Match ends, Rangers 1, Hibernian 1.
Rangers 1-1 Hibernian: Steven Gerrard's side held by Darren McGregor goal
- From the section Scottish Premiership
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Darren McGregor's late equaliser earned Hibernian a draw and prevented Rangers from moving to within a point of Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.
Alfredo Morelos's 20th goal of the season had put Rangers in front, but they are now three points behind Celtic going into Saturday's Old Firm game.
Hibs' goalkeeper Adam Bogdan stopped a late Kyle Lafferty effort to secure the draw.
However, Hibs slipped to eighth before their weekend derby against Hearts.
With goal difference in their favour, Celtic will remain top of the league going into the winter break unless Rangers win by four goals or more at Ibrox.
Rangers suffered a first-half injury scare as defender Connor Goldson required treatment for an injury just before the break and he was replaced in the second half by Nikola Katic.
Hibs, who have won only two of their last 12 games, lost Lewis Stevenson to injury ahead of the visit of their city rivals on Saturday.
McGregor's central role on Ibrox return
Former Rangers defender McGregor found himself at the heart of the game's pivotal moments.
When a high ball upfield landed at McGregor, he sent his clearance straight to Daniel Candeias, and his header sent Morelos through on goal. The Colombian clipped the ball into the far corner of the net.
It was McGregor, too, who rose to contest a header with Goldson, who landed heavily and had to be helped from the field.
Although he returned to action after the break, Goldson looked to be moving cautiously and was replaced.
Rangers will rue Lassana Coulibaly failing to direct a header on target, and Hibs goalkeeper Bogdan saving in quick succession from Glenn Middleton and Ryan Jack.
Those missed opportunities paved the way for McGregor to equalise three minutes before the end, when the defender rose to send a powerful header past Allan McGregor from Sean Mackie's cross.
'We're too reliant on Alfredo' - reaction
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard: "I don't think we played particularly well but we got ourselves five minutes away from the finish line and could have come away with three points.
"We're reliant on Alfredo at the moment, too much. I've asked other people to stand up and be counted and opportunities did present themselves to kill the game off and we paid the price for that."
Hibernian manager Neil Lennon: "It would be a confidence booster at any time. To come here with Rangers in a title race and take points off them is important.
"They played so well at Easter Road last week and we played really well here today. The level of performance was a lot better."
Line-ups
Rangers
- 1McGregor
- 2Tavernier
- 6GoldsonSubstituted forKaticat 61'minutes
- 3Worrall
- 16Halliday
- 17McCrorie
- 21Candeias
- 23CoulibalySubstituted forRossiterat 85'minutes
- 8Jack
- 40MiddletonSubstituted forLaffertyat 85'minutes
- 20Morelos
Substitutes
- 5Wallace
- 11Lafferty
- 13Foderingham
- 15Flanagan
- 18Rossiter
- 19Katic
- 44Dallas
Hibernian
- 31Bogdan
- 25Ambrose
- 24McGregor
- 4Hanlon
- 8Slivka
- 10Boyle
- 14MallanBooked at 54mins
- 20HyndmanSubstituted forHorganat 66'minutes
- 16StevensonSubstituted forMackieat 45'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 9MaclarenSubstituted forGrayat 70'minutes
- 22Kamberi
Substitutes
- 2Gray
- 3Whittaker
- 7Horgan
- 32Shaw
- 41Dabrowski
- 43Mackie
- 47Gullan
- Referee:
- Andrew Dallas
- Attendance:
- 49,885
Match Stats
Home TeamRangersAway TeamHibernian
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away2
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away12
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rangers 1, Hibernian 1.
James Tavernier (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sean Mackie (Hibernian).
Booking
Sean Mackie (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt missed. Ross McCrorie (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Adam Bogdan.
Goal!
Goal! Rangers 1, Hibernian 1. Darren McGregor (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Sean Mackie.
Foul by Alfredo Morelos (Rangers).
Efe Ambrose (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Jordan Rossiter replaces Lassana Coulibaly.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Kyle Lafferty replaces Glenn Middleton.
Foul by Ross McCrorie (Rangers).
Florian Kamberi (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Glenn Middleton (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Foul by Alfredo Morelos (Rangers).
Efe Ambrose (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Daryl Horgan (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Joe Worrall (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Florian Kamberi (Hibernian).
Ryan Jack (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Gray (Hibernian).
Attempt blocked. Daryl Horgan (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Hibernian. David Gray replaces Jamie Maclaren.
Attempt missed. Ross McCrorie (Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Adam Bogdan.
Attempt saved. Ryan Jack (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Hibernian. Daryl Horgan replaces Emerson Hyndman.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Efe Ambrose.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Adam Bogdan.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Efe Ambrose.
Substitution
Substitution, Rangers. Nikola Katic replaces Connor Goldson because of an injury.
Attempt blocked. Daniel Candeias (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Lassana Coulibaly (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is too high.
Ross McCrorie (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Emerson Hyndman (Hibernian).
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Daniel Candeias.
Alfredo Morelos (Rangers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian).
Booking
Stephen Mallan (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
