Tynecastle was buzzing. For the first time in nearly 12 full months, the Jambos were set to see their number one Craig Gordon back on the bench. Not only that but he was joined by fellow long-term suffered Craig Halkett and Barrie McKay with Nathaniel Atkinson making his first start since that fateful day against St Mirren back in September.
The Australian right wing-back produced a tireless performance on his pitch return but Hearts could not quite get over the line.
In the pre-match press conference, both player and manager spoke of how close the Jambos felt to a win over the Gers and while their performance at Tynecastle was far more competitively matched than that of Hampden, their wait for a win over the blues continues.
A poor error in judgement from both defenders and goalkeeper saw James Tavenier open up the pitch for Abdullah Sima to score in the 33rd minute.
Lawrence Shankland, Alex Cochrane - on his 100th appearance for Hearts - and Kenneth Vargas all had valiant attempts but to no avail as Steven Naismith’s winning streak finally came to a devastating end.
1. Steven's streak sours
It's the end of the winning streak for Naismith who cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines. | SNS Group
2. Look who's back
Craig Gordon makes his long-awaited return to the match day squad as he features on the bench for the first tie in just under a year. | SNS Group
3. Natty's back
Nathaniel Atkinson slotted right back into the starting XI, creating opportunities up front and defending well as he returned from a near-three month injury | SNS Group
4. First-half disappointment
Abdullah Sima opens up the scoring for Rangers after poor defensive judgement from Hearts. | SNS Group