CROCK SOLID
Phil is still the daddy as mother of all injury lists gets longer
THE Rangers support gave up Sunday dinner with their old dears to see Dujon Sterling and Ross McCausland become the latest additions to the mother of all injury lists.
But they’ll be content to continue playing happy families with daddy cool Philippe Clement leading the way back to Hampden.
The same is unlikely to be said for the Hibs faithful where Jordan Obita and Nathan Moriah-Welsh are concerned.
Their side might have been trailing after John Lundstram gobbled up the rebound when David Marshall clawed out a James Tavernier penalty.
But they were right in the fight heading into the final 25 minutes.
That was until first Obita and then Moriah-Welsh let their team down badly by getting themselves sent-off two minutes apart.
Both should expect a lengthy spell on boss Nick Montgomery’s naughty step. Fabio Silva’s fourth goal since signing in January booked Rangers’ place in tonight’s semi-final draw.
But before Clement can take his Viaplay Cup winners back to the Hampden, he has more pressing concerns with the second leg of the Europa League last 16 clash with Benfica on Thursday.
While the Light Blues were lively in Lisbon last week, they were leggy in Leith and their energy reserves are hardly going to be helped by Sterling and McCausland being major doubts after joining Todd Cantwell, Danilo, Abdallah Sima, Oscar Cortes and Kieran Dowell on the crock list.
Both trudged off with muscle injuries that could rule them out for a vital part of the run-in, compounding the news Clement revealed before kick-off that Scotland ace Ryan Jack suffered a fresh set-back ahead of a game he was due to start.
Hibs also have some serious worries after Martin Boyle was rushed to hospital following an accidental aerial collision with John Souttar.
Clement’s injury woes meant he was forced to name the same starting XI back to back for the first time since taking over.
Montgomery has also been forced into a change of thinking lately.
He’s ditched the 4-4-2 system he favoured early on after seeing it ripped apart by Rangers so ruthlessly in two previous encounters.
The change to a more robust 4-3-3 has contributed to a five-game unbeaten run.
The return for Chris Cadden, 288 days on from his last start, was another welcome boost for Hibs, who were keen to make the most of their new-found confidence and pressed like they meant it.
Connor Goldson was left feeling uncomfortable as he was repeatedly rushed by the hosts’ front three.
On this week of all weeks, the last thing Jack Butland needed as he waits on word of an England recall was a bouncing backpass from Goldson.
That left the Gers No1 flirting with disaster as his hacked clearance smacked off Myziane Maolida and then the base of his post.
Hibs left-back Obita was taking chances himself when he allowed Cyriel Dessers to pinch possession and then race into the box.
It took a brave stop from David Marshall to bail him out.
The keeper through he’d done it again moments later as Obita then handed Gers a spot-kick with a clumsy foul on Sterling.
But while the former Scotland
keeper was switched on enough to get down and parry away Tavernier’s penalty, the same couldn’t be said of his team-mates team as they allowed John Lundstram to race in and tuck home the rebound.
Marshall was the only man showing any form of resistance for Hibs as he blocked from Sterling.
That proved to be the Ibrox utility ace’s final involvement before his hammy went ping and he made way for McCausland.
That’s a huge concern for Clement but the sight of Boyle leaving on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask after his mid-air collision with Souttar, left everyone watching harbouring some serious fears.
It was no surprise to see the shellshocked Hibs players wander dazed through the nine minutes that had to be added on after the lengthy hold-up while their talisman was treated.
They’d composed themselves, though, by the start of the second half and were quickly trying to force an equaliser, with Will Fish seeing a goalbound header cleared by Lundstram.
The home support cranked up the noise as they roared their team on.
They had to hold their breath when Tavernier took aim 20 yards out, with Marshall producing another solid stop.
Emiliano Marcondes was fortunate to get a free-kick after taking a tumble at Goldson’s feet but Butland ensured that justice was done with a fine save.
Tempers were rising when McCausland then became the latest addition to Gers’ lengthy injury list.
Obita – already on a booking for a foul on Tom Lawrence – was fed up with the time the trudging youngster was taking to leave the park but ended up getting a talking to from ref Steven McLean after trying to shove the Northern Irish kid on his way.
But he’d used up his last warning when an off the ball tussle with sub Rabbi Matondo earned him a second yellow followed by a red
It was a heads-gone moment from the left-back – but nothing on Moriah-Welsh’s ridiculous rush of blood that saw him dive in on Lundstram with both feet off the ground just moments later.
McLean reached straight for the red card and VAR couldn’t argue. Hibs knew their chances were up having gone two men down. But just to underline that fact, Silva added a second with seven minutes left as he collected a Lundstram pass before cutting past Cadden to drill past Marshall.