IT may have required another dose of extra time, but after Wednesday’s agonising Europa League penalties defeat, Rangers found a way past Hearts before spot-kicks were required to split the difference.
Yesterday’s Scottish Cup final was often played at a frenetic pace and featured the high-octane tackles and moments befitting of a game that ends with silverware. While Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team didn’t exude control until late in the second half on the basis of chances, they were clearly the stronger outfit.
The Ibrox side held more of the ball and tested Craig Gordon with a great frequency.
It would eventually take a very special Ryan Jack effort to find safe passage beyond the logic-defying reach of Gordon. Scotland’s No.1 made a particularly noteworthy save from Joe Aribo at the end of 90, somehow toe-poking the forward's left-footed drive beyond his post.
At the other end, Jon McLaughlin was untroubled. His involvement was limited to a few hairy clearances and claimed crosses. The best chance created by Robbie Neilson’s men arrived early on when Ellis Simms managed to slide in behind Connor Goldson and clip the post.
Van Bronckhorst favours a direct method of build-up, encouraging full-backs and midfielders to run beyond the defensive line and Goldson to distribute line-breaking passes. For periods yesterday, his side’s constant high passes gave up control too easily and were comfortably dealt with by the Hearts reargaurd.
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As has been the case so often, however, his substitutions changed the game’s course. Ryan Jack helped move the ball forward with greater regularity, Glen Kamara was a safe out-ball higher up the pitch than Scott Arfield and Scott Wright constantly picked up the ball inside the pitch, where space was available due to Hearts only playing two midfielders.
The average position map shows Wright (No.23) played higher than Amad (No.9), Jack (No.8) slightly deeper than Steven Davis (No.10) and Kamara (No.18) closer to Joe Aribo than Scott Arfield (No.37).
Neilson’s side found some joy playing directly into Simms and on occasion, their back five also at times created an overload against Rangers’ back four, with Nathaniel Atkinson overlapping on the right-sided flank. Without the ball, the front three marked the space ahead of Rangers’ full-backs but as stipulated above, the space vacated in the centre was eventually capitalised upon when the party of Wright, Jack and Kamara arrived.
While Hearts proved stubborn and resolute, Rangers' quality eventually determined the direction of the cup in two moments. It was just rewards for a season that has featured so many nearly moments.
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