Oli strike wrecks Gers’ hopes of glory and sends Hearts soaring

There’s a sign in the Tynecastle tunnel saying blood doesn’t show on a maroon shirt.

You couldn’t miss it on the light blue ones last night – all of it from self-inflicted wounds.

From the il l- discipline of 29-goal talisman Alfredo Morelos missing a f l ight home from Colombia and being axed from their squad, to the catalogue of calamities that led to the Oli Bozanic goal that won Hearts the game, Rangers kissed goodbye to the domestic silverware for another season.

And they had no one to blame but themselves.

For the second time in f ive weeks, a Hearts side who can’t buy a win against anyone else in the top f l ight laid waste to the trophy aspirations of Ibrox doubt. Initially it felt a million miles away from the frantic, febrile game it became and that you’d expect from a Hearts v Rangers game with this much at stake in the tight confines of the Gorgie ground.

And the quality of the play from both sides was almost as desolate as the “s**** y home support” the away fans were singing about.

Just over a month on from the Jambos’ 2-1 victory over Gerrard’s side here in the league, the only other win their punters had been able to enjoy was the one over Falkirk that got them as far as this quarter-final tie. But with the game live on TV and the 30-quid ticket prices, the swathes of empty seats didn’t give the impression of do- or-die.

Things didn’t get any better for Hearts – or Scotland for that matter – quarter of an hour in either, when John Souttar collapsed in agony.

The defender, back after a fivemonth lay-off, was stretchered off with an Achilles injury which has ended his season.

The solace Hearts could take, though, was that they were much the more menacing of the sides in the opening half-hour. And they