They arrived braced for chaos and mayhem but by the time Rangers strutted out of the crazed Leith cauldron, this was a team that finally looked at peace with themselves.
With a brewing civil war at home, a date with Lee Johnson’s men was perhaps the last thing Michael Beale’s side needed. But as it turns out, seldom has a trip to Easter Road been so sedate for an Ibrox line-up. "Time for change” was the message from the disgruntled punters last Saturday as they turned their ire on the board following their Viaplay Cup Final failure.
Well, this was certainly a different look for Beale’s team as the manager marked 100 days in the job. Slick, assured and, eventually, ruthless, it was easily the best showing of the Londoner’s reign, surpassing the dominant display versus Hearts on their last visit to the capital. It was a night that promised high emotion as the home faithful were given their chance to pay tribute to Ron Gordon.
The travelling support let their side down with another disgraceful rendition of their illicit songbook. But on the pitch Rangers had an answer to everything Hibs asked of them as they shook off the shock of trailing to an early Connor Goldson own goal. James Tavernier’s latest penalty drew the Light Blues level before Antonio Colak – the man who had warned of the expected bedlam – proved he was the calmest man in Edinburgh with two classy finishes either side of a Fashion Sakala strike.
For the first 45 minutes, at least, this was a spectacle you just couldn’t take your eyes off. But it’s one Hibs won’t want to watch back in a hurry. Johnson deserves huge praise for turning around his side after their capital derby humiliation. This was a return to the dark days, though, that had left the Englishman on the brink of losing his job before their stunning El Sackico rout sparked a five-game unbeaten run.
On a freezing night, the haunting strains of Sunshine on Leith ringing around the stadium provided a moment of warmth for Gordon’s family a fortnight on from the Hibs chairman’s untimely passing. The 68-year-old’s devastated loved ones had requested the Easter Road faithful sing the anthem out loud and proud, providing a spectacle he had long hoped to witness live but tragically never got the chance before his time on this earth was ended far too soon.
Sadly, shamefully, the travelling Ibrox faithful chose to repeat their vile Hampden antics, ignoring their manager’s plea respect and decency be shown. Hibs did their bit to hush those compassionless chants, blasting out the traps like a team clearly supercharged on emotion. And it took just nine minutes for the volume levels reached by that pre-match tribute to be surpassed as the home side grabbed the opener.
Todd Cantwell’s trip on Elie Youan provided Ewan Henderson with the chance to dump a deep free-kick to Matthew Hoppe at the back post, with the American’s hopeful ball into the six-yard tempting Goldson into a swipe that ended up in his own net. If the recent history of this fixture has proved anything, it’s that there’s always drama.
And we only had to wait 60 seconds for the next plot twist. Don Robertson didn’t seem convinced by Rangers’ penalty claims as Ryan Kent went at the feet of CJ Egan-Riley but a trip to the VAR screen was all the persuasion the ref needed before pointing to the spot.
Tavernier aimed at the same corner as he had in Saturday’s win over Kilmarnock, with the result no different as the skipper fired Rangers level. Buoyed by that equaliser, their confidence levels surged as the midfield combo of Cantwell, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack took command.
With their smart exchanges, it was if they could carve through the Hibs defence any time they wanted. But the mounting number of missed chances would have worried Beale as Kent passed up a trio of big openings before David Marshall pulled off a heroic one-handed stop to deny Borna Barisic from point blank.
However, Hibs’ luck could only last so long and Rangers eventually stormed ahead 11 minutes before the break. Raiding down the left for the umpteenth time, Sakala delivered a pin-point low cross that Colak only had to glance home with his right foot to beat Marshall.
Youan was the Easter Road side’s man of the moment with five goals in his last five. But the Frenchman blew the chance to provide Hibs with their own immediate response, allowing Allan McGregor to claw away his attempted lob.
Rangers were ahead at the break but knew the margin was much smaller than it should have been. It was a complaint they would soon rectify as Hibs continued to play with their back door lying gaping. Will Fish took a Colak effort to the dish as another cross was allowed to come in unopposed.
But it was Marshall who served up Rangers with their third seven minutes after the change of ends, firing a misplaced pass at Jack. The midfielder was left with the simplest of tasks to slot in Sakala, who for once kept his composure as he fired home.
Number four came just before the hour as Johnson’s team yet again failed to do the basics.
Tavernier was allowed to take down a deep Barisic ball as Rangers popped it around like it was a training ground match, with Colak again picking his corner from a Sakala assist.
An offside flag may have denied the Light Blues a fifth as the Zambian slammed home from a Tavernier cross. Even so, that was enough for the home support who began flooding home in their droves.
Beale rang the changes with 15 minutes left, throwing on all five subs in one go. They were keen to get involved in the scoring but order had already been restored to the chaos.
