After a week in which the brickbats had rained down on him, Danny Rohl was entitled to savour the degree of vindication which accompanied this prized victory.
By hook or by crook, securing four points from Motherwell and Hearts was always going to constitute a good outcome for Rangers as the home straight in this title race starts to come into view.
Those who criticised the German for a succession of perplexing personnel changes in the former match are now compelled to acknowledge that his strategy paid off in the latter.
The only thing that truly matters is that having been 13 points adrift of the Tynecastle men when he came in, Rangers are now breathing down the neck of the league leaders. If they edge ahead in the coming days, you suspect they might stay there.
While this perhaps wasn’t a must-win scenario for Rohl’s side, it was certainly a match they could not afford to lose. And they had to endure considerable adversity before emerging with the three points.
An indifferent start saw them fall behind, level and go behind again. Cometh the hour, though, cometh the most unlikely hero.
Youssef Chermiti savours his hat-trick on an afternoon that pushed Rangers closer to Hearts
Much-maligned striker Chermiti lashes home his third goal to ease the home crowd’s nerves
Rangers boss Danny Rohl was delighted to win after only drawing at Motherwell in midweek
Much maligned since moving from Everton for £8million, Youssef Chermiti would often have struggled to win a popularity contest in his own household. This, by some distance, though, was the forward’s best day in a Rangers jersey.
Having drilled home the second equaliser six minutes from the break, he seemed to be on a mission to nail the victory thereafter. He provided two exquisite finishes to wrap up the points and claim the match ball for the first time on his career.
Watching him pose for photographs and selfies with the sphere under his arm at full-time was another great plot twist in this already mad season.
This was a sore one for Derek McInnes’ side. Hearts had prevailed in the Edinburgh derby despite not playing well and didn’t heed the warning. Rangers were always likely to punish a display which was similarly wanting.
The most painful thing for their manager was that they were in the contest for long periods. But, having gone ahead — first through Marc Leonard then Claudio Braga — they only held firm for three then nine minutes, respectively.
They looked done for the minute Chermiti struck the third, just unable to rouse themselves and grab the point they’d have settled for before a ball was kicked.
On-loan Hearts midfielder Marc Leonard opened the scoring after a Manny Fernandez error
Hearts are still very much in this title race. But they’ll have to show more gumption than they did in the second half if that’s to remain the case.
We’ve seen a few extraordinary encounters to this point in the season to date and doubtless we’ll witness several more. We might do well to see anything better than this, however. Ninety minutes plus the rest of sheer bonkerdom.
The relentless commitment of both sides. One side on top then the other bouncing back. Slip-ups and errors punctuated with some sublime moments of quality. The only regret was that it had to end at some point.
A tame start was no indicator of the drama which was to unfold. The early departure of the injured Oisin McEntee was the only incident of note with Michael Steinwender, his replacement, never far from the action.
Hearts’ opener was a shocker from Rangers’ point of view. Manny Fernandez thought about playing Nico Raskin in then thought again. Just as the Belgian turned his back on him, he tried to revert to Plan A.
With Raskin having taken himself out of the game, Leonard nipped in and advanced.
The Scot fed Braga and kept going. The Portuguese held the ball up, swivelled and produced the perfect cut-back. Leonard swept it into the top corner past the static Jack Butland.
Hearts substitute Michael Steinwender levelled for Rangers with a clumsy own goal
Chermiti hauled Rangers level again before the break after Claudio Braga had scored for Hearts
It should have settled Hearts. Instead, much to their manager’s frustration, they turned the ball over cheaply.
Within three minutes, Rangers drew level. It owed everything to Steinwender losing his head amid all the madness.
Tuur Rommens’ cross from the left forced Alexander Schwolow to beat away Chermiti’s header. Mikey Moore thumped the rebound into the turf and saw the ball bounce back off the bar. Although Ryan Naderi was in close proximity, there was no reason for Steinwender to panic and lash the ball past his own keeper.
Rangers briefly exerted their authority on the chaotic contest. Mikey Moore’s dancing feet fashioned a chance. Craig Halkett produced an outstanding block.
Steinwender redeemed himself in some style as Hearts retook the lead on the half hour mark. In an advanced position, his clipped cross from the right was a peach. With John Souttar pressurising him, Braga looked second favourite to win the joust. Somehow, he twisted his body and executed a wondrous looping header which crept inside Butland’s far post.
This time, Hearts’ advantage would last only nine minutes. The breakdown of a visiting counter saw Fernandez charge up the park. He played in Andreas Skov Olsen with the Dane then finding Naderi.
The German’s flick found Chermiti with much to do. Halkett went to ground and was left cursing his luck when his block went straight back into the path of the Portuguese.
Chermiti drilled the ball low behind Schwolow to complete the scoring in a breathless first half.
McInnes introduced Pierre Landry Kabore and Jordi Altena at the break and initially it looked like his side had wrestled back control of the match. What did we know?
Just before the hour mark, a lack of communication between Harry Milne and Halkett afforded Skov Olsen too much time on the right.
The winger’s cross was measured to perfection. Chermiti rose and buried the header with aplomb. For the first time, Rangers were leading.
You sensed a fourth goal would just about finish it. Moore fired narrowly over. Rommens had a goal-bound strike blocked. Hearts kept believing.
An exquisite Chermiti header from a fine Andreas Skov Olsen cross was the pick of the goals
There was not much calmness to be found amid the mayhem, but if any side was showing periods of composure, it was the one in blue.
Naderi looked set to finish it when he ran onto Chermiti’s flick-on. Harry Milne somehow made up the ground.
On a as a sub, Oliver Antman flashed a fierce strike wide of the post. Had it gone in, it would have saved the nerves of the home fans being shredded as the clock wound down.
It took until the 90th minute for the issue to finally be settled. A long Hearts free-kick was knocked clear and suddenly Djeidi Gassama was eating up the ground.
Just as he looked be running out of ideas, the perfect slide-rile pass teed up Chermiti.
The Portuguese executed a precise right foot finish to find the far corner and bring a close to a riotous afternoon at Ibrox.