RANGERS roared back from Wednesday’s disappointment with a terrific 5-0 defeat of Hearts at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon.
In a performance of boundless energy, determination and some real, top-class play, Alfredo Morelos netted twice and there were counters from Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Fashion Jr in the crushing win.
Boss Van Bronckhorst named four changes to his side for this afternoon’s Scottish Premiership match - from the team which lined-up on Wednesday, Leon Balogun, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos all came into the XI in place of Borna Barisic, Glen Kamara, Amad and Kemar Roofe.
That meant it was a back five today of Allan McGregor in goal with captain James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Balogun and Calvin Bassey in front of him.
Jack and Lundstram were joined in midfield by Joe Aribo, with Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent providing support to Morelos.
All nine players named on the bench by van Bronckhorst this afternoon are full internationals – there for him were Jon McLaughlin, Barisic, Steven Davis, Kamara, James Sands, Amad, Roofe, Fashion Jr, and for the first time, Aaron Ramsey.
Rangers were after a fast start in this one, and they had Hearts under pressure in the opening minutes with a succession of corners and lots of positive play in the visitors’ half in the opening minutes.
Kent had an effort slide just wide of the far post when he cut in from the left on the end of a fine Gers counter, while Craig Gordon showed good hands to gather from a Morelos drive from just inside the area when Jack set him up.
The Light Blues really were playing at a ferocious pace, and they hit the front on just 12 minutes with a phenomenal opener.
From the left, Calvin Bassey picked a 50-yard, curling pass into the path of Ryan Kent that took out Nathaniel Atkinson and Taylor Moore from the equation.
Kent still had work to do, however, and he delivered wonderfully to the back post for Alfredo Morelos to turn home expertly on the stretch for his 14th of the campaign.
It was just what was required for Rangers, and they kept up their high-energy showing – Aribo sending a strike wide as blue jerseys flooded forward once more.
Kent then released Morelos from halfway to scamper into space down that left again, before Morelos found Kent in the area after he made up the yards to turn Toby Sibbick inside out, but he could only fire wide of the far post with Gordon beaten.
Tavernier had a 25-yard free kick only just clear the crossbar, while Gordon gathered a Jack snapshot from the edge of the area.
Gordon then made a super save from Morelos from 18-yards to ensure it was only a single goal lead at the break – but their play certainly deserved more.
Hearts then threatened for the first time in the match within a minute of the restart. Stephen Kingsley delivered to the back post for Atkinson to volley across goal.
Bassey was then short with a header back to McGregor that Cammy Devlin nipped onto to send wide of the target, while Jack had a volley at the other end that dipped just over.
Then on 64 minutes, Gers got their richly deserved second through that man Morelos. After initially trying to thread one through for Arfield, the ball cannoned off Kingsley and back into the Colombian’s path, and from the 18-yard line, he curled a beautiful finish beyond Gordon and into the top-left corner of the net.
Morelos then could have had a hat-trick when Aribo released him to go one-on-one with Gordon, but a combination of Moore and the goalkeeper denied him.
Where Morelos couldn’t finish, sub Glen Kamara could. It was Morelos who released him through, and he sold Alex Cochrane a dummy before sitting Gordon down and finishing past him for 3-0 on 72 minutes for his second of the season.
Three minutes later, it was four, as Gers again broke the Hearts offside trap. Scott Arfield was denied initially by Gordon, but the ball ricocheted back into his path for a close-range finish for his fifth of the campaign.
That was to be his final action of the game, with Aaron Ramsey coming on for his debut to huge acclaim in his place just afterwards.
A fine block from Sibbick again denied Morelos his hat-trick, before number five arrived on 85 minutes. This time is was Kent racing into space down the right to cut the ball back for Fashion Jr’s seventh Rangers goal – albeit Ramsey was queuing up just behind too. Gordon denied Morelos in injury-time, and five is how it finished. It’s on now to Hibs back here on Wednesday night.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey, Lundstram (Davis, 86), Jack (Kamara, 68), Aribo (Fashion Jr, 76), Kent (Amad, 85), Arfield (Ramsey, 76), Morelos.
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Barisic, Sands, Roofe.
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN: Gordon, Kingsley, Baningime (Ginnelly, 73), McEneff (Simms, 45), Boyce (Halliday, 73), Atkinson (Haring, 73), Devlin (Woodburn, 73), Moore, Cochrane, McKay, Sibbick.
SUBS NOT USED: Stewart, Mackay-Steven, Pollock.
REFEREE: Willie Collum
ATTENDANCE: 49,708