- 19/05/2025
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00:00Rangers' final game in a season to forget was at Easter Road this afternoon
00:04as Hibs fans celebrated their third place finish in the Leith sunshine.
00:11Games between these two will never ever be dead rubbers.
00:14That's what David Gray has said pre-match.
00:16Looking around, it's hard to disagree.
00:18He changes four from the 2-2 drop with St Mirren
00:21and gives the first start to January signing Alessandra Mane.
00:24Warren O'Hora, Nicky Cadden and Kieran Bowie are the other changes.
00:27Barry Ferguson swaps two, Norisha Kassanwiro is given a first start since October
00:32after returning from injury.
00:34Danilo comes in for just a seventh league start of the season.
00:40And there will be a minute's applause to remember Sir Tom Farmer,
00:44the former Hibs owner who passed away recently.
00:57Hibs playing it short from the goal kick, but that's straight to Nico Raskin.
01:02And this could be a chance for Cyril Dessers.
01:04Rangers hit the front early.
01:08Inside two minutes.
01:11Their number nine gives them the lead at Easter Road.
01:14And it's dreadful from Hibs.
01:17The stuff of nightmares for David Gray.
01:20We saw a bit of that at the start of the season.
01:22We've not seen it for months.
01:25Dessers pouncing on the mistake.
01:28A 29th goal of the season for him.
01:30Who can Hibs respond?
01:35Rocky Bashiri in the box.
01:37Muscled off it.
01:39And Rangers will hit on the counter.
01:41They've got the numbers here.
01:43Cherney picked out.
01:43It's a brilliant touch.
01:44Can he finish?
01:46Jordan Smith makes the save.
01:48Well, that should be 2-0 Rangers.
01:50They've flown out of the traps here at Easter Road.
01:53What a fantastic touch from the winger.
01:56But he didn't have the finish to match.
02:02Barry Ferguson, it looks unlikely.
02:05He will become a permanent Rangers manager.
02:09He will want to go out on a high.
02:12Diamonde slips the ball through to Raskin.
02:14That's brilliant.
02:15Will he get it over the line?
02:17Bashiri blocks.
02:18Dessers and Jordan Smith saves.
02:20Somehow that's not gone in.
02:24Rocky Bashiri pounds his chest.
02:27Brilliant defending.
02:30From the Hibs centre-back.
02:33Diamonde slips the ball through to perfection.
02:37Well, does Bashiri do enough?
02:40Is that ball over the line?
02:41Hibs have come forward.
02:43The ball slipped into Boyle.
02:45Comes back to Bowie.
02:46And Hibs have scored!
02:50Well, I have got no idea
02:52if this goal will stand.
02:54But Easter Road is celebrating.
02:58They've made it 1-1.
03:00We'll see how long.
03:01That remains the scoreline.
03:03It looks on sight.
03:05But it will be tight.
03:07As it always is with Martin Boyle.
03:09Brilliant finish from Bowie as well.
03:13Cadden slipping the ball through.
03:16Boyle picking Bowie out.
03:18And it's through the legs of Jack Butland.
03:20But really, we all just want to see
03:23what happened down the other end.
03:27Kieran Bowie waits.
03:29Easter Road waits.
03:31What will happen here?
03:32Andrew Dallas is the VAR.
03:34You can see what Barrett Ferguson thinks.
03:41Michael Raskan gets the ball around Smith.
03:43Does he force it over the line?
03:46It's so hard to tell.
03:47And that might be the problem for Rangers.
03:50Is there definitive proof that that ball is over the line?
03:54And that's what Nick Walsh is saying.
03:56He doesn't have the angle to prove it.
04:00And the goal will stand for Hibbs.
04:04Martin Boyle onside.
04:08David Gray's side.
04:10Level in Leith.
04:14Cadden picks out Boyle on the volley.
04:17What a goal that would have been.
04:20Martin Boyle knows he had the chance.
04:23Robin van Persie-esque.
04:26But he drags it wide.
04:30Czerny with the corner.
04:35Headed away.
04:37First time of asking.
04:39And then Dessers goes down.
04:40And it will be a Rangers free kick.
04:43A couple of bodies on the floor after that.
04:46But it's Dessers who is fouled.
04:48James Tavernier.
04:5325 yards.
04:54So deadly.
04:55Brilliant save.
04:56Jordan Smith.
04:58Making amends for that mistake.
05:01Early on.
05:04Had to be at full stretch there.
