It will be Rangers – Dundee Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park on 31 May following this afternoon’s narrow 1-0 win for the SPL outfit over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
A Hampden Park little more than one-quarter full highlighted the folly of playing today’s semi-final in Glasgow instead of Aberdeen.
Caley Thistle lined up with two former Rangers’ players in their ranks, namely Mark Brown and Barry Robson, and indeed it was the First Division outfit that made all the early running. Richie Hart created space on the right in seven minutes, his low cross finding Paul Ritchie who scooped the ball over the bar.
Two minutes later it was danger man Dennis Wyness who threatened, cutting inside before unleashing a powerful drive that Dens’ goalkeeper Julian Speroni touched onto the post.
Dundee – holders of the current longest unbeaten run in the SPL - gradually found their feet – and indeed might have taken the lead in a lightning 24th minute move when Steve Lovell went clear on a Zurab Khizanishvili pass only to see Mark Brown deflect his shot wide.
Eight minutes later Lee Wilkie – rumoured to be Ibrox-bound this summer - saw his header from Georgi Nemsadze’s corner blocked as the SPL outfit began to impose themselves.
One Dundee move in 38 minutes split the ICT defence asunder when Fabian Caballero released Steve Lovell wide on the right, his first-time cross finding Khizanishvili only for the Georgian to make a complete hash of the chance.
The first yellow card of the game was shown to Lee Wilkie for a foul on Barry Robson – a booking that will cost the defender his place in the Cup final.
Seven minutes later Caballero spurned a golden opportunity to score the opening goal when he beat the offside trap to collect a Garry Brady lob only to be just too clever with his finish – his chip clearing the crossbar.
It was all Dundee now – substitute Nacho Novo was through on a Khizanishvili pass in 71 minutes only to stumble at the vital moment, but six minutes later the breakthrough arrived when Caballero cleverly held possession before squaring to Nemsadze whose low drive from the edge of the box found the net via an upright.
The ‘Dark Blues’ never looked like surrendering their lead – and indeed might have added to it in injury time when a solo run down the left from the superb Khizanishvili ended when the Georgian cut inside before shooting over.
Dens’ manager Jim Duffy was delighted with his side’s victory:
"It was a very intense game. Semi-finals are all about winning. This is the club’s first final in 39 years and expectations were so great before today’s game.
Many fine Dundee sides over the past four decades have failed to reach a Cup Final. I will be so proud to lead my team out at Hampden on 31 May."
Inverness boss John Robertson was equally proud of his own players:
"There was nothing between the two teams. Dundee are the SPL’s form team, unbeaten since the break. The first goal in any semi-final is vital. We proved ourselves capable of holding our own in the SPL, but we need to play at this level every week. Falkirk, Clyde, St. Johnstone and ourselves could all do well in an expanded SPL.
So the 2003 Scottish Cup Final will be a Rangers – Dundee clash, a fixture that will recall memories of the classic 1964 encounter when Rangers won 3-1 in a final that many regard to this day as the finest of them all.
DUNDEE Speroni; Mackay, Khizanishvili, Wilkie, Hernandez; Milne (Novo 62), Rae, Nemsadze, Brady; Caballero, Lovell (Mair 88)
UNUSED SUBS Langfield, Beith, Robb
INVERNESS CALEDONIAN THISTLE Brown; Tokely, Golabek; Mann, McCaffrey (Christie 82), McBain; Duncan (Bagan 82), Wyness, Ritchie, Hart, Robson
UNUSED SUBS Fraser, Stewart, Keogh
REFEREE Dougie McDonald