Livingston Vs Rangers: 2-2 draw, red cards and a reshaped title race

livingston vs rangers finished 2-2 in a game defined by a stunning long-range volley, a red card that swung momentum and a late Rangers fightback that left the premiership picture tighter than before. The result came on the same day Celtic were beaten at home, amplifying pressure on the Glasgow clubs as the season approaches the league split.

Livingston Vs Rangers: goals, red cards and late fightback

Livingston raced into a 2-0 lead when Robbie Muirhead delivered a free-kick that Brooklyn Kabongolo met with a volley past Jack Butland. Kabongolo, a defender who had been playing in the English sixth tier last season, produced what commentators called a "sensational strike" to open the scoring. A second goal from Smith put the bottom club two up before a turning point arrived: Montano was sent off. The dismissal altered the dynamic, and Rangers clawed back with a Fernandez strike and a Moore glancing finish to level the game at 2-2.

Earlier in the match Rangers had won a central free-kick on the edge of the box; James Tavernier struck it well but Jerome Prior got across to palm the effort away. There were also appeals when the ball appeared to strike Jack Iredale's arm during a challenge on Benjamin Nygren, though the defender's arm was by his side at the moment.

Danny Röhl outlines title strategy

Rangers head coach Danny Röhl said there "should be no question mark" over his players' ability to handle a title fight and stressed the importance of consistency with six matches remaining before the league splits in April. Röhl highlighted that Rangers sit two points behind leaders Hearts and one clear of Celtic, who hold a game in hand, and warned that results over the next six games will set up the final five fixtures after the split.

Röhl noted the fine margins at stake: what looks like three points now can decide whether the gap is two, five or eight points by the split. He reminded the squad that, since taking charge in October after Russell Martin's departure, Rangers have lost just one of 19 league matches and have taken the most points of any top-flight team in that span. Röhl also urged his players to avoid complacency in fixtures perceived as easy, drawing a parallel with Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Wolves as an example of dropped opportunity.

Table pressure: Motherwell, Hearts and Celtic

Across the day Motherwell picked up an emphatic win and Hearts also won, intensifying pressure on the Glasgow sides. Michael Stewart, a former Hearts and Hibs midfielder, said Motherwell's emphatic win and Hearts' victory apply extra pressure on both Celtic and Rangers. The coming week schedules Hearts at home against Aberdeen and Motherwell at home against Dundee United; if results go a certain way, Motherwell would be one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers ahead of a direct meeting between Celtic and Rangers the next day.

That sequence raises the possibility that Motherwell could finish above one or even both of the Glasgow clubs, and commentators suggested Celtic and Rangers could slip to third and fourth if the current momentum continues.

Reactions from managers: Marvin Bartley and David Gray

Livingston manager Marvin Bartley described the contest as "a real rollercoaster of emotions, " saying he would have taken a 2-2 draw before the game. Bartley judged that Livingston had looked comfortable at 2-0, that the sending-off was the turning point, and that his players "gave me everything today. " He added that it will take a lot for Livingston to change their situation but that he saw many positives.

Hibernian head coach David Gray reflected on his side's 2-1 win over Celtic, saying "it's been a long time coming" and noting that his team had twice this season been in similar positions without losing. Gray called the result a "massive three points" built on a positive result the previous week against St Mirren, and pointed out Hibernian sit five points behind Motherwell while still facing them twice. He emphasized the need to take one game at a time while pushing up the table.

Incidents, individual moments and fan reaction

The full-time scores for the afternoon were Celtic 1-2 Hibernian — with Felix Passlack and Benjamin Nygren heading in before Andrews' late winner after Trusty was sent off — and Livingston 2-2 Rangers. Benjamin Nygren had been denied a clean finish on one occasion when his effort for the bottom-right corner took a slight deflection and missed the target. Julian Araujo produced a fine block to keep out Nicky Cadden as Hibernian probed in another sequence.

On social reaction some critics were blunt about recent displays, attacking Russell Martin's assessment of a performance as "terrific, " calling the defence "rubbish, " accusing midfielders of retreating and singling out Trusty for harsh criticism. Managers and players alike will now confront a compressed run of fixtures where individual incidents — a red card here, a late winner there — have already shown they can alter not only matches but the shape of the title race.

Highlights of the day's matches are scheduled at 19: 15, and live coverage for upcoming fixtures is listed from 2: 30pm with a 3: 00pm kick-off for the tie at Livingston as the race to the split intensifies.