Hibernian F.C. Match Report
Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Rangers 4 Hibernian 0
Saturday 28th January 2012
It was a miserable afternoon for Hibernian in Govan today as Scottish champions Rangers ran out convincing winners.
Despite a good first half showing from Hibs they trailed at half time after Steven Davis had burst clear of the defence and slotted beyond Mark Brown.
The Easter Road men had more than matched their hosts for much of the afternoon however the game would turn in the 55th minute as Hibs proved to be the architects of their own downfall.
David Healy scored perhaps the easiest goal of his career after the Hibs defence made a real mess of clearing a simple ball over the top.
Skipper James McPake had a debut to forget after picking up his second booking of the afternoon before Sone Aluko produced a fine finish from dead ball to score Rangers third.
In the dying seconds Davis scored his second of the afternoon to complete a torrid 90 minutes for the men in green.
Manager Pat Fenlon rang the changes this afternoon by making five changes from the side defeated by St Johnstone last weekend.
Debuts were handed to Tom Soares and McPake and they were joined in the starting XI by Eoin Doyle, Sean O'Hanlon and David Wotherspoon.
With top scorers Garry O'Connor and Leigh Griffiths suspended for today's trip to Govan, Doyle was up top on his own with Ivan Sproule and Soares attempting to provide support.
The first real opportunity of the game came in the 5th minute when the ball dropped to Aluko inside the Hibernian penalty area only for his goal bound effort to strike Davis and end wide of goal.
At the other end a terrific through ball from Soares put Doyle in on goal however the striker took too long to set himself for a shot and that allowed Kyle Bartley to make a timely block.
Aluko's movement was proving a real handful for the Hibs defence to deal with as the ex-Aberdeen winger took up a number of excellent attacking positions.
From one such move he showed terrific close control before laying the ball off to Maurice Edu who struck a powerful first time drive across the face of goal and wide.
It was from another Aluko lay-off that Rangers opened the scoring in the 27th minute when he slipped the ball through to Davis who raced in behind the Hibs defence and clinically finished beyond the advancing Brown.
The goal gave the home side the lift they needed and in the minutes that followed Hibs had to weather a storm of pressure as Aluko twice went close to increasing his side's lead.
The Edinburgh men weren't out of it by any stretch of the imagination and went close to levelling when Wotherspoon's cross flashed across the face of goal with Doyle desperately unlucky not to get a touch to put into the net.
The final act of the first half saw a Davis free kick from the edge of the penalty area drop just over the crossbar as Hibernian trailed at the interval despite a decent showing from the team in green.
Boss Fenlon changed the formation at the interval as his team went 4-4-2 at the start of the second half and that change almost paid off immediately.
Sproule pounced on a loose ball before breaking away down the left flank and his low cross was only just missed by Soares at back post.
On 54 minutes Rangers doubled their lead with the Hibs defence making a complete mess of clearing a simple ball over the top.
Defender O'Hanlon was woefully short with a header back to Brown who rushed from his goal but could only head the ball against Paul Hanlon gifting David Healy and open goal which he gratefully accepted.
Soon after the restart danger man Aluko's deflected effort crashed against the far post as the visitors struggled to pick themselves up.
Indeed it could've been worse as Hibs were very unlucky to survive a strong penalty appeal from Rangers after McPake fell on the ball and stopped Edu's shot with his hand.
The Hibernian debutant had been made captain for the day but it wasn't to be a happy experience for the on loan defender as he was red carded in the 71st minute for a second bookable offence following a challenge on Edu.
From the resulting free kick Aluko curled a magnificent finish into the top right hand corner of the net to compound the visitor's misery.
Youngster Sam Stanton was handed his senior debut late on and did well in the little time he had.
Rangers completed the scoring in time added on when Davis showed terrific control to evade Hanlon and slot the ball into the far corner of the Hibs' net.
Rangers: McGregor, Goian, Papac, Edu (McCulloch 73'), Davis, Wallace, Healy (Kerkar 78'), Bocanegra, Aluko, Bartley, Wylde (Celik 65').Substitutes not used: Alexander, Ortiz, Little, McCabe.
Hibernian: Brown, Hanlon, O'Hanlon (Scott 62), Wotherspoon, Doyle (Stephens 73'), Soares (Stanton 87'), McPake, Stevenson, Sproule, Francombe, Osbourne.Substitutes not used: Stack, Booth, Towell, Caldwell.
Referee: Charlie Richmond.
Attendance: 44,057.
Referee: Charlie Richmond.
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