Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Three wins on the spin for new boss
GIOVANNI Van Bronckhorst maintained his perfect start to his reign as Rangers manager after a late Kemar Roofe penalty secured a 1-0 victory away to Hibernian.
It looked like the cinch Premiership leaders were going to be frustrated at Easter Road, but the substitute’s spot-kick, after Ryan Kent was fouled by Ryan Porteous, made it three wins on the spin for Van Bronckhorst and took Rangers seven points clear of Celtic at the summit.
The visitors should have gone ahead in the last minute of the first half when Aribo picked out the unmarked Alfredo Morelos with a cross from the right but the Colombian sent a free header wide from seven yards.
The second half started in livelier fashion than the first, with Boyle seeing a thunderous half-volley charged down by Borna Barisic after Josh Campbell’s cross found him 16 yards out.
Moments later Rangers attacker Kent sent a powerful strike just wide from 25 yards.
Hibs went desperately close in the 53rd minute when Joe Newell ran on to a quick throw-in and sent an inviting ball across goal, but Connor Goldson somehow hooked it away with Kevin Nisbet waiting to knock it into the net.
Rangers eventually made the breakthrough when Roofe tucked his penalty away, much to the dismay of Porteous who brought down Ryan Kent.
Gers boss van Bronckhorst said: “Very big win. It was a tough game as we expected. It was really close, a lot of physical play from both sides and not many chances. Fortunately we’ll take the win and three more points for us.
“In the first half we had some great moments to score, a great chance for Morelos. But we also gave a lot of balls away and had to defend transition moments as well.”
Hibs boss Jack Ross said: “I think it’s one, for me, that I would want in the opposition box. But that doesn’t mean to say it’s a penalty. At the time I had no idea, now I’ve watched it back and Ryan [Porteous] pulls his foot away. There’s minimal contact.
“It’s a 50/50, sometimes they’re given, sometimes they’re not and we would argue the case for it not to be given naturally. I don’t think we deserved that or Ryan deserved that from his performance as well.”