Hearts player ratings vs Rangers: An 8 impresses but Jambos live to rue missed chances despite strong display

A spirited Hearts lost 1-0 against Rangers in their latest Premiership clash.

Cyriel Dessers put the hosts ahead within the first 10 minutes to put the visitors up against it from early on in this match. Kenneth Vargas was offered a big chance in behind the Ibrox defence after some slack defending but it wasn’t converted.

Vargas then struck the post in the second half as an away goal was denied by mere inches and the woodwork. Home fans grew angrier as Hearts turned the dominant force, their side hitting the bar as the capital team pushed more bodies forward late on, Neraysho Kasanwirjo unable to provide a finishing touch. The Jambos go into the international break 11th in the table while Rangers sit third.

A rapid-fire run of games to kickstart the Neil Critchley era was going to come to a temporary end. They have gone through the process of games every few days amid their Conference League endeavours, and the next fortnight will allow for extended time on the training pitch to get ideas across.

Before that frontier could be crossed though, they faced the small matter of a match in Glasgow, always a physically and mentally-demanding test, even without a Conference League clash against Bundesliga opposition in Heidenheim coming less than 72 hours before this. Rangers haven’t been an unstoppable force domestically though and a calculated game plan could set nerves running amok inside Ibrox.

Early hopes of that were gone inside six minutes as Dessers got on the end of a James Tavernier ball to apply a close-range finish. Outside of that moment, Hearts did look good in possession during the moments they got it during an otherwise quiet opening 20 minutes, but allowing Rangers space down the left to put the ball in a dangerous area proved costly.

There was some nice passages of play and Rangers weren’t offering much of a threat after their goal. But for all the nice passages of play Hearts had, the hosts showed in flashes the quality to kill this game off. Mohamed Diomande was first to lash a shot wide after Rangers won the ball and then Vaclav Cerny hit on the break to open up another home chance, again going abegging.

Nedim Bajrami then went narrowly over the bar as Rangers appeared more keen to press home their lead. Up the other end, they decided to hand a gift to Hearts to level up, a slack back pass by ex-Jambo John Souttar picked up by Vargas but he could only meet the outstretched boot of keeper Jack Butland with his effort to create a goal.

If that chance was big, his next was huge. Great work by Lawrence Shankland put the Costa Rican through on goal and his shot crashed off the post, less than a minute into the second 45. Home fans were on the back of their team as Hearts would have wanted, albeit they just needed a finishing touch to really make this a complete away performance in Glasgow.

Rangers were on the ropes and loud boos for Connor Barron’s sub out of the game just about summed up the atmosphere inside an Ibrox turning toxic. Beni Baningime almost made it a whole lot worse for them instantly after coming off the bench, his low drive narrowly past the post. It was kitchen sink time and Hearts chucked what they had at Rangers, and as they opened up, Kasanwirjo hit the underside of the bar.

This performance as a whole was good from Hearts but they will perhaps rue not being able to to advantage of a below-par Rangers performance at home. Here is how we rated the Hearts players involved in the game at Ibrox.