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Page last updated at 11:32 GMT, Sunday, 23 August 2009 12:32 UK

SPL - as it happened

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST)
MY SPORT: DEBATE
To get involved use My Sport or text us your views & comments on 80295. (Not all contributions can be used)
By Keir Murray


1500: Thanks to everyone who logged on to follow the live text. The highlights from the match at Tyncastle will be posted on the BBC Sport site at midnight.

My Sport
SrnasLoveChild on My Sport "Re 1447: Don't see much of an issue there, can't kick someone in the chest and get away with it if you don't get the ball."


1454: Walter Smith doesn't think Kevin Thomson should have been sent off. The Rangers midfielder caught Ian Black with his trailing leg after lunging into a challenge. There are so many talking points from this match - should that have been a yellow or red? Smith said: "It was an opportunity for the referee to send him off. There wasn't any great contact made. If there had been, the player wouldn't have been able to continue like he did for the rest of the game."

1452: Hizzy the Dumfries Jambo on 80295: "Hearts are terrible. We need two decent defenders and a decent striker. Roman, get yir cash out."

1451: Csaba Laszlo has just been asked if it should have been a penalty? "He gave it. He gave it," was the terse reply. I have never seen the Hearts manager look so crestfallen.

1447: I've just seen a re-run of the penalty. Naismith definitely took a kick by Ismael Bouzid as he ran into the box - the issue is whether it was enough to send him flying.

1445: Anton in Anstruther on 80295: "That wasn't a penalty. It was outside the box. It's a disgrace but it was expected."

1442: Where to begin? Kris Boyd coming off the bench to score the winner with perhaps his first touch? Hearts' failure to take advantage of Rangers being down to 10 men for over 75 minutes? Allan McGregor's shocker at the Hearts goal? The Jambos' ineptitude up front?

Full-time
FULL-TIME: Hearts 1-2 Rangers

1440: David Obua sends the free-kick over the bar.

1439: Great opportunity for Hearts. Free-kick 25 yards out after a foul by Steven Davis on Ian Black.

1438: Long throw by Jose Goncalves into the box is cleared by David Weir. The Rangers fans jeer, urging the ref to blow the final whistle.

1438: Three of the five minutes of injury time played.

1436: Gary Glen heads over the bar unchallenged from eight yards out. That was surely Hearts' golden chance to level the scores.

1434: Kris Boyd, on the pitch for Kenny Miller only seconds before, fires home from the spot.

Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal
GOAL Hearts 1-2 Rangetrs (Boyd)

Poor challenge by Bouzid on Naismith in the last minute.

1433: Penalty for Rangers!

1432: Hearts push Rangers back in search of a late winner with David Obua attempting a cross from the right wing.

1431: Fewer than five minutes remaining at Tynecastle and Suso powers a right-foot shot at Allan McGregor. The Gers keeper parries and the danger is cleared.

1429: The ball comes infield to Ian Black who sends an ambitious shot at McGregor's goal.

1428: Kris Boyd is about to come on for Rangers, as Hearts work the ball down the left wing.

1427: "I think the referee's let Lee McCulloch off the hook there." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Derek Ferguson reckons Craig Thomson could have been tougher on the Ranghes goalscorer after he catches Suso on the ankle

1425: "Hearts have gone about this second half the wrong way. They have invited Rangers on top of them." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Billy Dodds

1422: Mike in Dunfermline on 80295 continues where Jane left off - slagging players. "Why do Christian Nade and David Obua even get in the squad? Nade is as useful as a chocolate fire guard and Obua is like Bambi on ice."

1420: Eggert Jonsson hoofs the ball clear for a Rangers corner. Poor delivery, though, by Stevie Smith, and the danger is cleared.

1419: Don't hold back, Jane!!!

1418: Jane Brown in Perth is no fan of Rangers midfielder Lee McCulloch. "How many fouls is McCulloch allowed to commit? He made no attempt to get the ball when the keeper was injured. Players like McCulloch are one of the major problems in Scottish football. All snarls and fouls and very little genuine technical skill."

1417: "I don't understand why Hearts have been dropping so deep and inviting Rangers pressure." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Billy Dodds

1415: Poor Calum Elliot. Seven minutes after coming on, and he's off through injury! On in his place is Arvydas Novikovas.

