Orman stuns Rangers with great leveller

Rangers 2 Hibernian

Hibernian failed to stay the distance last season with either Celtic or Rangers, but last night at Ibrox they delivered compelling evidence that they are capable of a much more vigorous pursuit this campaign.

Alen Orman's stunning equaliser heaped further frustration on the Glasgow club, whose supporters saw them draw here just as they did with Livingston a fortnight ago. Now they must head to Turkey on Wednesday for a Champions' League showdown with Fenerbahce. This absorbing contest, however, would have given any team a ruthless scrutiny.

Hibernian might not have won at Ibrox since 1995, but there was little fear attached to the way Alex McLeish's team pursued their task. Indeed, had Ulrich Laursen not squandered a fine chance to score after just nine minutes, then the team that finished third last season could have earned a greater reward for their composed passing.

The Dane was betrayed by his defender's touch when Orman's free-kick was headed back across goal by Tom McManus. Laursen controlled it but then froze before getting his shot in, a piece of indecision which allowed Stefan Klos to make a crucial block.

Just two minutes later, Laursen was similarly transfixed after a darting run into the box by his former colleague Russell Latapy. The ball-watching defender allowed Michael Mols to drift in behind him, but the Rangers striker then remarkably slipped his shot wide of the post from just six yards.

McManus showed no such mercy from much further out when he put Hibernian ahead after 19 minutes. Tore Andre Flo's dreadful foul on Laursen was punished when Frank Sauzée sought out Craig Brewster with a 40-yard free-kick which the striker gathered on the edge of the box. Brewster cleverly flicked the ball into the path of McManus and the youngster drilled a low right-foot shot beyond Klos.

However, that promise was undone by a freak break which allowed Stephen Hughes to equalise seven minutes later. The teenager was being closed down by John O'Neil and quickly unloaded a right-foot shot which was going wide until it struck the chest of Mathias Jack and cruelly wrong-footed the goalkeeper, Nick Colgan.

Hibernian's buoyancy was punctured three minutes into the second half when they lost the kind of goal that must have had McLeish exploding with frustration. His defence never properly cleared a Latapy corner andClaudio Reyna's header caught Hibernian pushing out. Flo gathered it and ghosted through the mêlée, holding off Paul Fenwick's challenge before hooking the ball past Colgan.

Ibrox exploded and McLeish's defenders were forced to undergo intense scrutiny for the next few minutes until the purposeful running and measured passing of O'Neil began to restore their equilibrium. When parity was achieved in the 59th minute, O'Neil was involved, helping Brewster to shuttle on Laursen's long throw to Grant Brebner at the edge of the box. The midfielder took the Rangers defence one way, then cleverly back-heeled the ball into the path of Orman who swept a fierce left-foot shot high into Klos's top corner from 25 yards.

The Bosnian ran fully 100 yards, leaving team-mates in his wake, to celebrate with the Hibernian fans in the far corner. Had Francisco Luña's late header not been pushed over by Klos, then Hibernian too could have been out of reach.

Rangers 2

Hughes 26, Flo 49

Hibernian 2

McManus 19, Orman 59

Half-time: 1-1 Attendance: 45,540