MORELOS IS THE HEARTBREAKER

Alfredo’s back with a brace to help Gers over Old Firm hell

RANGERS responded to their Old Firm battering in style by steamrollering Hearts.

Alfredo Morelos scored twice while Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala also netted against third-placed Hearts.

It was the perfect reply to their woeful showing aginst Celtic, who stayed top of the Scottish Premiership by thumping Motherwell 4-0 earlier in the day.

Rangers handed a debut to new loan signing Aaron Ramsey (above right) off the bench late on.

Boss Giovanni Van Bronckhorst said: “We keep this energy and determination up with every game and we will have a good chance.

“But we need to keep winning game after game.”

The returning Morelos, back after missing the previous four matches while on international duty with Colombia, helped put smiles back on the faces of Rangers fans. And team-mate Arfield said: “Alfredo’s a big player for us and he should have had his hat-trick.

“He just scares defenders with his all-round ability and that wins games.”

Morelos, knocked in the opener on 11 minutes and added a second with a fine drive in the 64th minute before setting up substitute Kamara for a third.

Arfield and substitute Sakala added further goals to keep the Gers one point behind their Old Firm rivals.

Van Bronckhorst’s side came in for heavy criticism following their midweek capitulation to Celtic.

And the Dutchman made four changes with Morelos, defender Leon Balogun and midfielder John Lundstram coming in along with playmaker Ryan Jack, who made his first start since February 2021.

Ryan Kent curled a shot just past Craig Gordon’s left-hand post before the former Celtic goalkeeper saved a drive from Morelos.

However, the Colombian was not to be denied a second time as he knocked in a cut-back from Kent, who had raced on to a defence-splitting pass from Calvin Bassey. Morelos’ second goal came when he tried to play in Arfield but his pass broke off Stephen Kingsley and back into his path and, from the edge of the box, he curled the ball past Gordon.

Moments later, he had a chance for a hat-trick when he powered through the visitors’ defence but drove straight at Gordon before Allan McGregor denied Barrie McKay at the other end.

In the 72nd minute Morelos took a pass from Joe Aribo and moved it on to Kamara who wrong-footed Alex Cochrane before blasting the ball past Gordon.

Arfield then hammered in a fourth from 16 yards in the 74th minute before Ramsey, the deadline-day loan signing from Juventus, replaced him to make his Rangers debut.

Sakala also came on for Aribo and the striker converted a Kent pass in the 84th minute to seal a convincing victory.