Rangers throw away chance to go top

Rangers lost the chance to go top of the Scottish Premier League as they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday.

With Celtic not playing Dundee United until Sunday, a win would have seen the Gers return to the top of the table and first-half goals from Kyle Lafferty and Barry Ferguson seemed to have Rangers cruising to victory.

However Hearts, who had struggled to get out their own half in the first 45 minutes, stunned the home crowd with two quickfire second-half goals.

The Jambos pulled one back through Christos Karipidis before Ruben Palazuelos equalised to complete a remarkable turnaround to leave Rangers two points behind Celtic having played a game more.

However it was Hearts who were doing all the defending at the beginning of the first-half. Steven Whittaker was first to test Jamie McDonald in the eighth minute with a vicious volley from outside the box but the keeper got down low to save.

Rangers took the lead just a minute later following a defensive error from Hearts. David Obua’s slack cross-field pass was intercepted by DaMarcus Beasley and he played in Lafferty who rifled home a low drive from just inside the box.

Rangers doubled their lead in first-half injury time through a fantastic strike from Ferguson.

Pedro Mendes collected the ball on the right and picked out the Gers captain in the box who fired an angled shot past the outstretched McDonald into the far corner of the net.

Ferguson could have had his second in the 54th minute when substitute Nacho Novo, on for the injured Lafferty, laid the ball back to him at the edge of the box but the Scotland international’s sidefooted effort sailed over the bar.

Novo should have scored in the 62nd minute but hit the post one-on-one with the keeper following a superb through ball from Steven Davis to beat the offside trap.

Hearts finally managed a shot on target a minute later when sub Calum Elliot produced an excellent save from Allan McGregor with a fierce volley that the keeper tipped over the bar.

And from the resulting corner Karipidis pulled one back for the Jambos with a header that crossed the line despite Beasley’s attempted clearance.

Hearts were on level terms in the 67th minute. Elliot knocked down a cross from the right to Palazuelos who struck the ball past the helpless McGregor from 15 yards out.

A Carl Finnigan hat-trick and Mark Stewart secured a 4-0 win for Falkirk over Inverness Caledonian Thistle to move them within a point of their rivals at the foot of the table.

Kilmarnock and Motherwell played out a goalless draw at Rugby Park. Hibernian held Aberdeen to a 0-0 draw at Pittodrie and Hamilton versus St Mirren ended goalless.