Wednesday night's visit to Tynecastle will have generated mixed emotions for Rangers supporters, with the late equaliser ensuring there were at least some positives to take out of the game.

Olwethu Makhanya, whose first goal for the club prevented Hearts from narrowing the gap on his side to just one point and Celtic from moving a further point clear, was once again outstanding.

The effortlessness with which he strolls through games brings to mind the performances of Virgil van Dijk or Jean-Alain Boumsong in Scotland. He, like them, looks a cut above and Rangers fans should enjoy him while he is at the club, for he surely won't be around for long.

The point gained (and it did feel more like that than two dropped) is better than Rangers managed on either of last season's visits to Tynecastle and stretches their unbeaten run to 10 matches going into Saturday's League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, so the momentum continues to build.

So does the relationship between Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsy, who combined again for the opener, well tucked away by the Venezuelan for a third goal in two games.

However, those positives cannot disguise the fact this was not a particularly good Rangers performance.

Sloppiness and bad decision-making meant Hearts were presented with numerous opportunities to deliver set-pieces into the Rangers box and having failed to learn their lesson in the first half, Rangers were finally punished when one of those led to the Hearts equaliser.

The balance of having Badredine Bouanani coming in off the right and Kin Min-su Kim off the left was disrupted by Derek McInnes's decision to start Djeidi Gassama instead of Bouanani, moving Kim to the right.

Gassama failed to make an impact and was eventually replaced shortly after Hearts drew level. Kim, who had been terrific on Saturday against St Johnstone, had an off night and was at fault for Hearts' second.

Findlay Curtis can consider himself unfortunate not to have been called upon to replace the Korean until six minutes from time, when Tochi Chukwuani and Bojan Miovski were also thrown on.

Ultimately McInnes was vindicated with the late equaliser but it felt like earlier changes would have been more beneficial.

Nonetheless, it is a point that perhaps Rangers teams of recent times would not have been able to salvage and they go into Saturday's meeting at Hampden with a beleaguered Aberdeen side as strong favourites.

If they can win that and their final league match against St Mirren before the international break, Rangers will be in a good place.