AFP/Glasgow


Fallen Scottish giants Rangers made light of captain Lee McCulloch’s red card before half-time to inflict only the second defeat of the season on champions Hearts yesterday with a fine 2-1 victory and move up to second in the second tier Championship table.
The win means Rangers are three points clear, and a game in hand, of Hibernian in the race for second spot while Hearts, who have a 23 point lead at the top, remain on course for a record points tally for the Championship.
“It was a great day’s work for us against a top class Hearts side,” Rangers manager Stuart McCall said.
“In the first half there was some good football with two really good goals and there was terrific spirit in the end after going down to ten men.”
Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson said his side didn’t do enough to win.
“In the first half we let them press us and we played into areas that allowed them to do that,” Neilson said.
“It wasn’t until we went two up front that we started causing them problems, but we didn’t do enough to get a result.”
Rangers took a deserved lead in the 28th minute through veteran striker Kenny Miller before on-loan Newcastle United playmaker Haris Vuckic curled in a second ten minutes later.
McCulloch did not lead by example as he saw red for leading with his elbow in a challenge with Osman Sow on the brink of half-time, but the ten men held on until the 83rd minute when Genero Zeefuik pulled one back for Hearts to pile the pressure on in the final stages.
Rangers formed a guard of honour for Hearts, beaten just once as they cantered to the Championship title, as they emerged at Ibrox, but that was to be the last sign of respect for the champions as the hosts snapped and snarled into every challenge.   
Law was first to test Neil Alexander in goal as he sent a thumping shot straight at the Hearts ‘keeper from an early free-kick. Rangers were playing at a furious tempo and it was Miller who opened the scoring for the Ibrox club with a well-worked goal in the 28th minute.
Law raced forward and laid the ball off to the overlapping Lee Wallace whose cross was expertly swept home by the Scottish striker from 10 yards out.
The home side extended their lead in the 38th minute through a superb strike from Vuckic.
The Slovenian striker collected a pass from Dean Shiels before dropping his shoulder and taking a step away from his marker to curl a shot inside the far post from the edge of the box.
Despite McCulloch’s shameful exit, the home side should have extended their lead in the 58th minute when Law burst forward and swung a cross in for Nicky Clark who, with time and space, fired a weak first-time effort straight at Alexander.
Hearts pulled one back in the 83rd minute through Zeefuik.
Sow’s header was saved by Bell but Zeefuik was on hand to tap in the rebound from a couple of yards out.