Attendance 50,239
This was much more like it – Rangers at times totally
outplaying their Edinburgh rivals with Kris Boyd
netting both goals, just as he had done against the
same opposition in May.
Manager Paul Le Guen made four changes from
Dunfermline with new signing Phil Bardsley from
Manchester United, Chris Burke, Lee Martin and Kris
Boyd replacing Alan Hutton, Libor Sionko, Charlie Adam
and Thomas Buffel.
There was almost an early breakthrough when Karl
Svensson's header from a Burke corner was held by
Craig Gordon in the second minute.
It was however the visitors who were making most of
the early running – Bruno Aguiar's thirty-yard
free-kick being tipped over by Lionel Letizi in eleven
minutes.
Eight minutes later Svensson saw his header from a
Martin corner flash just over, then immediately
thereafter Martin, winning the ball in midfield,
released Boyd who, although impeded released the ball
to Prso whose shot was blocked by Gordon's legs.
Rangers now had control of the game – Gordon producing
a superb save to touch over Boyd's overhead kick from
a Burke corner in 23 minutes.
Referee Kenny Clark had failed to impose his authority
on proceedings, allowing the Tynecastle side far too
much leeway with their illegal efforts to nullify the
Light Blues' skill and movement. He finally produced a
yellow card in 25 minutes when Julien Brellier fouled
Burke, yet five minutes later failed to take any
action when the same player chopped down the
outstanding Brahim Hemdani.
Rangers should have broken the deadlock just before
the interval when Prso moved onto a Burke chip only to
be blocked by Gordon – the ball breaking to Boyd whose
shot was cleared off the line by Robbie Neilson.
The breakthrough finally arrived twenty seconds into
the second-half when Neilson swept the feet from Prso
as the Croatian homed in on goal. It was a stonewall
penalty – and Boyd did the necessary from the spot.
Three minutes later it was 2-0, Boyd again heading
home from a Martin free-kick.
Rangers were now in total command, with Hemdani
controlling the midfield. It might have been three on
the hour – Prso's twenty-yard shot coming off the
crossbar after Boyd had dispossessed Takis Fyssas.
Alan Hutton and Filip Sebo replaced Bardsley and Boyd
– the Old Trafford defender had had a sound debut, and
was warmly received as he departed. Boyd,
man-of-the-match, deserved his standing ovation.
Burke was running the visitors' defence ragged – his
twenty-yard curler from a Prso pass being held by
Gordon in 74 minutes.
There was a plethora of yellow cards for the visitors
in the dying minutes – one for ex-Ranger Steven
Pressley for dissent, one for Takis Fyssas for shoving
a ball-boy, and two for Robbie Neilson – the first in
84 minutes for a foul on Martin, the second, and
consequent red, in injury time for a foul on the same
player.
Rangers were worthy winners, and afterwards a relaxed
Le Guen summarised:
“We needed such a performance. We got better and
better. I am happy with Kris Boyd and his two goals,
but he can do better. It was good not to concede any
goals.”
RANGERS Letizi; Bardsley (Hutton 65), Svensson,
Rodriguez, Smith; Burke (Buffel 87), Hemdani, Clement,
Martin; Prso, Boyd (Sebo 70)
UNUSED SUBS McGregor, Rae, Sionko, Adam
HEARTS Gordon; Neilson, Pressley, Berra, Fyssas;
Elliot, Mikoliunas (Hartley 69), Aguiar, Brellier;
Bednar (Pospisil 45 [McCann 61]), Jankauskas,
UNUSED SUBS Banks, McCann, Hartley, Pospisil, Wallace,
Karipidis, Mole
REFEREE Kenny Clarke