Hibs 2 Rangers 4

"Well, we certainly give you goals in our live BBC matches" Or words to that effect, the commentater in the TV proclaimed. No buddy, you're wrong. It's US that give you goals, Hibs. We just can't keep the ball out of the net.

Smith clears the danger

BW made wholesale changes to his side following that game at Tynecastle last week. Out went Caig, Townsley, Orman, Dempsie, O'Connor and Wiss, and in came Colgan, Daquin, McManus, Fenwick, Doumbe, and Brebner. It's the kind of thing fans talk about after a match - making so many changes, but Bobby had the guts to do it - and I applaud him for it.

It didn't take Rangers long to take the lead however. Lovknrands raced down the left wing he hit the bye line and pulled the ball back for Ronald de Boer - singer Chris' cousin(!) - who was totally unmarked on the 6 yard line, and he slotted the ball past the recalled Colgan. The visitors pressed for a second and looked like they got it soon after when Averladze headed home a deep cross, but he was wrongly ruled offside.

Derek Townsley was an early substitute, on for Freddy Arpinon, and in 35 minutes, big Deek had equalised with our first shot on goal! A cross came in, the Gers defence couldn't clear, and it fell to Paco Luna. The former Dundee man couldn't control the ball however, but it fell to Townsley, who killed the ball with his right, and stoked it into the net with his left. It was a well taken goal, but one we didn't really deserve. But so what, after last week, I'll take all I can get!

Hibs looked a better side for getting back on level terms, and finally matched

Doumbe makes his presence felt on Arteta

Rangers in midfield, and all over the park for that matter. But this would not see us level into the break, as Rangers got a penatly right on half time when Doumbe was adjudged to have pulled at Lovenkrands jersey. It looked a bit soft to me, but Brother Dallas was pointing to the spot before Lovenkrands hit the deck. Barry Ferguson aka a Bluenose Paul McStay put Colgan the wrong way and it was 2-1 at half time.

The second half was pretty even until 64 minutes when Lovenkrands got in front on Doumbe to smash the ball high into the net to kill the match off. Two minutes later Luna looked to have gotten us back into the game when his header looked to have crossed the line before Klos could grab it. Hibs joy turned to dispair as Dallas reckoned that Luna used his hand to guide the ball home, and sent the Spaniard off. Surely the fact that the Rangers defence were claiming it wasn't a goal wouldn't have affected his judgement, eh???

Luna's off - notice Klos is RIGHT BEHIND Dallas!

After this it looked like we could have been on for a repeat of last week as McLeish's men wasted chance after chance, and I thought we were gonna get away with just 3-1, but the further we pushed up the more suceptable we were to a break, and thats what happened with 4 minutes to go. Lovenkrands kept himself in his own half and raced after a long ball. He zeroed in on goal with Doumbe and go in his wake and hit a low shot into the far corner of Colgan's goal.

Now I really did think we were going to get hit for more, but 2 minutes later, we got a goal back. Sub Garry O'Connor got on the end of one of our few corners and hooked the ball into the back of the net to make it 4-2. I can't remember who took the corner, but Garry virtually had his back to goal, and it was a good finish for his first goal of the season.

So the final whistle blew and once again we lost, but at least we looked up for the fight at times in this game, something we most certainly didn't last week.  But don't let the scoreline fool you, it could and should have been a lot worse.



Hibees-Mad Man of the Match: Once more Ian Murray shone through, showing maturity beyond his years for another fine performance.