Rangers manager Alex McLeish walked out of Easter Road a comprehensive winner following an astonishing evening that saw the club he had just left, Hibernian, finish with nine men.

A rare goal from Craig Moore had given the visitors a half time lead and when substitute Tore Andre Flo made it 2-0 late on the result was never in doubt.

But the controversial part of a hard-fought game was just about to begin as, with only a few minutes remaining Ulrik Laursen was sent off for handling a Fernando Ricksen shot to give away a penalty.

Shota Arveladze converted it - but not before home sustitute Tom McManus had been sent off for verbally abusing referee Mike McCurry, and the Hibs man also appeared to push the official as well as clashing with Barry Ferguson.

It was a remarkable ending to a match that was always in danger of being a powder keg of an encounter given the swiftness of McLeish's departure for Ibrox earlier in the month.

The first half had ended with McLeish wondering why his side could not turn an overdose of chances into goals and Franck Sauzee, McLeish's successor at Easter Road, pondering why his backline were repeatedly unable to deal with corners to the back post.

One such delivery, supplied by Ricksen, led to Moore's opener, his first in a Rangers shirt since February last year.

But the Australian, who had scored for his country but not his club before tonight, squandered three other good opportunities in almost precisely the same circumstances.

The first was unlucky, coming directly before the goal, as Nick Colgan in the home goal had pulled off a fine reaction save from point blank range to tip the ball over via the top of the crossbar.

An immediate repeat from the other flank saw Moore head unchallenged past Colgan to open the scoring in the 16th minute and Colgan was required to save at his near post from the Australian was once again not picked up there soon afterwards.

The final flag kick chance was wasted by Moore as he powered an unmarked header wide from right in front of goal.

Moore was also culpable at the other end when he carelessly allowed Freddie Arpinon to charge down a clearance and that put Paco Luna in on goal.

It was to be the home side's only clear-cut opportunity of the first half and came to nothing once Stefan Klos dived bravely at the striker's feet as he attempted to go round the German.

Rangers captain Ferguson had enjoyed a half in which he bossed the centre of the park as he was involved in a superb passing move that set the recalled Peter Lovenkrands behind his marker, Alen Orman.

This happened twice and on both occasions Colgan pulled off fine near post saves to deny the speedy Dane, who had started on a night when Flo started on the bench and Ronald de Boer nowhere to be seen.

Indeed, two Hibs players were booked for fouling Lovenkrands - Orman early on and Luna just before the break - and the Rangers man had almost supplied an early opener for another recalled player, Claudio Caniggia, only to see the Argentinian head a good chance wide.

Hibs almost made Rangers pay for their earlier profligacy straight after the restart when Fenwick planted a cross on to the head of the unmarked Luna.

His effort was weak however, although Klos looked none too convincing in tipping it over.

When Ferguson was penalised for impeding Grant Brebner 25 yards in front of goal the former Manchester United man took the free-kick, forcing Klos into a diving parry and Luna dived to head the loose ball just wide.

The woodwork denied Rangers a second after Lovenkrands had used his pace to take the ball round the advancing Colgan, who had at least forced him wide.

The ball still found its way to Caniggia in the box but by the time he turned to shoot, Colgan was back and the ball smacked back into play off the bar.

An immediate Hibs counter saw Luna slide in behind the Rangers rearguard only to fail to get enough of a touch on the ball to trouble Klos.

Earlier Moore had headed wide from another corner, albeit via a deflection, while at the other end Fenwick should have done better than head over from Hibs' skipper John O'Neil's precise cross.

On came Flo with a quarter of an hour to play and, after a false start of a handball with his first touch, he was denied a clincher by Colgan.

Lorenzo Amoruso had punted the ball upfield and Arveladze had done well to control the high ball before playing a high quality reverse pass to put the Norseman clear.

Colgan saved his side again by coming off his line to block the shot and, at the other end, Klos was needed to save an effort by a Hibs replacement, David Zitelli.

It looked like Moore's goal would decide matters until Flo netted a cool second by rounding Gary Smith before beating Colgan and chaos followed the penalty clincher that Arveladze fired impressively high past Colgan.

Teams:

Hibernian: Colgan, Orman, Fenwick, Smith, Laursen, De la Cruz (McManus 67), O'Neil, Brebner, Murray (Zitelli 77), Luna, Arpinon (Hurtado 75).

Subs Not Used: Caig, Jack.

Sent Off: Laursen (87), McManus (88).

Booked: Orman, Luna, Murray.

Rangers: Klos, Ross, Amoruso, Moore (Vidmar 85), Ricksen, Konterman, Ferguson, Numan, Arveladze, Caniggia (McCann 58), Lovenkrands (Flo 74).

Subs Not Used: Christiansen, Dodds.

Booked: Konterman, Ricksen.

Goals: Moore 16, Flo 85, Arveladze 88 pen.

Att: 14,021

Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).