Hearts 0 Rangers 1: Abdallah Sima slides Gers to edgy win and could hold the answer for Philippe Clement
PHILIPPE CLEMENT might not be fishing in the biggest pool come January.
But in Abdallah Sima ex-boss Michael Beale may have already handed him the biggest catch Rangers will land this season.
The on-loan Brighton winger’s 12th goal of the season ended Hearts recent good run.
No wonder Clement, who will have limited funds next month, is open to the idea of turning his season long loan into something more.
That, though, might get harder the more Sima provides moments like this one.
Gers were far from their best in Gorgie. They were even sloppy at times.
But Sima’s clever run in behind Steven Kingsley and Nat Atkinson opened Hearts up.
And his instinctive finish left Clark with little chance.
Clement was facing the Jambos for the third time in just 11 games as Ibrox boss.
He made two changes, with Ridvan Yilmaz coming in for Borna Barisic.
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And Danilo was preferred in attack to Cyriel Dessers, who was named as a sub.
The big news for Hearts was Craig Gordon AND Craig Halkett were both on the bench.
The pair had been out since last Christmas Eve with serious knee injuries.
But Naismith had seen enough to give both the nod, along with Barrie McKay.
Nat Atkinson also returned to make his first start after three months out.
And Kyosuke Tagawa replaced Liam Boyce, who signed a new deal earlier in the day.
Hearts came into the game on the back of four wins in a row, their best run since 2018.
Clement had won seven - two against the Jambos - and drawn three of his 10 games.
Match Verdict
How the players rated...
Hearts: Clark 6, Atkinson 3 (Vargas 45, 3), Kent 6, Rowles 6, Kingsley 5 (McKay 85, 1), Cochrane 6, Grant 3 (Oda 45, 3) Nieuwenhof 5, Baningime 6, Shankland 6, Tagawa 5 (Forrest 65, 3)
Substitutes: Gordon, Halkett, Haring, McKay, Sibbick, Denholm.
Rangers: Butland 6, Tavernier 7, Goldson 6, Balogun 7, Yilmaz 6 (Sterling 71, 2), Lundstram 8, Lawrence 2 (Cifuentes 17, 5), Cantwell 7 (Lammers 87, 1), McCausland 6, Sima 7, Danilo 6 (Roofe 71, 2).
Substitutes: McCrorie, Souttar, Dessers, Matondo, Davies.
That saw them come into the game eight points clear of the men in maroon in third.
Neither side managed to grasp control in a frantic opening under the lights.
And Clement urged his players to calm down after one rushed pass too many.
The message, though, didn’t get through at first.
Gers messed up their own corner in the 11th minute, Yilmaz giving the ball away.
Jorge Grant and Lawrence Shankland raced forward as John Lundstram tried to get back.
And Shankland ended up firing over from the edge of the Rangers box.
Gers were forced into a change in the 17th minute when Tom Lawrence went down hurt.
It was another blow for the Englishman, who has had plenty during his time at Ibrox.
Clement was far from happy at the time it took Jose Cifuentes to get ready to go on.
And he had more to concern him when Hearts went close again in the 24th minute.
Jorge Grant and Atkinson combined down the right and the Aussie continued into the box.
He exchanged passes with Shankland then teed up the Scotland man eight yards from goal.
His shot was beaten away by Jack Butland but Cochrane was following up at the back post.
But the left back, playing his 100th game, was denied a strike to mark it by James Tavernier’s block.
When Gers did break Ross McAusland was stopped by Kye Rowles as he raced through.
They had the ball in the net straight after when Danilo helped on Cantwell’s shot.
The striker, though, was a yard offside and the goal was rightly disallowed.
But it was better from Gers, who were finally starting to put more passes together.
And Sima made no mistake when he found himself through on goal in the 34th minute.
Gers initially seemed to be on the back foot as Hearts pressed them at a goal kick.
But they eventually played their way out of bother, with Tavernier leading the charge.
He then picked out Sima with a superb ball that took out three defenders wearing maroon.
And with Zander Clark well off his line the winger slipped the ball through the keeper’s legs.
Cantwell was close to a second from Yilmaz’ pass, his lob landing on the roof of Clark’s goal.
Grant fired weakly at Butland after Shankland had found him on the left of Gers box.
And then Danilo should have had Clement’s men two ahead at the break.
Cantwell’s cross was nodded down by Leon Balogun into the path of the striker.
But Clark stuck out a leg to keep out his low effort from six yards.
Naismith made two changes at the break, Yutaro Oda and Kennth Vargas on for Grant and Atkinson.
Vargas was booked for bundling over Cantwell in the 50th minute.
Clark spilled the resulting free kick but Danilo’s shot was somehow scrambled clear.
At the other end Vargas and Tagawa both missed chances to get Hearts back in it.
Yilmaz fired across Clark’s goal as the game approached the hour.
Cochrane saw yellow for a foul on McAusland, who had a shot saved by Clark soon after.
Lundstram was next to have a go from the edge of the box, Clark again keeping him out.
Yilmaz was booked for a foul on Oda as Hearts looked to step it up.
And Vargas brought a fine stop out of Butland after he found a yard of space in the box.
At the other end Sima got it behind Hearts again and pulled the ball across goal but there were no takers.
He fired at the legs of Clark after sub Kemar Roofe played him in before the flag went up for offside.
Sima sent another effort inches wide after Goldson’s long ball exposed Hearts again.
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And it was the winger who blocked Shankland’s shot late on as Gers kept the Jambos out.
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