Rangers were left to lament a contentious first-half moment as they ended a largely dispiriting William Hill Premiership campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Hibernian.
Second-placed Gers went ahead early on through top scorer Cyriel Dessers and felt they should have doubled their lead in the 15th minute when Nico Raskin looked to have forced the ball over the line. However, play was waved on and Hibs went straight up the park to equalise through Kieron Bowie.
Raskin did restore the visitors’ lead early in the second half but Martin Boyle hit back with his 99th goal for the third-placed Hibees to maintain their six-month unbeaten run on home soil.
The draw meant interim boss Barry Ferguson – expected to make way for a new manager this summer – has overseen just six wins from his 15 matches in charge since succeeding Philippe Clement in February.
Hibs boss David Gray made four changes to the side that secured third place on Wednesday with a 2-2 draw at St Mirren as Warren O’Hora, Alasana Manneh, Nicky Cadden and Bowie all came in. Veteran striker Dwight Gayle was named on the bench for the final match of his professional career.
There were two injury-enforced alterations to the Gers side that defeated Dundee United 3-1 in midweek as Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Danilo replaced Jefte and Hamza Igamane.
Following a minute’s applause in honour of the late former Hibs owner Tom Farmer, Rangers went ahead in the second minute. Home keeper Jordan Smith’s floated goal-kick was headed back into the danger area by Raskin and Dessers, who had advanced into the box untracked, controlled it on his chest with his back to goal and smashed home an emphatic low finish from 12 yards out.
Gers suffered a blow in the 10th minute when defender Leon Balogun went off injured and was replaced by Robin Propper but they almost doubled their lead shortly afterwards when Vaclav Cerny went clean through and was denied by the legs of keeper Jordan Smith.
Then followed a pivotal passage of play in the 15th minute where the visitors felt they should have been 2-0 up but instead found themselves level at 1-1.
After Raskin saw a shot partially saved by Smith, the Belgian thought he had forced the loose ball over the line before it was scrambled clear by Rocky Bushiri. Hibs immediately went up the park to score when Bowie shot home from a Boyle cut-back. There was a lengthy VAR check before Hibs’ goal was allowed to stand although subsequent pictures suggested Raskin’s effort had crossed the line.
The action-packed start evoked memories of the 5-5 draw between the sides on the final day of the 2017-18 season. However, there were to be no further goals before the break, with Boyle volleying wide from a good position inside the box before Rangers captain James Tavernier threatened with a couple of attempts from distance.
Raskin did get himself on the scoresheet five minutes into the second half, however, when he glanced home a header from Tavernier’s corner.
Smith made an excellent save to stop Danilo extending Gers’ lead in the 62nd minute, and once again the hosts fought back to equalise when Nicky Cadden’s magnificent cross from the left was headed home at the back post by top scorer Boyle, ensuring his side remain unbeaten at home since November 9.
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