McCulloch hails character

McCulloch: Hails character

Lee McCulloch says Rangers showed their true colours after overcoming the odds by securing an unlikely 2-1 win at Hearts on Sunday.

Gers at one stage looked to have little chance of getting anything from their trip to Tynecastle as they found themselves a man and a goal down.

Former Wigan attacker McCulloch emerged off the bench to level matters just after the hour mark before Kris Boyd's last-gasp penalty sealed a dramatic victory.

"I think it shows we've got character," said McCulloch.

"Coming in at half-time after not playing the best in the first half and a man down away from home, you are obviously up against it.

Character

"To go and score two goals and not give them any clear-cut chances says a hell of a lot about us.

"It was hard work. It was a really physical game and the first half was probably hard to watch.

"There were a lot of balls in the air and it was a bit of a scrap. That was their third game in a week but I think we started like it was our third game."

Rangers had to play much of the match a man down after Kevin Thomson was shown a red card for a challenge on Ian Black after just 14 minutes.

McCulloch did not feel Thomson's tackle warranted referee Craig Thomson dismissing the midfielder who was making his first start since suffering a serious knee injury last November.

Back foot

"We were sloppy, bad in possession and when Thommo got sent off it put us on the back foot a bit," he continued.

"They scored a goal but we changed our formation at half-time and I thought we deserved to win the game.

"I asked the referee and he said he caught him with his trailing leg and it was a sending off.

"To be honest I don't know. It didn't look too bad from where I was standing.

"I didn't think the referee was too bad today and, if he had just booked him, I would have said he had a great game."