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David Gray insists Rangers win undeserved as Hibs boss reacts to penalty miss

David Gray speaks to Nick Walsh at full-time
-Credit: (Image: SNS Group)


David Gray insists Hibs deserved to walk away with at least a point at Ibrox.

The Hibees extended their three-year winless run against Rangers after falling to a 1-0 defeat in Glasgow today. Tom Lawrence's wondergoal proved the difference but Hibs wasted several opportunities to equalise, with Mykola Kukharevych missing a penalty kick. Easter Road boss Gray was proud of his side's performance but was left scratching his head after departing Ibrox empty-handed.

He told Sky Sports: "Listen, I never accept losing games of football but I think the players didn't deserve to lose the game. I thought we were excellent in the game. We had numerous chances. You saw the way the game finished, I really felt that we should've at least got something from it.

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"The first-half, credit to the boys for sticking to the gameplan as we knew the first 20 minutes was going to be tough. Rangers were off the back of a really good result midweek. It's their first league game back here, 50,000 supporters, it was always going to be a lively start but I thought we coped with that really well.

"The goal they scored is a wondergoal. Josef [Bursik] makes a brilliant save for us in the second-half, but we had numerous chances as well. We missed a penalty, and as I say, I'm proud of the players of their efforts and for sticking to the gameplan and actually, the performance they put in was fantastic."

Kukharevych had his head in his hands after his stuttered penalty kick routine backfired but Gray refused to blame the on-loan Swansea City striker. He added: "I wouldn't criticise anyone for sticking their hand up to take a penalty. I certainly wouldn't have done it in my career, that's why I was a defender probably.

"Does he regret it? If he could take it again would he put his foot through it? Absolutley. Big moment in the game but even then I thought the players' reaction to not scoring the penalty - which was like a goal for Rangers - we got control of the game and were really good after that."