RANGERS have a Hampden Scottish Cup semi-final to look forward to following a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Dundee at Dens this afternoon.
A first-half blast from Connor Goldson as well as a James Tavernier penalty, and a late Fashion Jr counter sees the Gers through to the National Stadium on the weekend of April 16 or 17.
Manager Gio van Bronckhorst named four changes to his side today. From the team which came through 3-0 against Crvena Zvezda in Thursday’s UEFA Europa League first leg, Jon McLaughlin, Fil Helander, James Sands and Aaron Ramsey came into the XI in place of Allan McGregor, Leon Balogun, John Lundstram and Joe Aribo.
That meant it was a back five of McLaughlin in goal with skipper Tavernier, Goldson, Helander and Calvin Bassey in front of him.
Sands joined Jack and Glen Kamara in midfield, with Ryan Kent and Ramsey supporting Alfredo Morelos.
Gers had an early set-piece opportunity when goalkeeper Harrison Sharp, in his attempts to collect a wildly off-target Cammy Kerr pass back, picked up the ball to prevent it going for a corner. That resulted in that very rare sight of an indirect free-kick inside the area, with the Dees managing to clear Tavernier’s short pass looking for a fellow lilac shirt.
The lead did, however, arrive on nine minutes. Tavernier’s corner from the left was outstanding and deep to the back post for Helander. The Swede’s header back across goal looked suspiciously as if it had crossed the line despite the best efforts of Lee Ashcroft on the line.
In any case, he could only push the ball back out into the six-yard area and onto the toe of Goldson, who steadied himself and blasted into the back of the net to give Gers the start they were after.
Super play soon after saw Goldson beat the offside trap with a lovely chip into the area for Kamara. With his back to goal, he played it out to Morelos 25-yards from goal who shot just wide.
Sharp then saved well from Ramsey from an angle when he took a brilliant touch from a Tavernier through-ball to get a shot away, before Dundee threatened for the first time as Ashcroft headed just wide from a free-kick delivery.
Then on 23 minutes, Gers were awarded a penalty. Brilliant play between Ramsay and Tavernier allowed Tavernier to dance a path into the area, with Ryan Sweeney blocking that path.
Up-stepped the captain to take, and with his typical conviction, he fired high and beyond Sharp for 2-0.
Morelos was desperately unlucky not to poke home a third when a Tavernier ball across the face of goal that every Dundee defender was scared to touch reached the Colombian at the back post, but with the angle against him, he could only fire wide.
Morelos, under pressure, then headed over another Tavernier delivery, while Kerr cleared a sweet Kent volley from out on the right off the line as the visitors pushed for a third.
The advantage Gers had allowed boss van Bronckhorst to switch Kamara and Morelos for Fashion Jr and Kemar Roofe at the break.
A Tavernier volley on 52 minutes from 25-yards was the first sight of goal for either side in the new half, before Sharp made a great point-blank save from Fashion Jr when Tavernier teed him up.
Kerr then cleared off the line from Ramsay when Roofe laid off for him, while Sweeney somehow prevented Kent finishing when Sharp played the ball back into his path after saving from Roofe.
Rangers really deserved a third for their continued good play in the second half, and with three minutes remaining, Fashion Jr was there to grab it.
The ball broke for sub Alex Lowry in midfield, and he got his head up and set course for goal. He spotted the run of Fashion Jr to his left, and Lowry picked him out superbly with the Zambian doing the rest with a terrific finish back across Sharp and into the net.
So 3-0 is how it was to finish, with Gers now off to Belgrade on Thursday as they attempt to book a UEFA Europa League quarter-final.
RANGERS: McLaughlin, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander, Bassey, Jack (Lowry, 86), Sands, Kamara (Fashion Jr, 45), Ramsey (McCann, 79), Kent, Morelos (Roofe, 45).
SUBS NOT USED: McGregor, Zukowski, Balogun, Barisic, King, Amad, Wright.
DUNDEE: Sharp, Kerr, Marshall (McDaid, 76), Sweeney, McGhee, Mullen, McGowan, Ashcroft (Daley-Campbell, 44), Mullan, Ashcroft, McMullan (Byrne, 60), Anderson, McGinn (McGowan, 60)
SUBS NOT USED: Lawlor, Fontaine, Chapman, Mulligan, Elliott, Robertson, Ibsen Rossi.
REFEREE: Steven McLean
ATTENDANCE: 5536
Rangers are delighted to unveil even more football stars who will come to Ibrox on March 26 to celebrate our 150th anniversary as part of the Weekend of Legends, presented by Unibet.
World Legends team include names such as Luís Figo, Claude Makéléle, Iván Córdoba, Ricardo Carvalho, Predrag Mijatović, Gheorge Hagi and Roy Makaay.
Alex McLeish will manage the Rangers Legends squad which features light blue heroes such as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Paul Gascoigne, Sasa Papac, Michael Mols, Kris Boyd, Nikica Jelavić, Ronald De Boer, Alan Hutton, Carlos Cuellar, Pedro Mendez, Lee McCulloch and Jorg Albertz.
Additionally, former treble winning Captain and Rangers Hall of Fame inductee Barry Ferguson will be the Rangers Legends Captain.
To mark this incredible occasion, the Rangers Legends squad will wear a specially designed Rangers Legends kit that carries the name of every Rangers captain to lead the club.
In addition, the shirt features a traditional collar design reminiscent of some our most famous shirts and our commemorative 150th anniversary crest is proudly embroidered on the chest.
This limited-edition shirt is available to pre-order now from The Rangers Store online.