SHOWSTOPPER SCOTT
Allan shines in return to spotlight as Hibs dig out another victory at Ibrox
AFTER an event that could have been billed as a ‘Heroes-and-Villains’ theme day to keep any young fan happy, no Rangers supporter of any age was content to see the arch-enemy emerge from this engrossing short story grinning and celebrating his second Ibrox win of the season.
Superbly aided by Scott Allan, the boy who can transform himself from Rangers diehard to a Celtic player, perennial foe Neil Lennon followed up his August victory over Pedro Caixinha by guiding a Hibs team decimated by injuries to within two points of Rangers in the Ladbrokes Premiership table.
Returning conqueror of all in Scotland, Paul Gascoigne, did not have a victory to celebrate 21 years after he last appeared here in a Rangers shirt.
Jason ‘The Joker’ Cummings found no joy in a substitute role against his former club, much to the amusement of the visiting fans who delighted in being kept back inside Ibrox to toast success.
All while referee Willie Collum made his way off the pitch to a cacophony of boos from Rangers supporters making him their No1 hate figure of the day for the penalty award on 75 minutes that split the sides. Jamie Maclaren converted the matchwinner.
Allan, making his debut for the second time for Hibs, was inching away from goal when going down under contact from James Tavernier. ‘The softest thing he’s ever seen,’ was Graeme Murty’s edited version of the Rangers defender’s verdict on the decision.
At least that helped Lennon steer clear of the centre of the controversy for this successful raid on Govan. On his most recent Ibrox visit, he escaped punishment for a derogatory gesture made to the home fans in celebrating a goal.
Eight police officers circled the dugout as he appeared from the tunnel pre-match, cameras trained on anyone moronic enough to fancy some retribution.
This success, Lennon just about deserved on the balance of play. And when you consider the selection issues that dogged him before and during the game, this was testament to his underrated management skills.
The Rangers fans had just savoured Kilmarnock defeating a Celtic defence dismantled by injuries when they settled down to see if their team could inflict similar punishment on a radically reconstructed Hibs back line.
With Darren McGregor and Paul Hanlon missing, Lennon went for a back three of Efe Ambrose, Ryan Porteous, on his first league start, and Lewis Stevenson.
Allan took responsibility to alleviate the pressure on them by running the first half. Not before crunching into Declan John in the opening minutes to crank up the noise against him that bit further.
Swiss Under-21 international Florian Kamberi fed off both Allan’s scheming in the centre and the joy Martin Boyle was having down the right against John.
Maclaren joined Kamberi in attack once wide man Brandon Barker had fallen victim to a seventh-minute hamstring pull and Rangers were never at ease in the first half when confronted by their pace and power. Tavernier saved a tap-in from Maclaren with his last ditch intervention, the ball popping up into Wes Foderingham’s hands.
Maclaren was also denied by an offside flag when he planted the ball in the net and the impressive Kamberi cursed the weak release that helped Foderingham gather.
But, after 41 minutes, Hibs prospered from one of their long-range weapons.
Daniel Candeias coughed up the ball just inside his own half. John McGinn accepted the invitation to drive deep at his opponents and from 22 yards, his shot bounced in front of Foderingham to take the ball over his despairing dive and low into the corner of the net.
A hat-trick scorer at Fraserburgh, poor touches from Josh Windass twice helped Ofir Marciano save at his feet. On the second occasion, the keeper palmed Jamie Murphy’s follow-up off the line.
Rangers ramped up the intensity from the start of the season half, Marciano producing an excellent save to tip over a Candeias header.
Murphy was a tireless runner in an effort to wear down the fatigued Hibs defence and his trickery landed both Stevenson and Ambrose bookings. An Alfredo Morelos header was disallowed for offside and Jason Holt shaved the outside of the post from 25 yards.
When teenager Porteous became the third Hibs player cautioned, it led to the equaliser. Sean Goss had been just shy of the target with his first free-kick minutes earlier. His second was just too cute.
His effort caressed the ball over the wall and it clipped the underside of the crossbar and dropped down just over the line.
Rangers should have enjoyed a momentum swing. The shift in power was robbed from them by Tavenier’s dunt of Allan within two minutes of the leveller.
Maclaren, in only his third substitute outing for the club, snatched the ball to claim the honour. His right-foot kick was deflected high into the roof off the net off Foderingham.