Philippe Clement hailed his side’s Malmo moment as proof his October prophecy is right on schedule.
But after watching Rangers stumble out of September, maybe the Ibrox boss might be better rethinking his forecast for his team to find their top form. Clement has been saying since the summer it would take his new-look line-up two to three months to really click together. It looked like he was set to be proven right after watching his side bounce back from their Parkhead pasting with encouraging wins over Dundee United, Dundee and Thursday’s opening Europa League opponents Malmo.
They made it four on the spin with this narrow triumph over David Gray’s Hibs – but it was a performance which highlighted just how far Clement’s side still have to go if they’re to compete against Brendan Rodgers’ swaggering Celts. Tom Lawrence’s sensational strike was enough in the end for the win but it was a far from comfortable outfit up against a Leith outfit who have been stuttering themselves.
In the end, Gers had Jack Butland to thank for their fourth clean sheet in a row. A passenger at the Eleda Stadion in midweek, the former England stopper was the key man as his penalty save from Mykola Kuharevych on the stroke of half-time kept the Light Blues ahead.
Hibs were left to sweat right up until Thursday before it was confirmed they would be handed an allocation of away tickets for the Ibrox clash. But that long wait will have seemed like a blink of an eye compared to the final 10 minutes the Gers faithful were put through. With Hibs piling on the pressure, the clock seemed to run in slow motion for the panicked punters filling the ground to capacity for the first time this season.
Their team got over the line eventually but Clement won’t be fooled into thinking this was anywhere near good enough. A visa cock-up cost Hamza Igamane his seat on the plane to Sweden but the red-tape had been cleared in time for the Moroccan to make his first Gers start.
Malmo hero Ross McCausland was also in alongside Jefte and Nico Raskin – making his first start since May’s Scottish Cup final – as Philippe Clement made four changes to the team that got the Light Blues’ Europa League campaign off to a flier. Hibs boss Gray also changed up the team that finally got their league campaign up and running at the fifth attempt with a maiden win over St Johnstone. Junior Hoilett was handed a full debut as Lewis Miller and Josh Campbell returned.
It took Gers barely 60 seconds to get off and running in midweek but it was Hibs who should have struck early this time. There was just six minutes on the clock when Butland flapped at a Chris Cadden cross. With the Gers keeper scrambling back to his feet, Hoilett skied his lob over the bar.
Lawrence, McCausland and Igamane all had went close for Rangers, with John Souttar required to throw himself into brave block on Hyeokkyu Kwon’s full-blooded strike for Hibs. The breakthrough for the hosts should really have come 21 minutes in.
Jefte robbed Lewis Miller before haring off towards the box. The Brazilian got his head out to picked out Vaclav Cerny but the Czech ace was left looking at a bobble on the turf as his ragged finish bounced wide. But just as it looked like Rangers were in danger of becoming bogged down in a sea of white jerseys, Lawrence came up with a moment of quality to carve out the opener.
The ball broke loose to McCausland as Igamane and Miller tangled. His pass was sharp into Lawrence’s feet and the Welshman took full advantage of the opening as he cut in off the left to sweep a sensational strike past Josef Bursik. The celebrations were stalled when the linesman’s flag shot up. It took VAR two-and-a-half minutes to clear up that Lawrence had been played onside by Marvin Ekpiteta’s stray foot but the hosts’ wait was worth it as the goal was eventually given.
Gers went in ahead at the interval – but only thanks to Butland. First the Ibrox No.1 did well to get down to his left to fingertip away a Kwon’s laser-like strike. And he was put on the spot again right on the stroke of half-time as VAR were again on the blower to alert Welsh to a Souttar handball as Kuharevych tried to bundle home from a corner.
The Ukrainian stepped up to take the penalty himself but it was an awful effort that Butland read so easily that he was able to wrap both hands round the ball as he left down to his right to smother. Butland walked off to the sound of the Rangers faithful belting out the Status Quo anthem they’ve penned in his honour.
But the atmosphere round Ibrox was in danger of going flat as home team failed to build on that let off. Jefte did come close to lifting the mood again early on as he drove forward before firing just wide either the outside of his left-foot. But grumbles only grew louder as Gers got themselves stuck in a pattern of loose balls and sideways passes.
Cerny couldn’t hold his tongue when he was targeted with a loud groan after opting to play it safe when the chance was on to run at Jon Obita. He turned and gave the west enclosure a blast back as the on-loan Wolfsburg wingers’ frustration boiled over. The clap he gave back to the punters when he was replaced by Dujon Sterling moments later was half-hearted at best.
Dessers thought he’d eased the tension when he connected with a cross from substitute Nedim Bajrami – but Bursik’s two-handed stop only ramped up the tension again. And there was one last heart-stopping moment for the Ibrox support as Dwight Gayle flashed a header wide with seconds remaining.
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