By Fraser Wilson

Copyright dailyrecord

Right in the Nico time. Just when teetering Russell Martin was hunting a saviour to pull him back from the brink who else would step up but the very man who he’d just brought back from the naughty step? Nico Raskin’s 42nd minute opener relieved building tension in a protest-packed Ibrox and laid the groundwork for a Premier Sports Cup victory that buys the under-fire boss a bit of time. Bojan Miovski opened his account to make it 2-0 on what ended a comfortable win for Rangers. But it was Raskin who stole the show with a typical breathless display in the engine room topped off by a goal that might prove to be the biggest of Martin’s reign – no matter how long it lasts. The pre-match protest against the boss on Edmiston Drive might have lacked intensity, a bit like the performances which had brought the demo against the under-fire manger and chief executive Patrick Stewart . But the thousands of empty seat inside spoke volumes for anger towards the boss – with owner Andrew Cavenagh in attendance to face the growing crisis head on. A rubber ball protest by the Union Bears after 12 minutes added to the toxicity. Whether the boss can bounce back will depend on more 90 minutes like this. It didn’t appear to start well. HIbs were denied an opener by VAR after 19 minutes when Martin Boyle’s touch took him clear of Derek Cornelius and the skipper buried in the bottom corner before VAR spotted he’d controlled with his left arm. Rangers looked to be struggling for an opening. But then Raskin stepped up in the 42nd minute. The midfielder defied his lack of inches to get across Rocky Bushiri and brilliantly glance a header from James Tavernier’s corner beyond Raphael Sallinger. It soon got even better as Miovski opened his account in first half added time. Mikey Moore cut in off the right, saw his shot blocked by Bushiri but Miovski was in the perfect spot to bury the rebound. After the break Djeidi Gassama struck the bar, Miovski has an effort clear off the line and another chalked off for offside. But Rangers were home and hosed .. and Martin’s walk down the tunnel was a hell of a lot comfier than the trek last week. Here’s five talking points from Ibrox. It just had to be Raskin. The cheer that went up for Rangers number 43 when the teams were read out ahead of kick off told its own story. But it was nothing compared to the roar that greeted Raskin’s opener as he got across Bushiri to glance home Tavernier’s corner. With the pressure at breaking point Martin opted to put the dynamo back in his midfield for the first time since the battering in Brugge. And he proved why. Box to box energy from the base of midfield, tenacious in the tackle and looking to support the attack at the other end. He led by example. There’s a reason why he’s a starter for Belgium. Even Martin knows he can’t do without him now. He even afford the 24-year-old a warm pat on the back as he left the park to a standing ovation. The planned protest ahead of kick off was a bit like Martin’s side have been – timid. But the sentiment among the 1500 punters was clear. It only took 14 seconds of the game for the first round of ‘Martin Get tae ….’ to ring round the stadium. Yet this performance was largely everything that’s been missing of late. Rangers controlled the vast majority of the encounter, looked tidy up to the final third even if they looked toothless at times and eventually found a cutting edge. They even got a VAR decision going their way when it looked like Hibs had streaked ahead. It’ll take a hell of a lot more to get fans back onside, if they can be won round. But it’s a start. Who knows how things might have transpired had VAR not spotted the handball I the build-up to Martin Boyle’s 19th minute strike. It was the right call though and other than that HIbs never looked like following up their Edinburgh rivals Hearts victory here a week earlier. Kieron Bowie was a handful as always but scuffed his one sight of goal wide after the break while John Souttar and the impressive Derek Cornelius kept Boyle largely in check. It’s now five without a win for David Gray’s side who face Falkirk and Celtic in the next week. They badly need a win. Martin has accused his players of looking scared and being crippled by anxiety feeding down from the crowd. One man that can’t apply to is Djeidi Gassama. From the moment he announced his arrival against Panathinaikos the left winger has been the most direct player in Rangers’ attack. Again here he ran at and tormented Josh Mulligan and saw a second half effort crack the bar. On the other side Mikey Moore came up with an assist for the second goal. But he needs to produce more impact. A penny for the thoughts of Rangers’ American owner after this. If ever a barometer was needed for the feeling towards the current management and chief executive it was the vast swathes of empty spaces in the stadium. The official attendance was given as a generous 34,000 including 2400 Hibees but it looked less. If the evening began against the backdrop of protests it ended with something a little closer to harmony after a satisfactory performance. We’ll never know if Cavenagh was in town ready to pull the trigger on another defeat. But Martin has to ensure this is a turning point.