[DavidMc]

Rangers 0-1 Hibernian 06/10/07

Hibernian moved to the top of the SPL table as they maintained their unbeaten start to the season with an excellent victory over Rangers at Ibrox.

Left-back David Murphy headed in the only goal from a Filipe Morais corner kick after 59 minutes.
Rangers defender David Weir blazed a shot over the top of an empty net from virtually underneath the crossbar.

Murphy also headed clear from his own goal-line to keep out an effort from home defender Carlos Cuellar.

Rangers came into the game on a high, having beaten Lyon convincingly in the Champions League.

But the visitors were more than a match for Walter Smith's men, using the ball with great efficiency and digging deep to defend their lead.

A congested midfield made it difficult for the strikers to get involved and neither goalkeeper had much to do in the first half.

Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson lashed a fierce shot on target after 16 minutes, following a neat chest pass from Brahim Hemdani but the ball flew straight at Yves Ma-Kalambay.

It was a cagey first 45 minutes, with both sides content to sit back when not in possession, allowing for long passing spells but little in the way of attacking threat.

Clayton Donaldson, a hat-trick hero for Hibs last weekend, did not look comfortable in a wide right role, while fellow forward Steven Fletcher was not seeing much of the ball on the opposite flank.

Kris Boyd was ploughing a lone furrow up front for the home side but he was well marshalled by visiting defenders Chris Hogg and Rob Jones.

The final minute of the first half saw Ma-Kalambay scrambling to claw away a looping cross from former Hibs favourite Steven Whittaker.

And when the loose ball fell to Charlie Adam the midfielder's chip drifted wide of the target.

Following the re-start, Ma-Kalambay had to get down smartly to block a drilled free-kick from Boyd and the Hibs keeper did well to gather the ball at the second attempt.

Fletcher then rose to meet a deep delivery from Murphy but the close range header flew high over Allan McGregor's crossbar.

Adam met a dangerous cross from Alan Hutton at the back post as the game gradually opened up but his deflected shot was expertly tipped away by Ma-Kalambay.

Hibs won their first corner of the game after an hour and stunned the home support by scoring from it.

Half-time substitute Morais swung the ball into the six yard box and Murphy got up in front of McGregor to glance it into the net.

Rangers spurned a glorious chance when a Cuellar header flashed across the face of goal and the stretching Weir somehow directed his shot over the crossbar from no more than a yard out.

Murphy was the Hibs hero again when he popped up on his own goal-line to head clear a header from Cuellar.

And Ma-Kalambay was able to keep out a downward nod from Lee McCulloch as Hibs held on to complete an early season Old Firm double.



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Rangers: McGregor, Hutton, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Whittaker (Naismith 68), Hemdani, Ferguson, Thomson (McCulloch 68), Adam, Boyd (Cousin 77). Subs Not Used: Carroll, Faye, Lennon, Emslie.

Hibernian: Kalambay, McCann, Hogg, Jones, Murphy, Antoine-Curier (Zemmama 74), Kerr, Beuzelin, Chisholm, Donaldson (Morais 46), Fletcher (O'Brien 82). Subs Not Used: McNeil, Gathuessi, McCormack, Shiels.

Booked: Donaldson, Beuzelin, Zemmama, Chisholm.

Goal: Murphy 61.

Att: 50,440