Hibs v Rangers ratings and report as David Gray's men keep Euro dream alive with Old Firm away double at Ibrox

Hibs completed an Old Firm away double in dramatic fashion, as Dane Scarlett’s first goal for the club – in the 90th minute – delivered a victory over Rangers that sets up a final-day Euro decider against Motherwell at Easter Road. After beating Celtic in Glasgow earlier this season, the Easter Road side book-ended a solid performance with goals at either ends of a tense contest.

On a night when Josh Mulligan made his return from ankle surgery, coming on midway through the second half for a first taste of competitive football since January, a Martin Boyle goal after just four minutes was cancelled out by a stunning Thelo Aasgaard free-kick late in the first half. But Scarlett’s late winner silenced an already subdued Ibrox – and, allied to events at Fir Park, kept alive Hibernian’s hopes of leapfrogging the Steelmen to finish fourth.

After a pre-match presentation to departing Rangers captain James Tavernier, but with the locals still entitled to be in a less than generous mood, Hibs actually had to withstand an early storm of pressure from the home side. Raphael Sallinger made the first of several hugely important saves with barely a minute on the clock, turning away an Emmanual Fernandez header from a corner.

But it was the visitors who stole into the lead with indecent haste, Boyle getting time and space to volley home Jordan Obita’s cross from about eight yards after a good counter-attack sparked by Owen Elding’s hold-up play. An already odd atmosphere tipped towards mutinous.

Danny Rohl’s men didn’t lack for opportunities to get themselves back into the game. Before half an hour had elapsed, indeed, Sallinger was forced to foil Aasgaard, Yousseff Chermiti and Barron, while a couple of Hibs defenders were forced to put in desperate saving blocks and tackles.

Yet Gray’s side looked dangerous on the break. In flashes. Which looked as if it might be enough, against a Rangers team with nothing left to play for.

Increasingly, of course, the attention of both sets of supporters began to drift off to events elsewhere. Random cheers unrelated to events on the park are a regular occurrence at this belated stage of the season.

The home crowd had genuine reason to celebrate when Aasgard, having won a free-kick by running at Warren O’Hora, converted the set-piece with a right-footed curler that flew past the outstretched left hand of Sallinger and into the top corner. That should have been the cue for a Light Blue onslaught.

Truth be told, though, Hibs did not face a sustained siege for most of the second half. Sallinger made one brilliant save from Moore, and there were plenty of crosses – but few clear-cut chances.

In fact, substitute Dane Scarlett arguably should have won it for Hibs with seven minutes remaining, the on-loan Spurs striker firing straight at Jack Butland after a run from halfway, Felix Passlack forcing a more impressive sve from the Rangers No. 1 with the rebound. With events at Fir Park forcing their hand, the visitors now had to go hell for leather in pursuit of a winner here.

And they got it in some style, with substitute Suto holding play up on the right wing and playing in Passlack, who showed enormous patience to hit the byeline and then advance closer and closer to goal. When he did deliver his cross, it left Scarlett with the simplest task to score from about an inch.

When the final whistle sounded, it was all over bar the waiting. And waiting, as events in Lanarkshire went deep into stoppage time. Cue wild, wild celebrations in the way end. For many, many reasons.