1414: Rangers have sent Kris Boyd out to warm up. Miller must be exhausted.

1413: How is this one going to go? Hearts still look the more likely but they're going to get nervy at the thought of losing to 10 men.

1411: "Hearts have got to calm it down and start making passes. Rangers have their tails up and don't look like they're down to 10 men." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Derek Ferguson

1410: David Witteveen departs the scene for Calum Elliot.

Yellow card
David Obua is booked by Craig Thomson for that challenge on Kenny Miller.

A glancing header by Lee McCulloch levels the score at Tynecastle. Rangers had won a free-kick after David Obua had fouled Kenny Miller, Stevie Smith (on for John Fleck) flighted in the ball and McCulloch was on the end of it.

Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal
1406: GOAL Hearts 1-1 Rangers (McCulloch)

1402: Greg in Edinburgh on 80295 contemplates the absence of Hearts captain Michael Stewart: "I'm delighted Stewart is suspended. I reckon both teams would be down to 10 if he wasn't."

1400: A horror tackle by Rangers' Lee McCulloch on Janos Balogh - the Hearts keeper takes a blow to the "tenders" as he comes to gather a high ball.

1358: Steven Naismith heads over from just a few yards out, but he does so under pressure from Balogh.

1356: It's a lively start to the second half. You get the feeling this second half won't be short of incidents.

1355: Steven Davis whips in an in-swinging free-kick and David Weir heads a few inches wide of Janos Balogh's left-hand post.

1354: What a save by Allan McGregor! Jose Goncalves stoops to send a header at the Rangers goal and the Ibrox number one palms the ball on to the bar.

1353: David Witteveen almost takes advantage of Rangers going to three at the back, running on to a long ball and only just losing out to Madjid Bougherra.

1349: The second half is under way. Walter Smith has a face like thunder at the minute.

My Sport
Pettigrew78 on My Sport "Will be interesting to see if Walter Smith makes a few changes over half time or if he throws caution into the wind. Do you play defensively at 1-0 down with 10 men or do you chase the game and hope the stamina of the players can produce a win with 2 goals in the next 45 mins. Wouldn't want to be Walter Smith at this moment."

1344: Well, not a bad time for my PC to crash. It hasn't been a great weekend on the technical front. Yesterday the whole BBC Sport website was frozen at half-time. We can't be doing with gremlins!

1334: Simon in Largs on 80295: "All is not over for Rangers as I can see ref evening things up with another red!"

Half-time
1333: HALF-TIME Hearts 1-0 Rangers

1332: Lee McCulloch, who scored a screamer with his right foot last weekend, cannot reproduce the technique and he blasts over Janos Balogh's bar.

1330: Madjid Bougherra clips the ball across for Kenny Miller, who just fails to connect from eight yards out.

1329: The goalscorer David Witteveen is left nursing his shoulder after being, er, ushered out of the danger area by David Weir.

1328: "Rangers have scored on each of their last five visits to Tynecastle. Can they do so again?" BBC Radio Scotland commentator Paul Mitchell

1327: A bad day for the Rangers comeback men, Kevin Thomson and Allan McGregor.

1326: Just five minutes plus stoppage time left in the first half. The Jambos are really turning the screw, with Rangers struggling to retain possession.

My Sport
manfrombelmonty on My Sport "Dear me... Studying at the Boruc School of Weak-Wristedness, are we Mr McGregor?"

1323: Gary Glen nicks the ball off Lee McCulloch and thumps a long-range shot just wide of Allan McGregor's left-hand post.

1320: "Christian Nade took being substituted very badly indeed and he stormed up the tunnel." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Chick Young

1318: Gary Glen comes on for Christian Nade.

David Witteveen stabs a tame shot under Allan McGregor after working a one-two with Nade. That's poor goalkeeping by the former Scotland number one.

Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal
1317: GOAL Hearts 1-0 Rangers (Witteveen)

Yellow card
1315: Ah, dear. Mr Thomson must be thinking he is wasting his breath. Christian Nade goes up for a high ball with David Weir and clatters the veteran defender on the back of the head.

1313: Big Christian Nade has a polite talking-to by Craig Thomson. He's getting tore in today, no doubt trying to make up for his insipid display in Zagreb.