05:05Barron.
05:12Watching it.
05:13Nico Raskan.
05:16As the ball slips it back for Tavernier.
05:18Oh, he's curled it wide.
05:21This time Smith could only watch on.
05:25The captain almost putting Rangers back in front.
05:28As we edge towards halftime.
05:29And he will feel his side should be ahead.
05:36Raskan with the header.
05:37Just over the bar.
05:40Well, given the other aerial threats Rangers have,
05:43it's strange to see Nico Raskan with the header at the front post.
05:46Raskan slipped in.
05:54Cuts it back for Raskan.
05:56Tried to get the shot away.
05:58Desperate, heroic, Hibbs defending.
06:00It was Warren Ohura in there.
06:02As well as Alessana Mana.
06:09Tavernier with the corner.
06:14Whipped to the front post.
06:15Raskan's there.
06:18Rangers are in front.
06:21Well, they had their warning just before halftime.
06:25And Rangers have pulled it off to perfection.
06:28Raskan glancing the header past Jordan Smith.
06:32Rangers are in front.
06:39Gerson Wiro picks off and plays it to Czerny.
06:42Gets it back as well.
06:43Desser is lurking in the middle.
06:46Cazan Wiro looks for Danilo instead.
06:48Brilliant save.
06:49Jordan Smith.
06:51A clean connection from Danilo.
06:54On target as well.
06:56But Jordan Smith there to deny them yet again.
06:59Martin Boyle picks out Josh Campbell.
07:07Josh Campbell.
07:08Going back for Cadden on that left foot.
07:13And it's Chris Cadden.
07:15That twin-to-twin connection almost paying off.
07:21Cadden to Cadden, coast-to-coast, left-to-right and wide of the post.
07:25David Gray watches on.
07:34Hebs haven't beaten Rangers at Easter Road since 2006.
07:40Got a lot of work to do.
07:41Cadden with the ball in.
07:42There's Martin Boyle!
07:45Back on level terms.
07:47A 15th league goal of the season for Martin Boyle.
07:53A 20th in all competitions.
07:56He powers his header in.
07:57Jack Butlin, though, in no man's land.
08:00Totally misread that.
08:04And it's another assist for Nicky Cadden.
08:11Tavernier.
08:12Works it down the line.
08:15Slipped inside.
08:16Cherney again.
08:18Clipped to the back post.
08:19This is Jordan Smith.
08:21Swats it away.
08:23While the offside flag goes up, it never would have stood.
08:27Jordan Smith wasn't to know that.
08:29And neither was Cyril Dessers.
08:3318 league goals for him now.
08:35Currently the top scorer in the league.
08:38That was almost 19.
08:39Maybe it should have been.
08:49Tavernier watches it long between the two defenders.
08:52Rocky Bashiri letting it bounce.
08:54This could be a chance for Cortes.
08:56He's completely sliced it.
09:00Put on a plate by Danilo.
09:02The Colombian gets it all wrong.
09:08Barron.
09:10A bit of shirt-tugging, but play goes on.
09:12It's a good turn from Tavernier.
09:16Might get it back and set.
09:17It comes to Danilo.
09:19Brilliant save.
09:19Smith again.
09:21The chance still on.
09:22And Hibbs eventually get it clear.
09:26Well, this certainly hasn't been a dead rubber.
09:28David Gray wasn't lying.
09:29These two teams want the three points.
09:33And it's Rangers pushing at the moment.
09:36Trying to end their dreadful season on a high.
09:41Lawrence forced backwards.
09:44And it's picked off.
09:45Dwight Gale turns on the spin.
09:48Martin Boyle's in behind.
09:49Can he get the shot away?
09:51No.
09:52Straight into the arms of Jack Butland.
09:55He knows what a huge chance that was.
09:58Right at the death.
10:00Dwight Gale.
10:01Possibly his final act in football.
10:03Playing Martin Boyle in behind.
10:07But it won't be enough.
10:09Rangers now.
10:16The last chance of this game, surely.
10:19Dessers up against Chris Cadden.
10:24Cuts it low.
10:25Danilo's there.
10:26The shot goes wide.
10:28That sums up his afternoon.
10:30And that will be the final act of a rank rotten season
10:35by Rangers' own lofty standards.
10:37But the next few days, weeks and months
10:40will be pivotal for them.
10:41How can they recover?
10:43We'll have to wait and see.
10:44As for Hibs, their rollercoaster season is over.
10:47From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.
