Rangers boss Mark Warburton has made two changes to his side for this afternoon’s top-of-the-table clash against Hibernian.
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“I wanted to make a statement that we were in there and that we’re going to chase Rangers as much as we can”, Stubbs told BBC Radio Scotland. After consecutive draws in his first three fixtures, McCall got his first win at Easter Road in March, but the scale of the task confronting him was confirmed by the news that the result served to confirm Hearts as runaway champions, leaving Rangers to fight it out with Hibs and Queen of the South in the play-offs.
Cummings’ goal was cancelled out just after the break when Lee Wallace’s shot deflected in off Darren McGregor.
But Paul Hanlon headed in the victor with 18 minutes left.
“There’s a long way to go”, added Stubbs. We knew it was going to be a hard game because Rangers are a good team but we know we’re a good team as well.
“If I’m being honest, Hibs were better than us last season, ‘ admitted McCall (right)”. That’s the situation and the simple facts, so from our point of view, while 11 points ahead is a dominant position, we are only a third of the way through the season and there will still be 72 points to play for after Sunday – that’s a lot of points. I’m delighted for the players. So we deserve a little bit of credit.
Rangers’ bid to win the Scottish Championship suffered a small dent as they lost their first game of the season, 2-1 to Hibernian.
Of Cummings, who has scored 11 times this season, Stubbs said the striker is “improving all the time”, but it was the energetic McGinn who attracted most praise. “He’s a manager’s dream and, most importantly, he’s a top lad”.
Alan Stubbs’ team have won nine games and drawn one since losing at Ibrox on August 23, a run which includes eliminating Aberdeen from the League Cup.
Like the last league game, he feels it may be a tight affair where one moment of class decides it.
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“We dominated – hit the bar, hit the post”. We had chance after chance but we have to hurt them.
