Rangers manager Ally McCoist paid tribute to the spirit shown by Nikica Jelavic for shrugging off an illness to help secure a 2-0 win over Hearts in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
The striker was rated doubtful for the clash at Tynecastle after suffering from a bug over the weekend but travelled with the rest of the squad to Edinburgh and started among the substitutes. The Croatian came off the bench and netted Rangers' second of the day within three minutes to put the seal on the win after Steven Naismith opened the scoring in the first half.
McCoist said: "He did really well because on Friday and Saturday morning to be honest I didn't think he had any chance of appearing at all. But he has great spirit and he wanted to come and give himself an opportunity."
He added: "He came to the hotel last night and we locked him away and he got up in the morning and he felt that he could give us something from the bench. And did he not just do that."
Reflecting on the action at Tynecastle, the Rangers boss added: "I thought we were very, very professional and very solid. When you come to a place like Tynecastle and get anything they make you earn it and we certainly earned it."
Hearts' boss Paulo Sergio told the club's official website: "I don't think this match should have been a draw. We should have won the game. We were better but we made two mistakes and when you play big teams, they'll punish you.
"Defensively, the first goal was too easy and the second goal - I don't need to say anything. Under-15 teams would not concede a goal like this, one ball to the striker who scored a good goal. We should not be allowing things like this.
"We created seven or eight good opportunities and that is encouraging but we must score. The result was unfair but we need to score our chances.
"I felt we defended well as a unit. The players did their jobs but the mistakes cost us. We will work on these mistakes but I am satisfied.
"Their goalkeeper won them the points today and that was down to the work of our players. Each week I learn more and I find out more of their strengths and we will use this to try to move forward."
Source: PA
