Hibs hit back to deny Rangers a much-needed away win in thriller

Hamza Igamane struck for a treble but the Gers failed to come away with the win.
Hibs hit back to deny Rangers a much-needed away win in thriller

Welsh/pa Equaliser Their Side's Wire Hibernian's Steve Scoring Rocky Bushiri Celebrates

Hamza Igamane's hat-trick was not enough to secure victory for Rangers as Rocky Bushiri's late header earned a dramatic 3-3 draw for in-form Hibernian at Easter Road.

Gers looked on course to follow up their 3-0 demolition of Glasgow rivals Celtic on Thursday when Igamane put them 2-0 up early on.

But Hibs - who had lost just one of their previous eight matches - regained their composure after a fraught start and got themselves level with a double from Martin Boyle.

Igamane restored Gers' lead at a time when the hosts seemed to be in the ascendancy before Bushiri popped up with an 83rd minute equaliser to make it six games in a row unbeaten for David Gray's side.

Despite the euphoria of their Old Firm derby success at Ibrox, Rangers have now dropped points in each of their last three away matches, blowing the chance to put genuine pressure on their city rivals at the top of the William Hill Premiership.

Hibs made one change to the side that started Thursday's 1-1 draw at St Johnstone as Dwight Gayle replaced Junior Hoilett in attack, with captain Joe Newell and forward Elie Youan again missing out through injury.

The visitors were unchanged from the team that started the derby as goalkeeper Liam Kelly again started in place of Jack Butland, who continues to recover after being hospitalised with internal bleeding in his leg.

Hibs made a nervy start and were punished for their slackness in the fourth minute when Igamane slotted home Ianis Hagi's well-weighted cutback from the left after Bushiri had got himself in a tangle while trying to deal with a ball in behind for Igamane.

Bushiri made a better fist of dealing with Rangers' next opportunity when he stood firm to deflect Nedim Bajrami's effort behind after the Albanian cut in menacingly from the left.

The hosts were struggling to contain the visitors early on and Hyeokkyu Kwon did just enough to divert Igamane's shot behind after Mohamed Diomande teed up the Moroccan just outside the six-yard box.

Bajrami and Vaclav Cerny saw powerful angled efforts pushed out for corners by Jordan Smith in quick succession before the Ibrox side's pressure brought a second goal in the 19th minute. Bajrami's cross from the left picked out the unmarked Igamane and the Moroccan's header from seven yards out soared beyond Smith, who got a hand to the effort but was unable to keep it out.

At that point, it looked like Rangers were set to cruise to victory as Hibs - in a state of mild disarray - seemed unable to get a foothold.

But the hosts pulled one back in the 32nd minute when Jack Iredale's free-kick into the box was helped into the danger area by Lewis Miller and Josh Campbell and Bushiri cleverly laid the ball off into the path of Boyle, who drilled home a low strike from 12 yards out.

Remarkably, the scores were level on the hour when Campbell was fouled by Hagi as he tried to burst on to a Gayle pass, and Boyle made no mistake.

Hibs suddenly had their tails up and looked the likelier side to take the lead, with Miller seeing a ferocious shot pushed out by Kelly before the Australian defender headed against the inside of the post shortly afterwards.

Gers boss Philippe Clement - clearly worried by what he was seeing - made a triple change in the 70th minute as Hagi, Bajrami and the injured Dujon Sterling were replaced by Danilo, Oscar Cortes and Leon King.

Four minutes later, the visitors got themselves back in front when Igamane fired home from Cerny's cutback.

However, Bushiri - as he had done when scoring a last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 draw at home to Aberdeen in November - had the final say as he headed home Nicky Cadden's corner.

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