RANGERS Under-19s played out a closely-fought 1-1 draw with Hearts at the Oriam in the CAS Elite League this evening.
Chris Condy opened the scoring for the young Gers just shy of the half-time interval, his 22nd strike of the campaign, but they were pegged back midway inside the second half when Connor Dow equalised for the capital club.
Rangers had the ball in the net later in the second period through Conor Owen which was flagged for offside, before Condy rattled the woodwork in stoppage time to deny the visitors all three points.
The point lifts the Gers level on points with St. Mirren at the summit of the league table.
Liam Ross named three changes to his side from last weekend's Glasgow Cup triumph over Partick Thistle, with Condy restored to the starting lineup alongside Owen and Callum Burnside.
It was the visitors who were on the front foot early, the contest played amid swirling winds which made for difficult conditions, as Zebedee Lawson stung the palms of the Hearts goalkeeper after working half a yard on his right-hand side.
Prior to that Burnside, currently enjoying a productive loan spell at Alloa Athletic, had an effort blocked when he made a darting run and unleashed a shot from 15 yards out.
Hearts certainly looked comfortable in possession, but their first real attempt at goal arrived after Gus Stevenson danced through a succession of Gers challenges before being denied by Rydnn McGuire and Joshua Radcliffe dragged wide on the follow-up.
Condy perhaps should have done better when he lifted goalwards from the edge of the penalty area, but the forward was always leaning back as his effort flew over the Hearts crossbar.
He wasn't to be denied moments later, however, as the Gers broke the deadlock when Max Cameron underlined his searing pace by going around the outside of his marker and pulling the ball across for Condy to provide the deftest of finishes into the bottom corner.
It was the perfect time to break open the game for the visitors, who headed to the dressing rooms at half-time with a spring in their step.
There was a familiar face on the touchline for Rangers fans with Lee Wallace involved in the Hearts coaching set-up.
On the pitch, the home side lined up with Euan Glasgow in their side, the elder brother of Kyle who has featured for Rangers Under-16s at the Alkass International Cup over the last week.
Back to the action and the Gers were unfortunate not to double their advantage when Cameron forced a diving save from Lyndon Tas and, just moments later, Lawson skipped past two Hearts defenders on the byline before watching his finish trickle through the legs of the goalkeeper but wide of the far post.
McGuire was forced into a double save down the opposite end, with full-back Lyle Wark having his work cut out against Hearts winger, Jaedon Donker, on the flanks.
The longer the game went on, the more Hearts grew in belief, and they levelled when a direct pass through the heart of the Gers defence was latched onto by Dow and he slotted a cool finish under McGuire.
There was certainly a suspicion of offside as those in Rangers colours immediately raised their hands towards the linesman, but he waved away the appeals of the away side.
It was game on as Condy broke forward on the counter-attack for the Gers, but he was quickly smothered by a pair of Hearts defenders before his finish flew wide of the goal.
Rangers then thought they had restored their advantage from a corner when Jack Wyllie won his aerial duel and the ball broke to Owen from two yards out and the towering defender buried his finish into the roof of the net.
However, the linesman was swift to raise his flag on this occasion as Rangers' celebrations were quickly curbed.
Aiden Crilly was then forced off through injury following a crunching challenge in midfield just 16 minutes after being introduced as a substitute.
The game became stretched in the closing period as both teams chased a winning goal, with the Gers coming ever so close to finding that goal in stoppage time.
Hearts played themselves into trouble from their own free-kick deep inside their own half as Condy was released into space before smashing the post from the edge of the penalty area and Ben Hutton watched his rebound trundle into the grateful arms of the goalkeeper.
The young Gers are back in league action in seven days' time as they host Hibernian.
RANGERS: McGuire, Hutton, Wyllie, Owen, Wark, Young, Smith, Burnside, Lawson, Condy, Cameron (Crilly, 71; Hynd, 87)
Subs not used: S. Reid, J. Reid, Ramage, Patton
HEARTS: Tas, A. Wilson, Radcliffe (Hogarth, 71), S. Wilson, Osborne, Stevenson (Sanders, 58), McMeekin (Dow, 45), Donkor (Banks, 85), Glasgow, Robb (Mathie, 58), North
Subs not used: Lyon, Kelly
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