Hearts were hit by a late Rangers sucker punch to draw 2-2 at Tynecastle Park on Wednesday night.
The visitors took the lead through Kevin Kelsy but were pegged back by Claudio Braga before Cavlin Miller got the Jambos in front. But with only minutes remaining, Olwethu Makhanya headed an equaliser to ensure it finished honours even.
Head Coach Wouter Vrancken made two changes to the side that beat Motherwell last weekend. Calvin Miller and Laurent Mendy came into the starting line up, with Stephen Kingsley and James Wilson moving to the bench.
A battling opening quarter of an hour was interrupted by the game’s first goal, and it was for the visitors. Hearts gifted possession to Rangers on the edge of the box, allowing Kelsi to play a one-two with Ryan Naderi before holding off maroon shirts to fire beneath Beau Reus and into the back of the net.
The Jambos registered their first shot on target not long after. Claudio Braga flicked the ball into the Rangers box for Tomas Magnusson to send back in his direction, but the Portuguese’s shot was straight at Ivor Pandur.
A dangerous break forward had the Jambos in a great position just before the half hour mark, with Rogers Mato doing well to win the ball before feeding Kerjota on the right. He cut inside to the edge of the box and saw his shot blocked, with Miller curling the second attempt down the throat of Pandur.
Soon after, Jordi Altena’s free kick found Mendy inside the box but he could only bullet a header clean over the bar.
The injury curse struck again, this time with Mato pulling up while running and he was replaced by Kingsley.
Hearts were dominant in possession as the half wore on but that equaliser was proving elusive. Naderi was shown sight of goal but his effort from distance was easily stopped by Reus.
With a minute of the half remaining, Altena sent a set piece towards the top corner but Pandur was quick across his line to pluck the ball out of the air.
Three minutes into the restart Hearts were level. Altena’s free kick to the back door was nodded back across the face of goal by a diving Malachi Fagan-Walcott, and Braga the birthday boy was there to turn it over the line for his second goal in two games.
By the hour mark, the boys in maroon were in front. Magnusson pounced on a loose ball to send Braga rampaging forward, he held off Fernandez before sending a ball across the middle for the unmarked Miller to slam past Pandur and make it 2-1.
Reus was then at his best to deny substitute Badredine Bouanani, who had time at the back post to curl and effort on target but the Dutchman pounced to push the ball away.
Braga showed great technique to spin away from his man on the touchline with 15 minutes remaining to bound into the box, but through on goal he got his angles wrong and fired straight at Pandur.
Reus then stopped a swerving long-range Dan Neil effort as Vrancken freshened his attack up by bringing on Wilson and JJ Williams for Miller and Braga.
A quick Hearts breakaway presented Williams with an opportunity when Kerjota found him in space, but he took it early, hitting a curling first-time shot from distance that Pandur was able to gather.
Disaster struck with one minute remaining when Makhanya rose highest to loop a header into the far corner of the net off the post to grab Rangers’ equaliser.
A sore end to an entertaining encounter, with all eyes now on Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hibs.
Hearts: Reus, McCart, Mille (Wilson, 77’), Braga (Williams, 77’), McPake (Guendouz, 91’), Magnusson, Altena, Kerjota, Fagan-Walcott, Mato (Kingsley, 32’), Mendy.
Subs: Fulton, Kabore, Dhanda, Pollock, Ba-Sy.
Rangers: Pandur, Neil (Chukwuani, 84’), Min-Su (Curtis, 84’), Kelsy, Naderi (Miovski, 85’), Sterling, Gassama (Bouanani, 54’), Makhanya, Penrice (Rommens, 62’), Fernandez, Raskin.
Subs: Kelly, Godfrey, Nedeljkovic, Dragojevic, Curtis.
