RANGERS dug out a superb three points against Hibernian at Easter Road tonight, claiming a late 1-0 win.
Kemar Roofe’s calm penalty five minutes from the end of the 90 was the difference on a freezing night in the Capital as Gers once again displayed their battling qualities.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst named one change to his Rangers side for this evening’s match. From the team which came through 3-1 against Livingston on Sunday, Steven Davis replaced Scott Arfield, with the rest of the XI remaining the same.
That meant it was a back five of Allan McGregor in goal with James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Calvin Bassey and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Davis came into midfield next to Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara, with Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent supporting Alfredo Morelos.
The visitors enjoyed lots of good possession in the early minutes of the match, with Hagi having an early crack at goal from distance which went just over the bar.
McGregor denied Martin Boyle with ease at the other end, while Aribo glanced a Tavernier free-kick wide from 12-yards out on the half-hour mark.
Matt Macey then held onto a Goldson header from a Tavernier corner, before the goalkeeper made a fine save from a Hagi effort from the edge of the area, tipping the Romanian international’s low strike around the post.
Then on the stroke of half-time, Morelos should have nodded Gers into the lead at the end of a lightning break which ended with Aribo chipping the ball into the middle for the unmarked Colombian to head wide of goal.
The visitors were first to threaten in the second half within two minutes of the restart, with a Kent effort from outside the area coming back off the stanchion behind the goal.
Goldson made a stunning block to prevent Joe Newell’s cross across the six-yard box causing any significant issues for Rangers, while Ryan Porteous cleared off the line from Kent at the other end when a Tavernier cross reached him at the back post.
Macey then denied Kent well at his front post, while Aribo could find only the side-netting when he danced a path into the area.
Macey then blocked but couldn’t hold a strike from sub Scott Arfield before on 84 minutes, Rangers were awarded a penalty as Kent was felled in the area by Porteous.
Sub Kemar Roofe took the spot kick, and calmly sent Macey the wrong way to spark pandemonium in the away end behind the goal with so little of the game left.
Gers saw out what remained of the match with real comfort to take the three points back along the M8 to Ibrox.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barisic, Davis (Arfield, 66), Kamara, Aribo, Hagi, Kent (Lundstram, 86), Morelos (Roofe, 66).
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Patterson, Wright, Fashion Jr.
HIBERNIAN: Macey, Doig, Hanlon, Porteous, McGinn, Boyle, Newell (Allan, 86), Nisbet, Doyle-Hayes, Cadden (Murphy, 86), Campbell.
SUBS: Dabrowski, Wright, Gogic, Stevenson, Allan, Scott.
REFEREE: John Beaton
ATTENDANCE: 17,209
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