Sports News of Sunday, 18 May 2025

Source: www.punchng.com

Dessers ends season on high with 29th goal

In-form Cyriel Dessers wrapped up his 2024/2025 campaign on a brilliant note, as he scored his 29th goal of the season to help Glasgow Rangers earn a point in their 2-2 draw away to Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday in what was the final domestic round of matches.

The Super Eagles striker, who netted his 50th goal for the Ibrox outfit when he scored a brace in the team’s 3-1 win over Dundee United in a Scottish Premiership encounter during the week, found the back of the net as early as the second minute, off an assist from Nico Raskin to hand Rangers the lead.

Raskin thought he had scored a second for Rangers, but Rocky Bushiri cleared the ball from under the crossbar. The centre referee, Nick Walsh, and his on-field officials believed the ball did not cross the line and allowed play to continue, with Hibs going up the field and scoring the equaliser through Kieran Bowie in the 16th minute.

The impressive Nico Raskin put Rangers in front once again in the 50th minute, but Martin Boyle levelled for Hibernian after connecting with a Nicky Cadden cross for his 20th goal of the season.

Rangers could have won it late on, but a string of excellent saves from Hibs’ goalkeeper Jordan Smith denied Dessers and Danilo Pereira. In the end, it finished with both teams getting a share of the spoils as the curtains came down on a thrilling Scottish Premiership season.

Rangers finished the season in second position on the table with 75 points, having won 22 games, drawn nine and lost seven. They trailed champions Celtic by as much as 17 points in an underwhelming campaign.

As for Dessers, who joined Rangers for around €5m in the summer of 2023 from Italian side Cremonese, he scored 29 times and provided seven assists in 55 matches across all competitions this season. His overall tally for the Gers since his arrival stands at 51 goals and 16 assists in 109 appearances.