Bench Warfare

Hearts 2-2 Rangers Niemi Flogel Pressley Webster Mahe Juanjo Simmons Severin Fulton Kirk McKenna Klos Ross Konterman Vidmar Kanchelskis Ricksen Latapy Hughes Numan de Boer Flo Subs: Adam for Severin 79, McSwegan for Kirk 70, Not used: McKenzie, Boyack, McCann.

Booked: Flogel 62, Mahe 81.

Referee: H Dallas.

Subs: Dodds for Latapy 83, Lovenkrands for de Boer 73.

Not used: Christiansen, Caniggia, Pentilla.

Booked: Hughes 83.

Attendance: 14,014.

WHEN a Hearts supporter thumped on the perspex of Dick Advocaat's dug-out last night, the Rangers manager angrily leapt out to demand action from the police. Two officers calmed the situation and the episode ended with Advocaat shaking the fan's hand. Rangers will tomorrow learn whether they must travel to Dagestan to play Anzhi Makhach-kala, but an hour's drive along the M8 was all it took to plunge them into hostile territory last night.

Rangers have rarely needed to travel as far as southern Russia to find a battleground. Last season, three of their players - Arthur Numan, Claudio Reyna and Barry Ferguson - were sent-off in matches at Tynecastle, while Steven Pressley and Colin Cameron received red cards playing for Hearts against them. It is a fixture which is often decided against a violent backdrop and, again, there was more ferocity than finesse last night. Stephane Mahe - up against Rangers and Hugh Dallas again - saw yellow, rather than red.

Without Ferguson, Reyna and Christian Nerlinger, Rangers lacked composure. "We lacked the control to take the game slowly and pass the ball to each other," said Ronald de Boer. "I can't remember us keeping the ball for six or seven passes." After it was given away in the closing minutes - Stephen Hughes tried a back heel that didn't come off - Hearts began the move from which Stephen Simmons, 19, skillfully secured a point.

It is two years since Hearts have beaten Rangers at Tynecastle, and some of their defeats had been punishing, but it took only eight minutes of play for them to breach Advocaat's back three. Rangers were under pressure after De Boer gave away possession near the touchline and Hearts won a throw-in. Mahe helped the ball on, but Numan intercepted and tried a poorly-judged headed back pass. Andy Kirk pounced and Bert Konterman's clearance broke for Kevin McKenna. After a challenge from Tony Vidmar, the Canadian buried a low, left- foot shot under Stefan Klos at the second attempt.

McKenna is moving in the opposite direction to Celtic's Chris Sutton. While the Englishman withdraws to centre-half under Martin O'Neill, McKenna was signed as a defender, but currently operates as a forward. He formed a youthful, mobile partnership with Kirk which unsettled Vidmar, Konterman, and, to a lesser extent, Maurice Ross.

Hearts were playing at home for the first time since Cameron was sold to Wolves. There was no evidence of a protest from supporters, however displeased they were by the sale. Craig Levein replaced Cameron's dynamism with Scott Severin and Simmons, and in Andy Webster there was another young Scot in defence. After a week in which the need for talented Scottish coaches was made painfully apparent, it is intriguing to study Levein's progress at Hearts. Apart from the opening-day hiccup against Livingston they have lost league matches only to Rangers and Celtic since January.

Russell Latapy had Rangers level before quarter-of-an-hour had elapsed. Numan started the match energetically and his bursting run to the touchline and low cross found the midfielder in position to strike a delicate but accurate shot which curled towards the inside of the post and rippled the net behind Antti Niemi.

Rangers had nine players injured and Neil McCann suspended. Latapy was in central midfield ahead of Fernando Ricksen and Hughes, with Andrei Kanchelskis making a rare start at right wing-back. De Boer had two first half chances which he fired low at Niemi - the second after a skillful turn away from Steve Fulton - but Hearts were aggrieved to be trailing at half time.

Webster threaded a low shot through a crowded penalty area after a Fulton corner, but Klos easily saved. The goalkeeper had to offer a more vivid display of his abilities when Juanjo cut in from the left to unleash a fizzing 25-yard drive which he pushed over the crossbar with a one-handed save.

Hearts justifiably claimed a penalty, too, when a weaving Simmons run ended after Konterman clipped his ankle just inside the area. Simmons stumbled on rather than tumble for the penalty. A certain John Robertson, who strolled on to the field to take the fans' applause at half time, might have responded differently.

Rangers began the second half brightly, with a dipping volley from Hughes which flew just over the bar. They went ahead in the 58th minute when Kanchelskis played a low pass to Latapy, who knocked a wonderful short through ball into Tore Andre Flo's path. Niemi raced out to block and got a hand to the forward's low, angled shot. The ball also took a deflection off Pressley but, agonisingly for Hearts, it had the pace to roll into the net off the foot of the post.

For Hearts, though, there was a double satisfaction to be drawn from the final goal of the match. It earned Levein's team a point, and was scored with aplomb by Simmons. Hughes' back heel gave it away and when Rangers conceded a free-kick, Fulton played it short to Gary McSwegan at the edge of the Rangers area and his lay-off allowed Simmons, who had not been closed down by a defender, to clip a shot - similar to the opener Latapy had scored - which curled into the top right corner of Klos' net.

"One moment of sleeping from a midfielder opened up a space and like a shot it was 2-2." Advocaat had not expected Hearts to find an equaliser before Hughes' carelessness. The manager said punishment would be administered privately. Hughes, then, may be sent to Dagestan even if Rangers aren't.

l Rangers in Europe, page 10

Copyright 2001
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