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Rangers edge closer to top-flight return as Hibs rue missed chances Rangers show grit to beat Hibs and win through to final
(about 4 hours later)
Hibs will spend at least a second season in the Championship after the failing that has undermined them in big games, an inability to convert chances, again cost them dearly at Easter Road. Alan Stubbs’s side had opportunities aplenty, but when they finally converted one, three minutes into stoppage time, it was too little, too late. Hibs will spend at least a second season in the Championship after the failing which has undermined them in big games, an inability to convert chances, again cost them dearly at Easter Road.
The visitors set out their stall by playing three central defenders after bringing Lee McCulloch back into the team at the expense of striker Nicky Clark, who had played in the win at Ibrox. Even with this security they looked none too comfortable during a torrid opening 20 minutes played almost entirely in Rangers’ final third. Alan Stubbs’s side had opportunities aplenty but, when they did convert one, through Jason Cummings three minutes into stoppage time, it was too late. Even Stuart McCall, the Rangers manager, conceded that, had Cummings scored earlier, and Hibs added a second, his players would almost certainly have been condemned men in extra time.
Had Hibs, who had a third-minute penalty claim denied when the ball hit Dean Shiels’ hand, matched their approach play with any kind of competent finishing during this period, the play-off would have assumed a completely different complexion. Instead, having invested in height at the back, Rangers and their goalkeeper, Cammy Bell, were only troubled by low crosses which Hibs, lacking a predator, failed to punish. “It’s a mixture of pride and relief,” he said on an afternoon when his side came with the game plan of holding on to their 2-0 first-leg lead from Ibrox. “There are all sorts ways to win football games - you can have a bit of luck, you can be brilliant. Today was just about guts and character. If the game had gone to extra time there would only have been one winner.”
It took Rangers 25 minutes to trouble the Hibs goal, but although Kenny Miller was just wide with a low header, Stuart McCall’s side were able to slow the game down with their increased possession as Hibs abruptly ran out of inspiration. Accordingly, it was only when Lee Wallace lost the ball in midfield that the outstanding Scott Allan was able to set up his side’s best chance of the half: entirely typically, the unmarked Dominique Malonga shot tamely into Bell’s arms. Rangers will now play Motherwell in the Premiership play-off final but Hibs, who finished ahead of Saturday’s opponents in the Championship, face another slog in the second tier.
The striker did much better with two good efforts shortly after the break, the second producing a terrific save from Bell as the increasingly frantic home side searched for the goal that would shift the psychological battle in their favour. “I don’t think anyone could have argued had it been us who went through,” Stubbs said. “Early on, the first 25 minutes, we completely dominated. If we had scored at that point, it would have been very interesting to see how the rest of the game went.
Stubbs, the Hibs manager, reacted to the continuing deadlock by bringing his striking contingent up to four with the introduction of Farid El Alagui and Franck Dja Djédjé from the bench, but it continued to be to no avail until, with 90 seconds remaining, Jason Cummings finally beat Bell. “Stuart has changed Rangers around. He has got them organised and there are international players in there - they know how to win games. What I will say is that the referee allowed them all the time in the world. It took 75 minutes before he cautioned a player for wasting time. He could have done something about that a lot earlier and put a stop to it.” The visitors set out their stall by playing three central defenders after bringing Lee McCulloch back into the team at the expense of the striker Nicky Clark, who had played in the win at Ibrox. Even with this security they looked none too comfortable during a torrid opening 20 minutes played almost entirely in the Rangers final third.
Had Hibs, who had a third minute penalty claim denied when the ball hit Dean Shiels’ hand, matched their approach play with any kind of competent finishing during this period, the play-off would have taken a completely different complexion. Instead, having invested in height at the back, Rangers, and their goalkeeper Cammy Bell, were troubled by only low crosses which Hibs, lacking a predator, failed to punish. It took Rangers 25 minutes to threaten the Hibs goal but, although Kenny Miller was just wide with a low header, McCall’s side were able to slow the game down with their increased possession as Hibs abruptly ran out of inspiration.
Accordingly, it was only when Lee Wallace lost the ball in midfield that the outstanding Scott Allan was able to set up his side’s best chance of the half - but, entirely typically, the unmarked Dominique Malonga shot tamely into Bell’s arms. The striker did much better with two good efforts early in the second half - the second producing a terrific save from Bell - as the increasingly frantic home side searched for the goal that would shift the psychological battle in their favour. Stubbs reacted to the continuing deadlock by bringing his striking contingent up to four by introducing Farid El Alagui and Franck Dja Djedje from the bench but it continued to be to no avail until, with 90 seconds remaining, Cummings finally beat Bell.