Hibs have turned a corner (flag) but old Rangers failings reappear as Celtic win rendered moot

Six goals shared in riotous Easter Road encounter

It felt preordained that something significant involving a corner might happen after Hibs posted on social media about the installation of "new branded corner flags" on the morning of the match.

This announcement was met with a degree of amusement. One person imagined the seething response had the same message been published earlier in the season amid the team’s run of dire form. Boasting about a new set of corner flags might have been seen as unnecessarily triggering.

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Well, Hibs can publish whatever they like if they keep this up. With just seven minutes left of a wintry Easter Road classic Nicky Cadden whipped in a fine delivery while positioned by one of those nicely embroidered new corner flags. Rocky Bushiri, whose eventful performance summed up the lovably erratic defender, rose highest to head home a thrilling equaliser to make it 3-3 and place fresh scrutiny on Rangers manager Philippe Clement. It’s just a pity the injured Elie Youan wasn’t around to perform his trademark jig with a corner flagpole - now adorned with branding courtesy of the Hibernian Supporters' Association.

Rangers' hat-trick hero Hamza Igamane (right) and the scoring of Hibs' equaliser Rocky Bushiri during the 3-3 draw at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Rangers' hat-trick hero Hamza Igamane (right) and the scoring of Hibs' equaliser Rocky Bushiri during the 3-3 draw at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Rangers' hat-trick hero Hamza Igamane (right) and the scoring of Hibs' equaliser Rocky Bushiri during the 3-3 draw at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

There was still time left for this riotous game to lurch either way, with Bushiri remaining at the heart of things. The brilliant young Rangers forward Hamza Igamane, who had completed a perfect hat-trick some 15 minutes earlier, nabbed the ball from the dithering Bushiri and was only prevented from notching his fourth goal of the afternoon by Jordan Smith’s far post.

It was the first time the Moroccan forward’s unerring radar had let him down. Some snow clearly agrees with him although he’s been doing this whatever the conditions for many weeks now. The 22-year-old has now scored ten times in 11 games since the end of November. Clement would be in a very different place without him.

The Belgian remains firmly under pressure as it is. This is the seventh time in ten away league matches this season that Rangers have dropped points. The Ibrox side’s defensive frailties reappeared to render moot the so-called strides made against Celtic a few days earlier.

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‘Don’t ask me about squad rotation again!’ demanded Clement after that 3-0 win as he savoured his first Old Firm victory. He felt he had been vindicated. Maybe he had.

Hibs forward Martin Boyle scores a penalty to make it 2-2 against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Hibs forward Martin Boyle scores a penalty to make it 2-2 against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Hibs forward Martin Boyle scores a penalty to make it 2-2 against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

By naming the same side that swept Celtic aside Clement certainly wasn’t inviting any more questions about this policy, which many felt had been a major factor in the 2-2 draw with Motherwell last weekend. However, and it feels perverse to say it, perhaps Rangers could have done with some freshening up following the exertions against their rivals. Clement will point to his bench and argue very reasonably that there were few options. Rangers’ injury worries have only increased on another trying day for their faithful fans, who watched auxiliary centre-half Dujon Sterling limp off midway through the second half to be replaced by Leon King.

King was once trusted by Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the Champions League stage, but his star has dimmed in recent times. These were his first minutes of the season. It's probably not unconnected that he was the defender who lost Bushiri at the equaliser. Still, the dropping of further points was certainly not solely on King.

After a lightning start on a freezing early afternoon in Edinburgh, Rangers very quickly began to look weary and in danger of succumbing to the away day blues that have afflicted them on the road so often this season. Credit to Hibs, who looked down and out after 20 minutes.

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Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri heads home to salvage a 3-3 draw against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri heads home to salvage a 3-3 draw against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri heads home to salvage a 3-3 draw against Rangers at Easter Road. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group

By the hour mark, two strikers were on hat-tricks. It was no surprise that one of them was Igamane, whose prodigious run of form continued here with two fine finishes – one with his left, one with his head - to put Rangers two-up. But few would have imagined that Martin Boyle would have the scent of a second career hat-trick against Rangers in his nostrils given the unspectacular progress of his season amid injury and loss of form.

Boyle has, though, looked better in recent weeks. The forward certainly finished like a player whose confidence had returned when he brought Hibs back into it with a shot into the corner after a neat lay-off from…..yes, that man Bushiri.

Clement had looked as cool, calm and collected as a man in his 50s can look while wearing a baseball cap to shelter his bald head from the sleet. But now things were getting edgy and Rangers managed to do the opposite from seven days earlier against Motherwell by throwing away a two-goal lead.

Boyle’s explosive penalty - after Ianis Hagis had tangled with Josh Campbell when on the wrong side of the Hibs player - made it 2-2. Igamane completed a perfect hat-trick when hitting home right-footed after Vaclav Cerny’s cutback but still Rangers couldn’t hold on. New year, old failings as far as the Ibrox side are concerned. It's Dens Park, where their league title bid faltered last season, next.

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