Nine-man Rangers let slip their 100 percent Premiership start as Josh Campbell fired home an injury time equaliser to cap off another Easter Road thriller.
Two weeks on from snatching a last-minute equaliser against Hearts, Lee Johnson’s men were at it again as they twice fought back from behind to claim a point. Referee Willie Collum played a starring role on a day of controversial drama as he first awarded Gers a highly-controversial penalty that was tucked away by James Tavernier.
Hibs briefly drew level with a Martin Boyle goal before Rangers stormed back in front with a superb Tom Lawrence header. But an implosion in discipline cost Rangers dear as first John Lundstram got his marching orders after another debatable Collum decision. The ref had no choice but to dismiss Alfredo Morelos, though, after the Colombian swung an arm at Marijan Cabraja. That left Rangers two men down with quarter of an hour left and they couldn’t hang on as Campbell rifled home another late, late cracker to claim a share of the spoils.
It’s been a stuttering start for the Easter Road side after crashing out of the Premier Sports Cup and last week’s defeat to Livingston sandwiching a win over St Johnstone and their last-gasp leveller in the derby with Hearts. Johnson was after a better display than their “naive” Almondvale show so recalled Rocky Bushiri, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Josh Campbell and Boyle.
Gers had Eindhoven on their mind but kept changes to a minimum after Tuesday’s first-leg 2-2 draw as Ryan Jack and Rabbi Matondo came in for Steven Davis and Malik Tillman. Without their veteran midfield general and the mercurial ingenuity of Tillman, however, Rangers looked short on attacking inspiration despite being offered plenty of space to play into by a Hibs defence employing a brave high line.
The hosts pressing trap should have posed greater problems for van Bronckhorst’s team when Joe Newell robbed Ryan Jack early on but the midfielder failed to pick out Elie Youan’s run as a big opening disappeared. Ryan Kent sent Rangers’ first meaningful attack in motion as he released Borna Barisic racing down the left but the Croatian’s cross floated just a fraction too high for compatriot Antonio Colak to get proper contact on it with his head.
Hibs felt they should have had a penalty when Tavernier grappled with Bishiri in the box but Collum waved away the appeals. The Hibs support would soon have more to say about the official. Then came a surprise double switch from Johnson just 27 minutes in as he hooked Ewen Henderson and Paul Hanlon, replacing them with Cabraya and Christian Doidge as switched from the back three he’d started with to a four-man defence.
Henderson had already taken a booking for giving Barisic a whack but Hanlon appeared to be moving well before being subbed off. If it was tactical, the change didn’t do much to change the flow of the game. James Tavernier came close to clipping a shot just beyond David Marshall’s back post. But just as the Hibs keeper thought he was going to get through the first half untroubled, then came the first big flashpoint on the stroke of half-time.
Ryan Porteous' backpass looked to be heading safely back to Marshall when Collum spotted a Bushiri tug on Colak. The Hibs defender had his arms round the Rangers striker but there was no chance he’d have reached the ball. The decision to award the spot-kick infuriated Easter Road but Tavernier refused to be put off as he stroked Rangers into the interval lead with his third goal of the season.
But the mood amongst the home support was soon cheered just six minutes into the second half as Campbell skipped past Matondo’s limp challenge as he sent Yoaun into the box, with the Frenchman’s ball across home forced home by Boyle.
The game was all-square for just seven minutes though as Rangers created their first move of real purpose all game. Jack’s ball to Kent on the left put Hibs on the back foot but there was no time for Johnson’s team to organise as Barisic took over, whipping in a perfect delivery for the on-rushing Lawrence to bullet home with his head.
If Rangers thought it would be plain sailing from then on, they had another think coming. First Collum had another major say on events. Lundstram was undoubtedly cynical as he tripped Boyle’s heel from behind with a lunging motion but it wasn’t a dangerous tackle and certainly didn’t merit the straight red the whistler instantly produced.
But substitute Morelos could have no complaints with the ref’s call to also send him packing 10 minutes later after swinging an arm into the face of Cabraya. It set up a tense final 15 minutes of what was effectively attack versus defence.
Jon McLaughlin did well to hold onto Lewis Miller’s header at the back post as the Cabbage piled bodies into the box. Bishiri hooked wide before Doidge saw another header slip wide. But just as Rangers thought they were going to get out of jail, Doidge got his head to a big knockdown which sat up perfectly for Campbell to lash home the sweetest of equalisers two minutes deep into stoppage time to rescue his side a point.
Here's three talking points from an incident-packed afternoon:
Last-gasp Leith
The Hibs fans should know by now not to bother leaving Easter Road early. Martin Boyle’s last-minute equaliser here two weeks ago secured a dramatic draw in the derby against Hearts.
It appeared they were going to be foiled in their bid to make a repeat of that late push as Jon McLaughlin pulled off save after save. But with spaces opening up all around the Rangers box it was only matter of time before someone in a green jersey got a clean hit and the ball and so it proved as the ball fell to Josh Campbell outside the box. There was still plenty to do but fair play to the Hibs midfielder, he kept his head down and his foot true to blast home a sensational equaliser.
Why Willie?
We all know wee Willie Collum can’t help getting himself embroiled in the heat of the action but only the ref will be able to explain away his shocking decision making here. His decision to award Rangers a first-half penalty was bizarre enough on its own.
OK Rocky Bashiri had hands all over Antonio Colak as Ryan Porteous sent the ball back to David Marshall but the striker was never getting to the ball, so the decision to award the penalty looked unreasonably harsh on Hibs. But Collum evened up the scores with his mistakes by then flashing a straight red at John Lundstram in what was another over-the-top reaction.
Cynical yes as the Gers midfielder stretched out a toe to trip Martin Boyle as he led a breakaway for the hosts but there was no threat to the Australia ace’s safety and a yellow would have done.
Red Alf returns
Alfredo Morelos, though, only has himself to blame for the sending-off he received after catching Cabraja with a swinging arm in what was a return to the dark days of indiscipline from the Colombian.
Today’s Easter Road dismissal was the eighth time the striker has seen red in his Rangers career but the first since he was sent for an early bath against Celtic in December 2019.
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