Ten man Hibs suffered their heaviest Ibrox defeat in almost 25-years this afternoon after going down 6-1 to Rangers.
Paul Heckingbottom made two changes to the starting XI that beat St Mirren last weekend with Adam Jackson and Florian Kamberi making way for Darren McGregor and Christian Doidge.
Rangers started brightly and opened the scoring in the 9th minute when Sheyi Ojo’s strike was parried away by Ofir Marciano, only for Jermaine Defoe to fire in the rebound.
Six minute later Defoe added a second from close range after a low cross from Ojo.
The hosts looked to increase their lead but Marciano did well to keep the deficit at two.
Stevie Mallan almost pulled one back with a long range effort as Hibs tried to get back in the game then in the 40th minute a fantastic through ball from Scott Allan found Daryl Horgan who calmly finished past Allan McGregor, much to the delight of the small band of travelling fans.
Hibs finished the first half on top and emerged with confidence ready for the restart.
Joe Newell was replaced by Fraser Murray as Hibernian sought to get back into the game but hopes of taking something all but vanished when yougster Sean Mackie was shown a second yellow card for a deliberate handball in the 57th minute.
From then Rangers pressed forward and Marciano produced save after save to deny Defoe, Jordan Jones and Ojo.
Rangers secured the points with 16-minutes remaining when Steven Davis’ cross was met by Defoe at the back post who headed home for his hat-trick.
Just three minutes later Alfredo Morelos burst through on goal and fired the ball past the helpless Marciano.
Morelos grabbed his second and Rangers fifth in the 90th minute then Ojo made it 6-1 when his close range effort was deflected into the net.
Hibs now face Morton at Easter Road in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup next Saturday and Heckingbottom will be keen for his players to bounce back with on-loan winger Glenn Middleton available for selection.
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Katic, Flanagan (Halliday, 80), Davis, Jack, Aribo, Ojo, Defoe (Morelos, 75), Jones (Stewart, 75). Unused substitutes: Foderingham, Edmundson, Docherty, Arfield.
Hibernian: Marciano, Whittaker, McGregor, Hanlon, Mackie, Vela, Mallan, Horgan (Gray, 60), Allan (Kamberi, 67), Newell (Murray, 45), Doidge. Unused substitutes: Maxwell, Slivka, Jackson, Shaw.
Referee: John Beaton.
Attendance: 49,718.
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.
