Hibs fought back from a goal down to secure a valuable point against Rangers at Ibrox this afternoon.
Neil Lennon made five changes to the starting XI that drew with Livingston last weekend.
Mark Milligan, Ryan Porteous, Oli Shaw, Sean Mackie and Lewis Allan were replaced by Florian Kamberi, Jamie Maclaren, Lewis Stevenson, Paul Hanlon and Stevie Mallan.
Hibs started brightly and Emerson Hyndman went close with a suerb diving header from Martin Boyle’s cross.
At the other end Adam Bogdan did well to save a Connor Goldson header from a dangerous James Tavernier free-kick.
The hosts took the lead in the 24th minute after a mistake by Darren McGregor which allowed the on-form Alfredo Morelos, a clear shot on goal which he tucked into the bottom corner of the net.
Hibs fought back and only a fine double-save from Allan McGregor denied Boyle and Kamberi.
Just before the break Lewis Stevenson was forced to leave the field with an injury.
He was replaced by Sean Mackie who slotted into the left back spot. Just after the restart, Mackie cut the ball back to Kamberi, whose powerful shot flew just inches over McGregor’s bar. Daryl Horgan replaced Hyndman in midfield as Hibs pressed for an equaliser then Andy Halliday went close with a powerful volley which Bogdan tipped over the bar. Club captain David Gray replaced Jamie MacLaren in the 70th minute with Boyle moving from the right wing to centre forward.
Hibs continued to look dangerous on the attack and eventually grabbed a deserved equaliser when former Rangers’ defender McGregor headed home from a Mackie cross, sparking wild scenes amongst the travelling support.
Rangers were awarded a free kick in the dying seconds but James Tavernier overhit it and the ball went over the byeline.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson (Katic 60’), Worrall, Halliday, Jack, McCrorie, Coulibaly (Rossiter 85′), Candeias, Middleton (Lafferty 85′), Morelos. Substitutes not used: Foderingham, Wallace, Flanagan, Dallas.
Hibs: Bogdan, Ambrose, McGregor, Hanlon, Boyle, Hyndman (Horgan 65’), Slivka, Mallan, Stevenson (Mackie 44’), Maclaren (Gray 70’), Kamberi. Substitutes not used: Dabrowski, Whittaker, Shaw, Gullan. Referee: Andrew Dallas. Attendance: 49,885.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
