THE SPFL Championship promised much last summer when Hibs were relegated after losing to Hamilton Academical on penalties in the first Premiership play-off final.

 

Having Hearts, Hibs and Rangers - three of the five biggest clubs in Scotland - in the second tier slugging it out for promotion was an enticing prospect.

Many fans and pundits claimed it would be a superior league to the top flight where Celtic would, it was also widely anticipated, stroll to victory unchallenged.

Neither of those predictions, however, proved accurate.

Hearts romped to the Championship without being troubled by either their Edinburgh or Glasgow rivals. They only suffered three defeats in 36 games.

Celtic, meanwhile, needed to, regardless of what Kris Commons claimed last week, withstand a spirited challenge from Aberdeen to prevail.

Yet, the Premiership Play-Offs this month promise to make amends, and then some, for whatever drama and excitement a league that became a decidedly drab and one-sided affair lacked.

The SPFL - and broadcasters BT Sport who have signed a deal to screen all six games live - could hardly have hand-picked the clubs involved better.

Rangers take on a Queen of the South that has impressed many in the 2014/15 campaign at a venue they have struggled badly at in the first leg of the quarter-final on Saturday evening.

After the game on the artificial pitch at Palmerston Park, both teams will head for Ibrox eight days later in a meeting that is sure to, whether season ticket holders are granted free entry or not, draw a huge and raucous crowd.

The winners will take on a Hibs side that has been at turns brilliant and mediocre under the guidance of the former Celtic centre half Alan Stubbs.

It looks distinctly like Motherwell, who have enjoyed a resurgence under Ian Baraclough in the second half of the season after bringing in Scott McDonald and Stephen Pearson, will await in the final.

Eamonn Bannon, the former Scotland international midfielder, has seen all three Championship clubs in action extensively this season in the course of his media work and is unable to single out a potential winner.

"Queen of the South have been refreshing," said Bannon. "They have some good players and certainly pass the ball nicely. But, for me, they lack a killer touch.

"I know they counter attack well. But I feel they don't have that bit of quality that Hibs and Rangers have. So I don't think they will go through to the semi-final.

"But who will win between Rangers and Hibs is anybody's guess. Both sides are vulnerable to setbacks. When they lose a goal it affects them badly.

"The sign of a good team is when they bounce straight back from that, score themselves and go on and win games. From what I have seen, neither Hibs or Rangers do that well

"When Hibs lose a goal they panic. They are much better than they were last year, more consistent, but they have weaknesses. Rangers are very much the same."

Bannon continued: "I find watching Rangers now a weird experience. I am so used to them having good players, a strong side and dominating games. I can't believe what I am seeing sometimes.

"What happens off the field at a club can profoundly affect what happens on the park. That has never been illustrated as well as it has been at Rangers this season.

"Scott Allan is a particularly good player and has shone in midfield for Hibs. I thought Darren McGregor was outstanding in a strong Rangers defence against Hearts at the weekend.

"Hibs are capable of going up. Rangers are capable of going up. As I say, I personally don't fancy them, but Queen of the South could also surprise everybody."

Bannon believes whichever club manages to progress to the final will find overcoming the opponents they face highly problematic.

"The Premiership club has been playing at a far higher level week in week out," he said. "Playing them will be a big step up for the Championship club.

"The whole play-off system was set up to give the top flight club finishing in second bottom place the best chance of staying up. It was a compromise.

"They only have to play two matches. They get their home game second. Their opponents have to play four games more or two games more than them.

"I appreciate that Hamilton did it last season, but it will be a tall order for one of the Championship clubs to go up via the play-offs."

Bannon, the former Dundee United, Hibs and Hearts player, is hopeful Rangers will secure a place in the top flight to aid the overall health of Scottish football.

"It would be good for our national game to get two of the traditional power bases, Hearts and Rangers, back into the top division," he said.