NafisaRangers threw away any hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership with a 2-1 defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle.
Heading into this mouth-watering showdown, Danny Rohl’s men knew they could have closed the gap to just six points behind Hearts with a game in hand.
Rangers made a promising start to the game and took a first-half lead after Bojan Miovski turned home Emmanuel Fernandez’s flick on, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The Gers were then clinically punished by Hearts, who scored through a brilliant Stuart Findlay header, before Rangers target Lawrence Shankland slammed home his effort from a tight angle on the stroke of half-time.
Billy Dodds slams Jack Butland for error vs Hearts
Jack Butland has impressed at times for Rangers this season, but he didn’t cover himself in glory at Tynecastle on Sunday.
The Englishman somehow let Shankland’s strike fly past him from an acute angle, conceding a goal from his near post.
The goal came at a crucial point in the game – just before the 45-minute mark – and Billy Dodds slammed Butland for his shocking moment.
“Butland has had a shocker, let’s be honest. It’s gone right through him,” Dodds said on BBC Sportsound. “Take nothing away from Shankland, what a strike it was.”
Hearts had opportunities to extend their lead in the second half, with Shankland missing multiple chances, as the visitors failed to pull off a comeback despite Youssef Chermiti’s late consolation.
Where Rangers defeat leaves them in the title race
Rangers’ 2-1 defeat against Hearts has left them with a mountain to climb in the Scottish Premiership title race.
The Gers have slipped to fourth position after Motherwell beat Dundee 1-0 on Saturday, and they’re now a whopping 12 points behind the The Jambos.
Of course, Rohl’s side have a game in hand, but they’ll need to be flawless between now and the end of the season to lift the title.
The Light Blues will also need Hearts to slip up completely, and as it stands, it doesn’t look like the leaders are going to give up ground.
Celtic have even made a disastrous start under Wilfried Nancy, as the title is edging closer to Tynecastle.
Nafisa
Mustapha Sheidu