Bell set to ignore party and focus on ‘ultimate’ aim of promotion

REGARDLESS of the outcome of today’s match, Rangers will have to sit in the away dressing room at Tynecastle and listen to another team celebrate a Championship triumph that many of them believed would be theirs, writes Moira Gordon.

At the start of the season the Ibrox club were favourites for a third consecutive title win and another step up the leagues, but instead they now face the play-offs and will have to use the discomfort of listening to Hearts partying as motivation if they want to join them in the top flight next term.

“Hearts deserve it,” said goalkeeper Cammy Bell. “They’ve been consistent all season. We just dust ourselves down and we know what our plan is for the rest of the season. We’ve still got four weeks to go with very important games.

“They will all end up being cup finals for us and we need to go and get results in every game and give ourselves a chance in the second leg of each one. I expected the club to go up, but it was never going to be plain sailing. It was always going to be difficult with the teams that have been in this league.

“We have made it hard for ourselves this season, everyone will agree with that. But we are at the business end of the season and still have a chance to go up. It is in our own hands. We might need to play a few more games, but that is fine.

“They are going to be really difficult games, but if we are on top of our game then I am sure we will give anybody a game in this league.”

“Yes we set our sights on the title but ultimately we set our sights on getting promoted. That was my main aim. We don’t fear any team in this league. We know there are very good sides out there and we need to be at the top of our game.”