Rangers 2 Hearts 0
19/04/2010 13:54:52 by SPLBanter filed in Match Reports.
Rangers 2 Hearts 0
Rangers moved to within two points of securing back-to-back titles with a 2-0 victory over Hearts at Ibrox.
The much maligned Kyle Lafferty opened the scoring when he thumped in a powerful near-post header from a Kevin Thomson corner ten minutes after the break, and Kenny Miller added a late goal from the spot for his 20th of the season.
The first half was a fairly drab and edgy affair with Rangers again looking slightly nervous with the title in almost within touching distance.
Hearts gave as good as they got with most of the game played in the middle third of the pitch but when they did break in to the final third they were as blunt as a rusty butter knife with David Obua who is a trier and a nuisance but not a striker and Suso Santana who is a winger but likewise not a striker.
The first 45 really was devoid of anything worth talking about in an attacking sense, Rangers had a couple of shots blocked and a couple fired over from distance and Steven Davis forced Jamie MacDonald into a save.
At the other end Suso Santana bulleted a header wide from Craig Thomson’s cross when he might have done better.
Rangers almost took the lead shortly after the break when Papac found Miller free but just as his header looked to be sneaking in Jamie MacDonald somehow got across to claw it round the post.
However, they didn’t have too long to wait for the opener when on 54 minutes David Obua criminally allowed Kyle Lafferty to run off him without as much as a token challenge to meet Thomson’s corner and angle it past MacDonald.
To be fair to the big man who we’ve given a bit of stick on this site for the less pleasant side of his game/nature it was very well taken and he had an excellent game in general.
In fact when rangers were toiling in the first half he was easily their best player, if he sticks to playing the game [as he undoubtedly does have talent] and cuts out the theatrics and winding up of opponents he could become a real asset for the Gers next season.
From that point on there was only one winner as Hearts never looked like scoring, they could still be playing now without having broken their duck.
Thomson went close when he curled one inches over before Iain Brines pointed to the spot and awarded a fairly soft penalty to the hosts for a push by Eggert Jonsson on Steven Naismith.
Any contact was minimal and Naismith probably wasn’t getting to the ball but Brines thought otherwise and as a result of giving the penalty had to send the Icelander off for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
With the ‘desperate for a goal’ Kris Boyd having just been substituted the honour fell to Kenny Miller who fired his shot high to MacDonald’s left for 2-0.
It was a fairly comfortable afternoon for Rangers once they shrugged off the anxiousness against a Hearts side which had plenty of possession but was totally toothless.
Rangers can win the title now with a win at Easter Road regardless of results elsewhere, unfortunately for them their will only be 800 Gers fans there to see it as the old East Terrace has been demolished for redevelopment.
As for Hearts their problems are the same as they were at the start of the season, they have nothing up front.
Rangers: McGregor, Weir, Papac, Whittaker, Bougherra, McCulloch, Davis, Thomson, Boyd (Novo 78), Miller, Lafferty (Naismith 69)
Hearts: MacDonald, Wallace,
Obua, Bouzid, Zaliukas,
Jonsson, Palazuelos, Santana (Templeton 82),
Black,
Kingston (Stewart 74),
Thomson (
Robinson 62)
Goals: Rangers: Lafferty (54), Miller pen (84)