HIS moment of madness did not, in the end, cost his side victory in what was one of their most important matches of the season.

Yet, the red carding of Rangers captain Lee McCulloch for a brainless challenge on Osman Sow just before half-time certainly made their task far more arduous.

And it once again raised a question that many Light Blues supporters have been asking for some time; does McCulloch have a future at Ibrox?

The former Scotland internationalist has borne the brunt of much of the criticism his often underperforming side has been subjected to this season.

He is an easy target because of his advancing years - he turns 37 next month - and his position this term in the heart of the rearguard.

And much of the flak which has flown in his direction, as is so often the case at the Glasgow giants, has been over the top and unjustified.

Nevertheless, manager Stuart McCall, or whoever else takes over, has a huge call to make on whether to offer McCulloch an extension to his current contract in the summer.

Incidents like the one in the narrow 2-1 triumph over SPFL Championship leaders Hearts damage his hopes of extending his stay at his boyhood heroes no end.

Yet, strangely, the game against Robbie Neilson's charges actually underlined the benefits of offering the former Motherwell and Wigan man a new deal.

It took some fairly frantic defending at the death from a makeshift rearguard that comprised Bilel Mohsni and Marius Zaliukas to repel Hearts.

If Darren McGregor, who was once again outstanding, had not been present would the Gers have managed to hold out for a victory that saw them leapfrog Hibs into second spot in the second tier table? It is highly debatable.

Being reduced to 10 men for 45 minutes contributed to them dropping deeper and deeper and helped Robbie Neilson's side stage a late comeback and net through Genero Zeefuik.

But Rangers would unquestionably have been far more comfortable if they had been able to call on the vast experience and utilise the considerable presence of their skipper.

Retaining the services of the Hall of Fame member, who is still one of the fittest members of the playing staff, would be beneficial to the club, both on and off the park, regardless of what division they are playing in during the 2014/15 campaign.

McCulloch will almost certainly accept a drop in wages, even if his club win promotion to the Premiership, and would, as he has been in the past, be an invaluable member of the Gers squad,

The defender, who is dubbed "Elbows" by his detractors, had the decency to apologise for his appalling foul on Sow at the end of an incident-packed 90 minutes.

He should certainly have known better. But it underlines how, in the heat of the moment in an important game with an intense atmosphere, senior players can do rash things.

Rangers fans should ask who would they rather have organising the team, dictating play and offering words of encouragement at the back? McCulloch, Mohsni or Zaliukas?

Acquiring reliable centre backs is not straightforward for Scottish football clubs. So holding on to their on-field leader for a bit longer makes perfect sense on so many levels for the League One champions.

Having said that, the ordering off of McCulloch jeopardised what should have been a straightforward victory for Rangers given how well they had played during the first 45 minutes.

Kenny Miller and Haris Vuckic netted two well-executed goals against rivals in a one-sided first half and McCall's team was cruising.

Yes, match official Bobby Madden made a couple of bizarre calls and the visitors could feel aggrieved he failed to award them a penalty and play advantage when they were bearing down on the opposition goal.

But even when their opponents were reduced to 10 men they were second best for long spells in the second half. The better team on the day won.

The loss of McCulloch is another headache for McCall heading into a difficult away game on Thursday night against a Queen of the South side on a huge high after a 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road.

Still, Rangers will head for Dumfries this week brimming with confidence and hopeful they can record a fourth successive triumph and increase their prospects of finishing the Championship as runners-up.

The meeting with James Fowler's side is their game in hand. They can forge six points clear with five games remaining if they triumph and more or less ensure they avoid the first round of play-off matches.

The game at Ibrox yesterday attracted the second largest attendance of the season at a Rangers home game - a crowd of 40,521 filed through the turnstiles up to see a game that was shown live on television.

That turnout was, after the club being delisted from the stock exchange on Friday having failed to secure a nomad, positive and showed the potential they have if the new board can sort out off-field matters.

Completing "The Journey" and joining their Old Firm rivals Celtic in the top flight of Scottish football once again after three difficult years away will go a long way towards alleviating the financial problems they continue to wrestle with.

That looks more likely after what was arguably their best all-round team display of the season. But there is still much football to be played in the weeks ahead. And any more rash orderings off could be costly in future.

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