Hibs 2 Rangers 2

It certainly wasn’t your typical end-of-season affair at Easter Road this afternoon as Hibs and Rangers served up a four-goal thriller.

Despite both teams knowing their fate already and there been little more than pride at stake, each side gave their all in an entertaining and breathless contest.

Rangers struck early through Cyriel Dessers only for Kieron Bowie to level before the break for the Hibees.

Nicolas Raskin restored Rangers lead early in the second half however this Hibs side is full of resilience and character, and we roared back once more to level through Martin Boyle.

Even into the latter stages, neither side settled for a draw, and both pushed hard in search of a winner.  Each had opportunities to snatch it however a share of the spoils was perhaps the fairest outcome.

David Gray made four changes to his side following our midweek draw away to St Mirren; out went Lewis Miller, Dylan Levitt, Jordan Obita and Mykola Kuharevich to be replaced by Alasana Manneh, Warren O’Hora, Nicky Cadden and Bowie.

We were slow out of the traps and Rangers took full advantage by making an early breakthrough as Raskin cut out a pass from Jordan Smith and played in Dessers, who smashed an unstoppable shot-on-the-turn past the stranded Hibs keeper.

It was the striker’s 18^th league goal of the campaign, and he had a big opportunity to add to it in the moments that followed when he again found himself unmarked in our box. This time, he delayed too long on the ball and that allowed Jack Iredale to clear the danger.

Slowly we began to exert some influence at the other end of the park, and it took a terrific sliding block from John Souttar to divert a powerful Martin Boyle shot away from goal after we had countered down the left.

Leon Balogun appeared to pick up a muscle injury as he tracked back towards his goal and was replaced by Robin Propper as the visitors suffered an early blow.

The breathless opening to the match continued unabated as Junior Hoilett then forced Jack Butland into a save with a rising effort from the edge of the box.

Rangers however were finding gaps in our backline with far too much ease and on 14 minutes Vaclav Cerny was put clean through only goal only to be denied by the legs of Smith, as the goalkeeper prevented us falling further behind.

On the 16^th minute a contentious moment as Rangers thought they had doubled their lead only for us to race up the park and equalise.

It all started when Mohamed Diamonde put Niclas Raskin through on goal; he knocked it past Smith before trying to out-muscle Rocky Bushiri on the goalline.

The defender did just enough to divert the ball away and we countered down the left before Bowie swept home from a Boyle cut back.

As the Hibs players celebrated, their Rangers counterparts protested the Raskin effort had crossed the line at the other end.

A lengthy VAR review followed however Andrew Dallas was unable to conclusively show the ball had crossed the line and our goal stood.

It was Bowie’s first goal from a starting berth and Boyle 30^th goal involvement of the campaign.

The noise inside the stadium was incredible as a supposed dead-rubber was played with all the passion and end-to-end drama of a Scottish Cup final.

The impressive Boyle then came within a whisker of giving us the lead as he flashed a first-time volley just wide of goal past the stranded Butland.

At the other end it took a stunning fingertip save from Smith to deny a wonderful James Tavernier freekick from finding the top-left corner of our net. The Rangers captain then flashing a shot across goal and just wide of the far post only moments later.

Rangers continued to find gaps in our defence with Smith again called into action to keep out a rising Cerny effort as the first half ended all-square.

Neither side made any changes during the break as Rangers once more started on the front foot with Rocky forced to block a Cerny shot at his near post inside the opening minute.

The visitors would take the lead from a corner kick on 50 minutes when Raskin glanced on a Tavernier delivery at the front post.

On 64 minutes Boyle brought down a deep Chris Cadden cross brilliantly before flashing a rising effort from 18 yards just over Butland’s crossbar as we sought a second equalising goal.

Boss Gray made a triple change moments later with Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Josh Campbell and Dwight Gayle replacing Manneh, Hoilett and Bowie respectively.

Smith in goal had pulled off some big saves today and he was forced into another when Danilo met Neraysho Kasanwirjo's cross first time on the volley and the goalkeeper instinctively made an impressive save diving to his left to kept it out.

Play then swung once more to the other end with Nicky Cadden picking out brother Chris as the back post only for his first time volley to flash across the face of goal and just wide.

Two minutes later we were level. Nicky Cadden picked up good space on the left and from his magnificent cross Butland and Propper were caught under the ball, allowing Boyle to bullet a header home.

The Australian internationalist may be an unlikely target man however he made no mistake with his finish to net his 99^thgoal for the Club and his 20^th of the campaign.

Rangers attempted to respond once more with Smith called into action to keep out a Dessers header.

Into the final ten minutes and Rangers had another big chance when Danilo set up Oscar Cootes only for the substitute to slice his shot wide of goal.

As the match entered the final minute of regulation time, it took as last gasp stop from Smith to thwart Dessers before Iredale just managed to hook it clear.

Both teams would have the opportunity to snatch victory in time added. First, Dwight Gayle put Boyle through on goal only for a heavy touch to allow Butland to save before Danilo fired wide from point-blank range at the other end from a Dessers cut back.

A terrific, entertaining game of football to end a terrific season for the Hibees.