GOALS from Scott Robertson and Lewis Stevenson gave Hibs their second league victory over Rangers at Ibrox this season and a result which moves them into second place in the Championship.
Despite the Light Blues dominating a lot of the play, and having far more attempts at goal than the visitors throughout the 90 minutes, it was the Hibs players who took their chances when they came along to the disappointment of the home support who got behind their players from start to finish.
The opening goal arrived against the run of play. Lee Robinson did well to make a good save at the feet of Hibs’ top scorer Jason Cummings initially but when the ball came back out Robertson prodded the ball in.
Rangers worked exceptionally hard to get back into the game but couldn’t get the goal their graft deserved and in the end they were punished.
With 81 minutes on the clock substitute Fraser Fyvie dinked a pass over the Gers defence to Stevenson and he produced a cool finish on the turn which gave Lee Robinson no chance.
Having been the better side when they last travelled to Ibrox on September 29 and won 3-1, Alan Stubbs’ men were second best for long spells this evening and Kenny McDowall and his coaching staff will wonder how their players did not take at least a point from the match given the goalscoring opportunities they created.
The club’s caretaker boss made no fewer than six changes to his starting eleven this evening with Robinson, Seb Faure, Marius Zaliukas, Darren McGregor, Andy Murdoch and Kris Boyd included in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
And as expected, this battle between the second and third placed teams in the country’s second tier started at a frantic pace with both trying to get an early goal.
On eight minutes Haris Vuckic took a neat touch past a defender and his effort from 25 yards was only parried away by keeper Mark Oxley. The ball came out to Kenny Miller who cut inside before curling a netbound shot which was headed clear off the line.
Hibs, with Cummings and Dominique Malonga in attack, always looked dangerous on the counter, albeit Oxley was the busier of the two keepers in the early stages.
On 16 minutes Miller found a yard of space from distance and his dipping, swerving shot was tipped over by the Hibs number one.
On 19 minutes, however, the opening goal arrived and it was the visitors who got it. Scott Allan played an intelligent pass to Cummings who weaved his way into the box but Robinson made a good block at his feet as he attempted to find the net.
The ball broke free but Robertson reacted quickest to toe-poke the ball home in front of the Copland Stand.
After a positive start to the match Rangers now had it all to do and on the half hour mark McDowall had to make his first change to his team with Miller going off with an injury and Nicky Clark taking his place.
Within three minutes the substitute had a chance to get his side on level terms but was unfortunate to slip at the vital moment in the 18-yard box after Boyd had played him in with a clever pass.
Rangers continued to look dangerous when they pushed men up the park with Oxley making a good save at his near post to deny Vuckic, the Slovenian not quite getting the power required with his low drive with his left boot.
Despite going in at half time a goal down there were signs in the first half Rangers could get back into this contest and once the game restarted a blocked shot from Hutton had fans off their seats.
The pressure continued to mount on Hibs’ backline and after Boyd had come close with a header from Vuckic’s free kick Oxley had to produce a great save from underneath his cross bar to deny Faure who produced a dipping header from a corner which was sneaking in.
Cross balls were causing a problem for the visitors and when Law produced a great delivery from the right Boyd should have done better with his back post header.
On 78 minutes Rangers made a double substitution with Jon Daly and Dean Shiels going on but they didn’t have enough time to have an impact before the Hibees doubled their advantage.
Fraser Fyvie did well to play a clever pass over the Gers defence and Stevenson swiveled in the box and fired a left foot volley into the corner of the net.
Rangers, to their credit, battled to the end but their finishing on the night let them down and it was Stubbs’ men who claimed all three points.
RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Robinson; Faure, Zaliukas, McGregor, Wallace; Hutton, Murdoch; Vuckic (Daly 78), Law, Miller (Clark 30); Boyd (Shiels 78)
SUBS: Kelly, Aird, Black, Halkett
BOOKINGS: Zaliukas, Murdoch
HIBERNIAN (3-5-2): Oxley; Watson, Hanlon, Fontaine; Gray, Robertson, Allan (Fyvie 77), McGeouch, Stevenson; Cummings (Boyle 62), Malonga (Dja Djedje 84)
SUBS: Cerny, Forster, Craig, Stanton
GOALS: Robertson 19, Stevenson 81
BOOKINGS: Allan
REF: Steven McLeanATT: 29,769