10:50It finishes in the Leafs' sunshine.
10:53Hibs two.
10:54Rangers two.
10:56Obviously, it was a slightly give away a bad goal
10:58and put ourselves 1-0 down very early on.
11:00I spoke before the game about
11:02it was never going to be a nothing game.
11:04There's always a wee edge to these games.
11:05And they're brilliant days.
11:06It was probably a bit frantic.
11:09Both teams desperate to go and win,
11:10which was good.
11:11I think that's what you wanted in the last game of the season.
11:13You didn't want it to just phase away.
11:15People looking after themselves.
11:16There was none of that.
11:17There was full commitment.
11:19They both set the players to try and win the game,
11:21which made it an end-to-end game.
11:22There was big moments.
11:23There was poor moments.
11:24There was everything in the game, to be honest.
11:26But it's probably fitting that the way our season's went,
11:30to finish the way we have,
11:31and to not lose the game today is another positive.
11:33I think the players can then enjoy that sunshine on Leaf.
11:36Again, fully deserved for their efforts this season.
11:38Helps in the sunshining as well.
11:39It adds to that sort of feeling and that special moments
11:42because there has been a lot of them this season.
11:44There's been some really tough moments,
11:46but real special moments as well.
11:47And the players deserve all the credit for that.
11:49It was a mad moment.
11:5018th minute, I think it was.
11:52You thought you'd scored.
11:54The referee said no.
11:55You had to go up the park and score.
11:57What happened in your eyes?
11:59It was a clear goal, Brian.
12:01It's there for everybody who was at the game.
12:07I'd seen the incident straight away.
12:09I went to look at it on our small monitor we've got on the bench.
12:13It was clear to me it was over the line.
12:14And then it goes to Varn for some odd reason.
12:17They don't see it being a goal,
12:20which is frustrating and disappointing.
12:24Getting worrying as well
12:25because we need to be getting these decisions correct.
12:29That's the reason why Vars are here.
12:31But it's clear that Vars are not working.
12:33It is the end of the season, Barry.
12:35What's next for you, first of all?
12:39For me, it's to go and chill out the night.
12:42That is for sure.
12:43But it's been a brilliant three-month.
12:46I've loved every single minute of it, Brian.
12:48And we'll obviously see over the next few days
12:50what way the club's going to go forward.
12:54Hibs getting ready for the beach
12:55and they deserve it thoroughly.
12:57What a season for them.
12:58It's always entertaining when these two meet Mikey, isn't it?
13:00It was a great game.
13:01I think a draw probably about the right result.
13:04But as David Gray said,
13:05it was nice to see them both going for it
13:07because you've seen these end-of-season affairs
13:09just kind of become a bit average.
13:11Yeah, well, I think Brian had actually mentioned
13:13prior to the game about the 5-5
13:16that ended up a few seasons ago
13:18at Easter Road between the two teams.
13:19And it obviously didn't end up as many goals as that,
13:22but certainly had a similar feel
13:24in terms of the two teams really going for it end-to-end.
13:26And no shortness in controversy aisle.
13:31Right, well, you bring it up.
13:33Let's get to it.
13:35Clearly, Barry Ferguson felt that this was a goal.
13:39On-pitch referee Nick Walsh didn't think it was in.
13:42The linesman didn't flag.
13:44And then VAR didn't intervene.
13:45How do you see it?
13:47I can completely understand from Barry Ferguson
13:50and Rangers' perspective that they see it as a goal
13:52because, ultimately, I think it's a goal as well.
13:55The difficulty and the slight caveat
13:59is that for officials, they can't just think it's a goal.
14:03They need to have some sort of clear evidence.
14:05And you can see, by the way,
14:06the Rangers players are not arguing.
14:08They're not disputing this.
14:10I would suggest, though,
14:11and I think Barry Ferguson mentioned this,
14:12it was far too easy for them to concede.
14:14Nicky Cadden has got to, what,
14:15within 40 yards of the goal
14:17and playing a ball in behind the defence.
14:19Robin Proper's trying to hold a line
14:21when nobody else is.
14:22It's very poor defending from Rangers.
14:25But, yeah, to go back to this,
14:26I think it's a goal.
14:27I think it is over the line.
14:29But what this is doing
14:31is it's highlighting the deficiencies of VAR.
14:34It's hard to think that that is not in.
14:35No, I know.
14:36But the point is, look at the angles here.
14:37You can't definitively say,
14:39the linesman's not in the right position.
