EDINBURGH: Rangers moved closer to a return to the Scottish Premiership with a 2-1 aggregate win over Hibs in the playoff semi-final match at Easter Road on Saturday.
The Glasgow giants, who lost their place in the top flight in 2012 after a financial meltdown, had won the first leg 2-0 at Ibrox on Wednesday.
A 1-0 loss on Saturday was enough to ease them through to a final playoff showdown with Motherwell who finished second from bottom of the Premier League.
Hibs, who were relegated through the playoffs last year, had most of the early pressure with Rangers Cammy Bell by far the busiest of the two goalkeepers.
Veteran striker Kenny Miller -- who scored one of their goals in the first leg -- came closest for the Glasgow side after 25 minutes as the game started to even out, but Hibs should have gone ahead 10 minutes later.
Impressive midfielder Scott Allen burst through the middle and sent Congolese striker Dominique Malonga clear on the left but he could only shoot weakly straight at a relieved Bell.
Malonga went close again as the second-half got underway with a shot that fizzled just inches wide, but Rangers were in general managing to keep the game low-key which was just what they wanted.
Hibs piled forward in search of the goal that would get them back in the contest and they had a succession of desperate appeals for a penalty turned down.
The home side finally broke their goal drought with a superb strike from Jason Cummings deep into extra-time but it came too late in the day as Rangers moved to within two games of playing once again in the Scottish top flight.
If successful they will join Hearts - runaway winners of the Championship who were automatically promoted to replace bottom dogs St Mirren.
McCall, who enjoyed a successful spell as manager at Motherwell until losing his job seven months ago, said that although his players were tired after overcoming both Queen of the South and Hibs in the playoffs, they would ready for the next step
"The good thing is the first game isn't until Thursday," he said. "The lads have just heard two words they've not heard for months - 'day off'.
"They won't be in tomorrow and even they are surprised at that.
"But Murray Park has fantastic facilities. They will get massaged, they will get looked after and will be ready to go on Thursday.
"They have got all June to be tired. We're not celebrating now, we're too tired to celebrate. We've done nothing yet, we've just given ourselves an opportunity."
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