Hibs 5-5 Rangers: Marvin Bartley recalls the moment Neil Lennon took flight on a 'crazy day'

Sunday 13 May, 2018: It was a game that had everything. A glut of goals, momentum shifts, thundering tackles, a red card and an injury-time equaliser to round off a hat-trick. It also had Neil Lennon running around the pitch pretending to be an aeroplane as fans basked in the sunshine and the moment.

“It was a crazy day!” recalls form Hibs midfielder Marvin Bartley, who was left on the Easter Road bench as the Leith side set out on an unenviable quest - to secure a six-goal victory over Rangers and leapfrog them into third place.

“Being on the bench, you feel the emotion around you more than you do when you are playing, and there was plenty of emotion that day.

“We needed to win by six goals and with just over 20 minutes gone, we were 3-0 up. Flo [Kamberi] got the first in about 10 minutes Then a few minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to Scotty Allan. We were all looking at each other and thinking the same thing. We knew if we didn’t concede in the next 10-15 minutes then we might have a chance.

“Neil Lennon was delighted on the sidelines and he was even happier when Jamie Maclaren scored the first of his hat-trick.”

In rampant form and with the job half done after just 22 minutes, Lennon told a bunch of the subs to warm up. Surprised, Bartley sensed there was about to be a change to the gameplan, as the highly-charged home boss plotted how best to keep the pressure on while strengthening at the back.

But the window of opportunity slammed before he could act. Just three minutes later, the pendulum began to swing as James Tavernier and then Jordan Rossiter pulled two back as the play pulsated from one end to the other.

“Even when we were 3-0 up, Rangers weren’t playing badly, we were just taking every chance that came our way,” explains Bartley. “For a few minutes we all thought we had a great chance of stunning everyone and getting the result we needed to go third. But maybe there was a bit of naivety from us on the pitch. We were playing well but we wanted the fourth and fifth straight away, instead of being more patient. It was a baking hot day and they were the team who had to chase it.but we kept pressing and they got back into it.

“By the time they had got it back to 3-2 we knew we weren’t going to get the six-goal win we needed - it was just about getting the win.”

But by half-time they were all square.

“Bruno Alves scored a spectacular free-kick for them. Even although he was a centre-back, I’d said to the guys that he was a threat because he was something of a specialist. I wish I hadn’t been proved right!”

The mesmerising game had a few more twists and turns to take, though and the Ibrox side moved 5-3 ahead in the second half thanks to two deflected goals.

But Hibs striker Maclaren hadn’t clocked out.

“I was really pleased for him that day because he had just been told that he wasn’t in the initial [Australia] squad for the World Cup. He’d only found out the night before and told me on the way to the game. He did eventually get to go but at that time was gutted so it was incredible that he managed to put that to one side and get a hat-trick.”

His 70th minute strike took the home side back within touching distance of their visitors and set up an exciting climax and a never-to-be forgotten celebration.

With Jason Holt red-carded for Rangers, the Aussie forward grabbed the equaliser three minutes into time added on.

“It was crazy. We were all celebrating but then we saw Neil Lennon running onto the pitch pretending to be an aeroplane and we all just burst out laughing. He is a fantastic character and after the banter from the Rangers fans, it was his release. He was like a kid, running around the playground. It wasn’t nastiness, it was childlike joy.

“I still don’t know why he did an aeroplane instead of something more obvious like a Klinsmann slide or Alan Shearer’s one arm raised. But we couldn’t stop laughing.

“What a finish to a game that had goals, drama, tension, joy. It was a really funny game and an amazing game to finish the season. Sometimes the last game of the season can be played out at testimonial pace, especially when it is so hot. But not that one. Everyone went into the close season buzzing and it left both sets of fans wanting more. I’m sure it helped season ticket sales that summer!”