent off for the Leith men before the break, and Steven Gerrard’s men took full advantage with Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos on target in the second half.
On what was Armed Forces Day at Ibrox, boss Steven Gerrard named six changes to his XI - from the team which faced Sparta Prague on Thursday night, in came Nathan Patterson, Connor Goldson, John Lundstram, Ianis Hagi, Scott Wright and Alfredo Morelos.
They took the places of James Tavernier, Calvin Bassey, Juninho Bacuna, Steven Davis, Kemar Roofe and Fashion Jr.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with Patterson, Goldson, Leon Balogun and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Lundstram joined Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo in the middle of the park, while Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright provided support to Alfredo Morelos.
Gers threatened inside the first minute with Wright inches away from connecting to a smart through-ball from Aribo, but on eight minutes, Hibernian grabbed the lead.
From the right, Chris Cadden dug out a super ball to the back post for Kevin Nisbet to head back across Allan McGregor and into the back of the net.
Gers continued to try to get something going from that point, and they were boosted on the half-hour mark with Hibs reduced to 10-men as Ryan Porteous saw red for a poor challenge on Aribo.
Balogun ought to have grabbed an equaliser at the end of the second phase from a free-kick as Goldson picked him out unmarked just beyond the penalty spot, but he shot wide.
Morelos then headed over on the end of a Barisic free-kick, while Hibs somehow managed to clear away a seemingly net-bound flick from Wright.
Hagi then scooped one over in three minutes of injury time at the end of the half, but the visitors remained in front as the whistle went.
Scorer Nisbet made a fine block from Morelos as Gers began the second half with plenty of energy and verve, and on the hour mark, the Light Blues found that equaliser.
From the right, Nathan Patterson delivered the most tremendous ball to the back post where Kemar Roofe, who had just come on for Glen Kamara, was waiting to bullet a header home for his sixth of the campaign.
Ibrox was alive with noise, and Lundstram and Patterson both had efforts go off-target, while Matt Macey made a fine save to deny Hagi as he let fly from just inside the area after stepping brilliantly inside Josh Doig.
The play was only ever going in one direction, and with 12 minutes remaining, the inevitable goal duly arrived – and that man Alfredo Morelos was the one to grab it with his fifth of the season.
From the left this time, Borna Barisic joined fellow full-back Patterson in claiming an assist with a phenomenal ball in from the left for Morelos, who peeled off the back of Paul Hanlon to plant a header in off the post and into the back of the net.
Gers retained their composure in what remained of the game to see it out for a huge three points – and the full-time scenes as Steven Gerrard took the acclaim of all four sides of Ibrox spoke volumes.
RANGERS: McGregor, Patterson, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Lundstram, Kamara (Roofe, 55), Aribo (Bacuna, 80), Hagi, Wright Davis, 80), Morelos.
SUBS: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Bassey, Fashion Jr.
HIBERNIAN: Macey, McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Doig, Boyle, Newell, Allan (McGregor, 33), Doyle-Hayes (Gogic 75), Cadden (Murphy, 82), Nisbet.
SUBS: Dabrowski, Stevenson, Scott, Wright.
ATTENDANCE: 49125
REFEREE: Nick Walsh
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