following today's goalless draw at Easter Road this
afternoon, the game ending in drama with the
ordering-off of goalkeeper Allan McGregor in the dying
minutes.
Manager Walter Smith made two changes from Hampden
with Kirk Broadfoot and Steven Naismith replacing the
injured Steven Whittaker and Jean-Claude Darcheville
for the noon kick-off. New signings Neil Alexander and
Christian Dailly both took their places on the
substitute's bench.
There was a pitiful home support for what was a
crucial game for the Leith side, with precious little
else to play for this season.
Rangers had a strong penalty claim in the opening
minutes when Steven Naismith was felled by Kevin
McCann, but Referee Craig Thomson waved play on.
The Light Blues were making all the early running, and
Barry Ferguson was denied in thirteen minutes when his
low shot from Chris Burke's cutback produced a fine
one-handed save from home goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay
Six minutes later Lee McCulloch's flick from a Sasa
Papac cross was just over.
Another Papac cross in 35 minutes found McCulloch at
the far post, his diving header flashing across the
face of goal.
Four minutes later Hibs finally found themselves in
the opposition penalty area when Merouane Zemmama's
cross found Steven Fletcher at the back post, his
header down to Dean Shiels producing a shot that was
deflected wide, then from the resultant John Rankin
corner Fletcher's header was cleared off the line by
Naismith.
A poor first half ended goalless, but McCulloch almost
broke the deadlock in 48 minutes when another diving
header from a Ferguson cross produced a spectacular
save from Ma-Kalambay.
Three minutes later Charlie Adam broke forward only to
be denied by the home 'keeper.
Hibernian were far from out of it however - Fletcher's
twenty-yard drive from Brian Kerr's lay-off being
turned wide by McGregor in 57 minutes, then sixty
seconds later Zemmama saw a twenty-yard drive blocked
before seizing on the rebound only to see his second
effort parried by McGregor.
The game's first real moment of controversy arrived in
62 minutes when a clear handball from Zemmama was
ignored by the referee, allowing the little forward to
cross for Fletcher who rounded McGregor only to see
his shot headed off the line by Papac.
Adam last season scored four times from free-kicks at
Easter Road, but six minutes later he was denied when
his wide-angled twenty-yard free-kick was turned wide
by Ma-Kalambay.
It was end-to-end action as the clock ticked on, Dean
Shiels seeing his volley from McCann's cross flash
just over in 72 minutes.
Twelve minutes later John Rankin, through from a
McCann pass, was denied by a full-stretch McGregor.
The 'Gers goalkeeper would however be involved in the
most controversial incident of the tie when Shiels
raced through on a Brian Kerr pass. McGregor appeared
to win the ball as he raced out only to receive a red
card from Craig Thomson.
Neil Alexander thus made an unexpected debut,
replacing Brahim Hemdani thanks to an inexcusable
error from 4th official Crawford Allan when the
intended player to come off should have been Chris
Burke.
Rangers nevertheless lived to fight another day.
HIBERNIAN Ma-Kalambay; McCann, Hogg, Jones, Hanlon;
Kerr, Shiels, Murray, Rankin; Zemmama (O'Brien 73),
Fletcher (Donaldson 90)
UNUSED SUBS McNeil, Chisholm, Gatheussi
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Cuellar, Weir, Papac;
Burke, Ferguson, Hemdani (Alexander 87), Adam (Boyd
75); McCulloch, Naismith (Darcheville 64)
UNUSED SUBS Dailly, Fleck
REFEREE Craig Thomson