Rangers 2-1 Hibernian: Unbeaten league season remains in sight for Steven Gerrard's men after Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent goals secure 17th straight home victory

  • Rangers got another win in the Scottish Premiership after beating Hibernian 2-1 
  • The victory means Rangers are four games from an unbeaten league season 
  • Joe Aribo and David Kent put Rangers ahead before Kevin Nisbet scored for Hibs 

Seventeen home games played in Premiership. Seventeen won. Just for good measure, it was a perfect strike that ultimately ensured the continuation of Rangers' flawless Ibrox record.

Ryan Kent can produce those moments. Drifting along the edge of the penalty from right to left, he was given too much space to mentally filter his options.

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First, he stepped away from Joe Newell. Then Alex Gogic was caught on his heels. Kent drew back his left boot and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net.

Rangers' superb season continued with a 2-1 win over Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership
Joe Aribo scored Rangers' first, sending a sweet volley past Hibs goal-keeper Ofir Marciano

It was measured by the millimetre, giving Ofir Marciano not a hope. Kemar Roofe applauded the excellence of his team-mate. So, too, did Steven Gerrard in the home technical area. It felt like an appropriate response.

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As it turned out, the value of the goal was every bit as high as its beauty.. Rangers needed it in the final reckoning.

Kent's 62nd minute peach had added to a first-half opener from Joe Aribo, but any sense of assurance was removed when Kevin Nisbet headed Hibs back into contention with 12 minutes remaining.

That made them just the third Premiership team to score at Ibrox this term. Jack Ross' side pushed for even more as the clock ticked down. Rangers held firm, though, thanks in part to some excellent defending from Filip Helander.

This result leaves the champions just four games shy of completing an unbeaten league season. More immediately, it was a decent enough way to warm up for a Scottish Cup last 16 encounter with Celtic next weekend.

Ryan Kent doubled Rangers' lead with a shot into the bottom corner from outside the box

Gerrard's men were not at their best. They sparked only in fits and starts. But against an opponent pushing to seal third place in the top flight, the outcome would have been more than satisfactory.

Hibs remain four points ahead of Aberdeen in their particular contest and shouldn't suffer any blow to their confidence. The Easter Road outfit were regularly a threat on the counter-attack, with Scotland newcomer Nisbet raising his own goals tally to 15. Their next test comes in the Cup at League Two Stranraer.

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This was the 300th league meeting between these clubs - not counting wartime fixtures. While it wasn't a classic, there was enough to hold the interest after a slow start.

Kent and Jackson Irvine exchanged long-range shots - neither of which alarmed the opposing goalkeeper - before Rangers gained reward from increasing the tempo.

The accelerator was pressed on 19 minutes. Steven Davis fed a little through-ball for Alfredo Morelos to fire across the face of goal. His effort looked to be heading just wide and Kemar Roofe was flagged offside as he slid in to force it over the line at the far post.

Hibernian pulled one back through Kevin Nisbet (second right) but it wasn't enough for them

It was enough to bring the match to life. A terrific Borna Barisic cross from the left was then met flush by Roofe. Marciano shovelled away the powerful header but Rangers maintained the pressure.

Nathan Patterson worked the ball back into Morelos, whose drilled cross looped into the air off the shin of Ryan Porteous. Aribo watched it all the way and dispatched a controlled finish beyond Marciano for the 21stminute opener.

It was an eighth goal of the season for the Nigeria midfielder, who had looked in the mood from the start here. His very first touch saw him pull the ball out of the air with super-glue control. Drifting into space between Paul Hanlon and Josh Doig, he provided an element of the unpredictable when he advanced.

Aribo wasn't Doig's only concern. His contest with Patterson pitched two of Scotland's best teenage full-backs into direct opposition. It was a fascinating little sub-plot within a first half that had become more absorbing.

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Hibernian weren't prepared to roll over. Going down too easily was, however, what saw Martin Boyle booked on 27 minutes when he was challenged by Connor Goldson inside the area. It might have been a little harsh of referee Don Robertson to brand what looked a 'coming-together' as a dive.

Steven Gerrard's men are now four games away from securing an unbeaten league season

Boyle, though, was a source of menace to the hosts. Operating with freedom at right wing-back he persistently sought to put Barisic under pressure.

One such foray got him to the area, only to dither a little in his attempt to find Nisbet as the Croatian blocked. Then, five minutes before the break, he dragged a right-foot strike fractionally wide. Robertson awarded a corner although there didn't seem to be a defensive touch. Hanlon headed off target from Boyle's delivery.

Nisbet had gone just as close moments earlier. Rangers got in a bit of a muddle in their own territory, with a clever run from Christian Doidge opening space in the home defence. Newell used it to pick out the Scotland newcomer for a flashing shot that was inches away from providing an equaliser.

While this fixture has often produced controversy in the past, there was a more sedate air about things as snow began to gently flutter down at Ibrox.

A little bit of heat was injected eight minutes after the restart. Connor Goldson headed over from a Barisic free-kick, pushing away Ryan Porteous after the Hibs centre-back fell on him. John Potter got a touch agitated in the visiting technical area, with both Ross and Gerrard motioning for him to calm down, but it was handbags stuff. 

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