14:41He's not right on the line, is he?
14:42VAR, we don't have goal line technology.
14:43So, for me, this just perfectly highlights
14:46the deficiencies in the systems that we have.
14:48So we need, basically,
14:49we need goal line technology,
14:51but it costs money.
14:52It would be two more cameras
14:53at every single stadium for every game.
14:57Well, Rangers have released a statement.
14:58They're obviously not happy with it.
14:59They need to go and start lobbying
15:01the other teams to get this in place
15:03because I have complete sympathy
15:04for Rangers in this instance.
15:06It looks like a goal,
15:07but I have sympathy with the officials as well.
15:09It wasn't that obvious in real time.
15:12And then when you're watching the replays...
15:13It's pretty obvious.
15:14In real time.
15:16Yeah, that's what I'm saying, in real time.
15:17And then for the officials to overturn that
15:19or to give the goal,
15:21it is a different level.
15:21Trying to get people to buy into
15:23spending more money on VAR
15:25when a lot of clubs are really not happy with it
15:28in the first place.
15:29It's going to be a difficult sell,
15:30but it is needed for situations exactly like that.
15:33Well, obviously, it's slightly different.
15:34It's not just VAR.
15:35This is specifically goal line technology.
15:38And, look, ultimately,
15:39that's up to the clubs to go and have that debate.
15:41But that incident right there
15:43has highlighted the deficiencies of the system.
15:45It's not up to scratch.
15:47Us as punters and fans and people looking at this,
15:50it looks like a goal.
15:52I don't think there's any question about that.
15:53I mean, yeah, I would agree with that.
15:55Martin Boyle,
15:55he got his 20th of the season
15:57in Scottish football this afternoon.
15:59He's had an incredible season,
16:00such a danger.
16:01He probably should have scored one
16:02right at the very end of the game as well.
16:04But brilliant he's been.
16:06Absolutely brilliant.
16:07Yeah, 20 goals for Hibs.
16:08And you've got to remember as well,
16:09he didn't start the season particularly well.
16:11I think his season is almost, you know,
16:13symbolic and emblematic of Hibs' season.
16:16But, look,
16:17Rangers don't defend this well enough.
16:18Nicky Cadden has got the best delivery
16:20in the country, bar none.
16:22Tavernier gets drawn out of the position
16:24and Conor Barnes too slow.
16:26You can't stop five yards away.
16:27You have to close him down.
16:28But you look at this in the middle.
16:30Robin Proper had Martin Boyle.
16:32What's he getting dragged towards?
16:33I don't see.
16:34He had him
16:34and then he drops him
16:36and then he's no idea where he is.
16:37But look at that delivery.
16:38It sucks Jack.
16:39Butlander as well.
16:40Thinking that he might be able to get it.
16:42So the point is,
16:43as soon as that ball goes to Nicky Cadden,
16:44you can't stand five yards off him.
16:46You have to be right in his face
16:48and not letting him lift his head.
16:50Because as soon as he gets a touch,
16:52that ball's going in
16:53and it's so dangerous.
16:54It really is.
16:55I mean,
16:56the thing about Hibs,
16:57then you saw them at the end of the match,
16:58they are celebrating with their supporters.
17:00They've loved this season.
17:01It could have all gone the other way.
17:03It was going the other way.
17:04You've got to credit the Hibs board,
17:06haven't you?
17:07Because how many times have we seen
17:08somebody removed from their position
17:11when things aren't going well?
17:12They stuck with them
17:13and it's turned out to be
17:14an absolutely superb decision.
17:16Yeah,
17:16I mean,
17:16look,
17:16there's two things here.
17:17I think Malky Mackay on the board
17:19has been massive
17:20in terms of just
17:22calming things down a little bit
17:23and buying a wee bit more time.
17:25But ultimately,
17:26those results and performances
17:28had to start coming.
17:29There's only so long
17:29that the director of football,
17:31somebody that's been in that position,
17:32that experience
17:33could carry things on
17:35and just buy that time.
17:37It had to come
17:38with performances and results
17:39and ultimately,
17:40that's what started to come
17:41and the turnaround
17:42has just been huge.
17:44I don't think anybody
17:45could have seen
17:45the change in fortunes
17:48that have come from Hibs
17:49from where they were
17:50to finishing third
17:51in the league
17:53is just quite phenomenal.
17:55Agreed.
17:55Both Dungeonated
17:57and Abba
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