took a penalty shoot-out after extra-time before the
Ibrox men could over come St. Johnstone at Hampden
this afternoon.
Following last week's seven-goal classic between Queen
of the South and Aberdeen at the same venue this was
much more similar to the instantly-forgettable matches
that many recall at the penultimate stage of
competitions with Rangers to be blunt dreadful - but
still good enough to progress, albeit by the narrowest
possible margin.
Manager Walter Smith made eight changes from the side
that had been kicked off the park on Wednesday with
Neil Alexander, Steven Smith, Chris Burke, Kevin
Thomson, Brahim Hemdani, Steven Naismith, Nacho Novo
and Daniel Cousin replacing Allan McGregor, Kirk
Broadfoot, David Weir, Sasa Papac, Steve Davis, Barry
Ferguson, Lee McCulloch and Jean-Claude Darcheville.
Injury-ravaged Rangers suffered yet another blow when
Burke was stretchered off with an ankle injury
following a clash with Kevin Rutkiewicz, to be
replaced by Thomas Buffel, making a rare first-team
appearance.
That was accidental, but five minutes later Martin
Hardie stamped on the knee of the grounded Naismith,
the striker requiring treatment off the park before
resuming only to twist the same knee in the turf. He
was stretchered off, substituted by Steve Davis.
It never rains but it pours - this was the last thing
Rangers needed, but the game finally warmed up in 22
minutes when Thomson's chip from a Cousin lay-off was
just wide of the target.
Four minutes later Buffel netted from a Smith cross
only for linesman Francis Andrews to rule offside.
Novo had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in
32 minutes when he seized on a passback from Goran
Stanic only to see Saints goalkeeper Alan Main deflect
his shot past the post. Incredibly Referee Dougie
McDonald awarded a goal-kick.
Two minutes later Smith's long ball found Steve Davis
whose square ball to Cousin seemed certain to produce
the opener until a last-ditch interception by Stanic
saved the day for the Perth men.
The half ended goalless - but sixty seconds after the
restart Novo's header from a Davis cross was touched
over by Main.
St. Johnstone had taken heart from the blank scoreline
at the interval - and might even have opened the
scoring in 52 minutes when Steven Milne shot over from
a Hardie knock-down.
Sixty seconds later at the other end Novo might have
done better than shoot straight at Main from a Cousin
lay-off.
The Perth men were coming more and more into the game
- and Milne again came close in 57 minutes when he
headed over from a Liam Craig cross, then on the hour
the latter's free-kick was deflected goalwards by
Smith only for Alexander to hold the ball.
Saints substitute Paul Sheerin was introduced for
Hardie in 69 minutes - and with his first touch of the
ball he was through on an Andy Jackson pass only to
shoot wide.
A superb Thomas Buffel dummy released Steven Whittaker
through on goal in 78 minutes only for Main to deflect
the full-back's effort wide, then from the resultant
Thomson corner Christian Dailly headed narrowly over.
With time running out Rangers piled on the pressure -
another Thomson corner in 87 minutes, headed down at
the far post by Cuellar, saw Davis's goal-bound header
cleared off the line by Craig, then sixty seconds
later Dailly's header from Thomson's corner was held
by Main.
Extra-time it was, despite the Light Blues having
missed a bundle of chances.
Broadfoot replaced Smith before the restart, but
within three minutes a real shock was on the cards
when substitute Daniel McBreen headed home a Sheerin
cross.
Rangers levelled the scoreline in 102 minutes from the
penalty spot, Novo converting the spot-kick after
Cousin, moving onto a Davis pass, was hauled down by
Gary Irvine.
Goalscoring opportunities in extra-time were few and
far between, but Novo did crack a shot on the turn
against an upright in 116 minutes from a Cousin
knockdown - Buffel being thwarted to the rebound by
Irvine.
So to penalties - and with Sheerin, Davis, Craig and
Whittaker all doing the needful from the spot it was
2-2 when Milne saw his effort saved by Alexander. Novo
then put Rangers in the driving seat at 3-2, only for
Hemdani's kick to be saved by Main after Jackson had
slotted home.
3-3 after four penalties, Alexander proved to be the
hero when he saved Jody Morris' spot-kick, Cousin
slotting home Rangers' fifth penalty to send Rangers
into the final where they will face Queen of the South
on 24 May.
It was ironic that Cousin had scored the winning
penalty, for he was arguably the worst man on the
park.
Afterwards a relieved Walter Smith summarised:
"We managed to get there. It wasn't the best of days.
St. Johnstone worked very hard and made it difficult
for us. I'm relieved to be through. We squandered a
faird number of opportunities."
ST. JOHNSTONE Main; Irvine, Stanic (Anderson 90);
Morris, Rutkiewicz, McManus; Milne, Hardie (Sheerin
69), Jackson, Craig, MacDonald (McBreen 79)
UNUSED SUBS James, Cuthbert
RANGERS Alexander; Whittaker, Cuellar, Dailly, S.
Smith (Broadfoot 90); Burke (Buffel 10), Hemdani,
Thomson, Naismith (Davis 19); Novo, Cousin
UNUSED SUBS G. Smith, McMillan
REFEREE Dougie McDonald
Attendance 26,180