Hopes of overcoming Celtic for the SPL championship took a turn for the worse as the Rangers played draw to Hearts to a 2-2 draw at Ibrox. With Madjid Bougherra and Kirk Broadfoot both out due to injury there was concern for the Rangers midfield and Walter Smith choose to keep enterprising young John Fleck out of the starting eleven.The Gers started fast with Steven Whittaker sending an early prospect but only nine minutes after the whistle Kyle Lafferty accepted DaMarcus Beasley' provision before pounding the ball in. Efforts came and went but just past the half hour the goal scorer was stretchered off with a injury to his right foot. Just before the break Pedro Mendes dispatched the ball to Barry Ferguson who sent the ball through a maze of players in. At the restart Hearts switched from a 4-5-1 to a 4-5-2 bringing in up and comer Calum Elliot at striker. Just past the hour those changes paid off for Hearts as former Benfica man Bruno Aguiar sent in a corner that Christos Karipidis sent in. Reeling from the goal, the Rangers were exposed in the counter two minutes later with a long pass from David Obua finding Calum Elliot to headed the ball back to Rubén Palazuelos, who subsequently finished from fifteen metres. Following the goal the Rangers were able to offer little in the hope that they fight find the winner and the match concluded with a cascade of jeers from a less than faithful crowd at Ibrox.
While I respect the hopes of fans for a championship, this is not the time to be sending the Gers off to a chorus of jeers and whistles. Solidarity and support are what is needed, particularly as the club goes through a very difficult series of financially based decisions this off-season.
Photo Credit: Rangers
