Rangers 2 Hibs 3: History boys end 114-year Scottish Cup hoodoo

THE 131st Scottish Cup Final was always going to be momentous.

Either Hibs captured the Cup for the first time in 114 years or Mark Warburton’s side won their first truly national trophy since the financial meltdown of 2012.

What no one could have forecast was the dramatic wait in which the Easter Road club ended a wait stretching back to 1902, scoring a winner in injury time after trailing with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Nor the shameful scenes which followed as the many thousands of their followers poured onto the pitch unchecked by police.

With hundreds going straight down the pitch to taunt their rivals, almost inevitably others jumped the advertising hoardings at the other end in retaliation.

For several minutes there were numerous fistfights and – most shockingly of all – there were attacks on Rangers players with Andy Halliday and Lee Wallace kicked and punched.

At length, and for the first time since alcohol was banned in 1980, police horses came on to the pitch to restore order.

Even then it wasn’t over with some Hibs supporters ignoring pleas over the tannoy to return to their seats delaying the presentation of the Cup itself.

It was a crying shame because up until the madness this had been a great occasion with Hampden was sold out and the famous old Glasgow ground fairly throbbing with atmosphere.

Hibs had got the tie off to the perfect start by streaking into the lead before the last of the stragglers had found their seats.

Jason Cummings was the creator, playing Anthony Stokes in down the left flank.

From there the Irishman cut inside and looked up before curling a low right-foot shot across the advancing Wes Foderingham and in at his far post.

Yet for as much as it was an impressively composed finish, it was a dreadful goal to lose from Rangers’ perspective.

James Tavernier was caught out of position, leaving the space for Stokes to run into, and Rob Kiernan was guilty of backing off far too much from the Hibs striker as he advanced in on goal.

The attacking threat offered by the Englishman is a huge part of Rangers game, though, and it was shown to great effect in their equaliser.

Andy Halliday rolled the ball out wide to the full-back who expertly picked out the run of Kenny Miller at the back of the box.

Blessed with the benefit of a run, the former Scotland internationalist sprung easily above Darren McGregor and powered a header down and into the net.

It was great entertainment – at both ends of the park – with first Stokes driving a shot from distance low on to the post then Miller, the goalscorer, hitting the Hibs crossbar with another header when curiously left unmarked at a corner from Barrie McKay.

Hibs didn’t heed the warning for shortly after the hour mark they fell behind to a rocket shot from Andy Halliday.

The boyhood Rangers fan, the star turn in the semi-final victory over Celtic, had been a largely peripheral figure until then.

Yet when the ball was played into his feet 25 yards out, he didn’t hesitate, darting sideways to make the pressure John McGinn irrelevant and thumping a screamer of an effort inside Conrad Logan’s left-hand post.

And just like that, Hibs who had looked so bright in the early stages, were behind for the first time in the match and staring down the barrel of yet another disappointment.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and Alan Stubbs was in no mood to watch on passively from the side-lines.

Off went Jason Cummings, for so much of this campaign their talisman and a reported signing target of Rangers for the threat he offers up front, and Liam Fontaine.

On, in their place, came James Keatings and Liam Henderson, the midfielder on loan from Celtic.

Henderson’s omission had been a minor talking point and the 20-year-old showed why he should have been involved when providing the assists first for the equaliser his side craved and then for their dramatic winner.

He stepped up to take a corner from the right, swung the ball in to the near post and saw his aim proved spot on when Stokes held off the challenge of Tavernier to head in.

And it was case of déjà vu in injury time when, again from the right, he sent in another set-piece and David Gray darted in to fire a header into the far corner.

It was a goal that both ended a jinx and sparked a riot.

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