1312: Kenny Miller will be in need of a massage and a hot bath after this game. He is now playing up front on his own.

1310: Madjid Bougherra goes to sleep, assuming the linesman is going to award a goal-kick to Rangers. Instead, there is no flag and the ball is knocked "back" into play and David Suso fires a left-foot shot against Allan McGregor's post.

1309: Anonymous text to 80295: "Ridiculous challege, and the ref has made a bold but correct decision. Shame I've got money on the 'Gers!"

1308: Mike Reid from Bishopbriggs on 80295: "Kenny Miller needs to calm it down and get his head in the game."

1305: Yet all the talk prior to kick-off was how Hearts would cope with playing away to Dundee United on Monday night and Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, then Rangers today.

1304: With Rangers down to 10 men, it is surely their stamina that will be tested this afternoon with over 70 minutes to play.

1303: But it's Hearts whose tails are up, Suso playing in a good ball into the Rangers box.

1302: Young John Fleck makes a crossfield run with the ball and advances unchallenged for 20 yards before screwing his shot wide.

1300: "Kevin Thomson had to go there. If he had caught Black properly he could've broken his leg. He can have no complaints." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Billy Dodds

1259: What was Kevin Thomson thinking about there? Just back from cruciate ligament surgery, he charged into the Hearts midfielder, who was a good eight yards away when he received the ball.

Red card
1259: RED CARD Kevin Thomson is sent packing for a heavy challenge on Ian Black

1257: "Rangers are getting the ball down and starting to make a few passes." BBC Radio Scotland pundit Billy Dodds

My Sport
2ndApril2006 on My Sport "If Nade moves outside the centre circle today, I'll be happy. We cannot afford to lose this game, so come on Hearts, let's beat a poor Rangers side."


1252: Decent cross over from the left from John Fleck, but no-one in the box to prod it into the net.

Yellow card
1250: Kenny Miller and David Suso are booked by referee Craig Thomson. Rather tetchy atmosphere at Tynie, it must be said.

Handbags
1249: Little bit of aggro there, as Kenny Miller reacts to a late David Suso tackle with a slap on the Hearts' number seven's back.

1248: As always, these live texts work so much better when we get the thoughts of your good selves. So please send your texts to 80295 or post your thoughts on My Sport.

1247: The surface looks good as the match kicks off at Tynecastle.

1245: And Smith leaves Kris Boyd on the bench, preferring the pace of Miller up front. Mind you, he looked sharp last week against Falkirk.

1243: Eggert Jonsson plays at right-back for the Jambos. Looks like he will be up against John Fleck when he advances from the Rangers midfield.

1240: So, Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo has gone with Janos Balogh in goal at the expense of Marian Kello. Perhaps he reckons the big goalie's confidence took a hammering over in Zagreb where he let in four goals.

1238: Have you got your guess at the score in at The Predictor? Just go to bbc.co.uk/predictor

1236: And Walter Smith has chosen the following line-up for Rangers: McGregor, Whittaker, Weir, Bougherra, Papac, McCulloch, Davis, Thomson, Fleck, Miller, Naismith. Subs: Alexander, Boyd, Niguez, Beasley, Smith, Little, Wilson.

1235: OK, the teams have been announced. Hearts: Hearts: Balogh, Jonsson, Goncalves, Bouzid, Lee Wallace, Santana, Black, Palazuelos, Obua, Nade, Witteveen. Subs: Kello, Kucharski, Novikovas, Elliot, Glen, Johnny Stewart, Craig Thomson.

1233: This is always a really exciting clash - Hearts at home to Hibs, Celtic or Rangers never fails to produce a great atmosphere.

1230: Welcome to the live text commentary of Hearts v Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.





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Scottish Premiership table

Monday, 16 June 2014 23:59 UK

PositionTeamPGDPTS
Full Scottish Premiership table
1Celtic111327
2Inverness CT11722
3Motherwell12022
4Aberdeen11620
5St Johnstone12618
6Dundee Utd12817
7Hibernian12-315
8Partick11-213
9Ross County10-810
10Kilmarnock12-59
11St Mirren10-118
12Hearts12-11-7

see also
Hearts v Rangers
13 Feb 07 |  Scottish Premier
SPL photo gallery
23 Aug 09 |  Scottish Premier


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