Sat Dec 29 12:39:14 2007

Comment | Email | Print

Rangers continue winning ways against Hibs

---

Edinburgh, Scotland (Sports Network) - Steven Naismith and Daniel Cousin both scored goals in a 2-1 Rangers win over Hibernian at Easter Road Stadium on Saturday.

Naismith had the visitors on the scoreboard after just 12 minutes, while Cousin added to the lead in the 59th. Merouane Zemmama pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 88th minute, but it was not enough to prevent Rangers from capturing its sixth win in the team's last seven league contests.

Hibernian, meanwhile, has won just one of its last 11 games in SPL play and has slipped into sixth place in the standings.

It took 12 minutes for Rangers to seize the advantage as an Alan Hutton throw- in led to the opener. Chris Burke took the throw from Hutton and drove a low cross into the path of Naismith, who slammed the ball into the top of the net from close range.

Carlos Cuellar should have doubled the lead minutes later when a Kevin Thompson cross was fumbled by Hibs goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay. The rebound fell directly to Cuellar, but he put his shot right back into the chest of the keeper.

The visitors had the better of the play over the remainder of the first half, and started well in the second half as Cousin added a second goal right before the hour mark.

Burke once again had a hand in the goal as he slipped a pass to Cousin outside the area and the Gabon striker powered it into the top corner past the keeper.

Zemmama came on as a substitute in the 64th and he rewarded his manager with a goal in the 88th, knocking a well-placed shot past Rangers keeper Allan McGregor and into the lower corner of the net.

The goal came too late for Hibernian to make a serious challenge at grabbing a point, however, and they now sit 15 points behind league-leaders Celtic, who maintained a two-point edge on Rangers by beating Gretna 3-0 on Saturday.

In other SPL play on Saturday, Falkirk scored two goals in the final 12 minutes to earn a 2-1 win over Hearts, Marius Niculae scored a pair of goals for Inverness in the club's 3-1 triumph over Kilmarnock, Aberdeen slipped past St Mirren 1-0 on a goal from Steve Lovell in the 85th minute and Motherwell got two goals from David Clarkson to hold off Dundee United 5-3.