2 days ago
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With his fist clenched in victory, Danny Rohl walked over to take the acclaim of the travelling Rangers supporters as his name echoed out into the skies above Easter Road.
Whilst it is still early in his tenure, the signs are undeniably positive under the club’s new German head coach as Rangers fought and scrapped their way to victory in Leith.
They took the lead after only five minutes when Danilo notched his second goal in as many games and that ultimately proved to be the difference between the teams.
It was Jack Butland, however, who emerged as the late hero, saving a Jamie McGrath penalty with little more than five minutes to play.
The Rangers keeper had blundered in allowing the concession of a goal in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock last Sunday, but this was a reminder of just how valuable he is to the Ibrox club.
His penalty save ultimately secured a hard-fought three points and ensured that Rangers kept their first clean sheet away from home in 25 matches.
Danny Rohl led his side to back-to-back victories with a 1-0 triumph over David Gray's Hibs
Danilo grabbed the only goal of the game after just five minutes at Easter Road
Hibs had a chance to equalise late on but Jack Butland saved Jamie McGrath's spot-kick
That sequence marked an unwanted club record, but Rohl has shown enough over the past couple of matches to suggest that brighter things lie ahead.
Rangers leapfrogged Hibs and moved up to third place in the table, sitting five points behind Celtic and 11 points behind leaders Hearts.
There is renewed hope and belief among supporters that they could yet salvage something from this season, despite the carnage of what unfolded under Russell Martin in the early part of the campaign.
Rangers have not lost a top-flight match at Easter Road since 2006, but against an in-form Hibs side, that record was always likely to be tested.
It was a test that Rohl and his players passed in what is a huge week in the club’s season as they now head into a Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Martin O’Neill and Celtic at Hampden on Sunday.
The skinny, gangly frame of Rohl cajoled his players all night on the touchline and it’s clear that he is already getting more of a tune out of this team than Martin ever did.
On the back of the win over Kilmarnock, Rohl could easily have opted for a rinse and repeat approach with his team selection as he looks to build some continuity.
But, whilst sticking with the new 3-4-2-1 system, he made five changes in total, perhaps wishing to add some freshness and get a good look at all those now under his command.
Rangers now go into their Hampden semi-final against Celtic in much better spirits after a torrid start to the season
Meanwhile, in the opposite dugout, David Gray made only one change to his Hibs team after the 2-1 victory away at Aberdeen at the weekend.
After a slightly sticky start to the season as they tried to balance European football with domestic commitments, Hibs had improved of late.
They had an early sight of goal when a sweeping pass from McGrath released Nicky Cadden down the left, but his shot was saved by Butland.
But there was a spring in the step of the Rangers players and a brightness which matched their garish new orange jerseys.
They took the lead after only five minutes when Chris Cadden gave the ball away cheaply for Hibs deep inside his own half.
Fresh from finally breaking his duck and scoring his first goal for the club in the win over Killie, Youssef Chermiti carried the ball forward and laid it off to Danilo on the edge of the box.
The Brazilian still had plenty to do, but he fired a terrific left-foot finish low past Raphael Sallinger, reversing it into the far corner past the Hibs keeper.
Almost immediately, Rohl’s name began to ring out in the away end as the travelling support sounded their approval at the impact the new manager was having.
Another Rangers chance came when Connor Barron pounced on Dan Barlaser to win possession, with Mikey Moore then having a shot tipped behind by Sallinger.
A much-maligned figure since arriving at the club, Nasser Djiga made an excellent recovery tackle on Hibs striker Thibault Klidje as he was bearing down on goal.
But Hibs were struggling to apply any sustained pressure on Rangers and the home side were forced into a change on 23 minutes when Chris Cadden was replaced by Miguel Chaiwa.
As was the case last weekend, the change of shape suited Rangers. There was more structure and balance to them, whilst also carrying plenty of threat going forward.
Yet, despite a positive display in the opening 45 minutes, Rohl made two further changes to his team at half-time, with James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama coming on for Jayden Meghoma and goalscorer Danilo.
There was a confidence to Rangers that had previously been missing for much of the season. But, trailing by only a single goal, Hibs were by no means out of it.
They had a huge chance to equalise early in the second half when Chaiwa smashed a ball across goal, only for Klidje to miss an absolute sitter.
The ball awkwardly hit the thigh of the Hibs striker when a connection with pretty much any other body part would have resulted in a goal, with the ball ultimately going wide.
New Celtic boss O’Neill may not care much for new-age stats and data, but Klidje’s chance had an XG of 0.9, meaning it was one of those that was almost harder to miss than score.
The score remained 1-0 to Rangers, with Hibs making a triple change and bringing on Martin Boyle, Junior Hoilett and Elie Youan to replace Kieron Bowie, Klidje and Barlaser.
Boyle has been a thorn in Rangers’ side over the years, none more so than the day he scored a Hampden hat-trick to secure victory in a League Cup semi-final between the teams in 2021.
Gray would have been hoping that the 32-year-old forward could recapture some of that magic to drag his team back into the match.
Hibs huffed and puffed without ever really asking any major questions of Butland. That was until Barron, who had been having a good game, clumsily brought down Hoilett for a penalty kick with only five minutes remaining.
McGrath stepped up and fired the ball low to Butland’s right, but the Rangers keeper got down to make the save, preserving his clean sheet and the three points.
That wasn’t the end of the drama, however, as Hibs spurned another glorious chance to equalise when substitute Josh Campbell planted a diving header wide of Butland’s post.
It was a nervy end to the night for Rangers. But as Rohl and the players were serenaded by the fans at full-time, how different the whole thing looked compared to a week ago in Brann.
