Ronald de Boer’s first-half header was sufficient to send Rangers through to next month’s final but, beyond that, there was little else for those who braved the January cold to enthuse about at the end of proceedings.
Hearts offered very little as an attacking threat and can have little complaint about being dumped out at this stage while McLeish and his men can take solace from a job done, efficiently if not with much panache.
It had been a day of mixed news for Bob Malcolm; called up for his first full Scotland squad by Berti Vogts in the morning but relegated to the bench for tonight’s clash as Lorenzo Amoruso returned to the side.
The Italian had taken a hefty dunt to the side of the head in the recent Scottish Cup tie with Arbroath but he seemed back to full fitness as he slipped into his usual central defensive slot next to Craig Moore.
Neither of the pair was greatly stretched in the early stages as Rangers dominated possession without creating many clear opportunities.
With the strikers struggling to make the breakthrough, Amoruso, in fact, took it upon himself to roam upfield at one point before sending de Boer clear on goal.
The ex-Barcelona striker was surrounded by defenders and chose to cut in on his left foot rather than try a speculative shot and he was soon crowded out.
On a starkly contrasting Hampden surface – layered with sand on the pitch and with snow just off it – Rangers continued to heap pressure on the Hearts defence and Michael Mols twice shot into the side netting after long-range efforts from Barry Ferguson had been parried by Tepi Moilanen.
Hearts’ attacks were so rare that you began to wonder whether Gary Wales and Mark de Vries were simply acting in solidarity with the striking firemen, so little were they called into action.
Their supporters noisily enjoyed their first semi-final appearance for almost five years although they were left red-faced as they prematurely celebrated what they thought was the opening goal after 21 minutes only for Jean-Louis Valois’ free-kick to drift narrowly wide of Stefan Klos’ goal.
It was the other half of Hampden that was to enjoy that privilege when de Boer put the Light Blues in front six minutes later.
Neil McCann scampered down the left wing and his deep centre was headed back across the six-yard box by Fernando Ricksen where his fellow Dutchman had the simplest task of nodding the ball past the stranded Moilanen.
As with their previous two matches against Hibernian and Aberdeen, Rangers were leading without looking like completely killing off the opposition and Alex McLeish was soon off his seat shouting instructions and waving his arms about like he was going through an aerobics routine.
Hearts’ Irish defender Alan Maybury was sent off the last time the sides met at Tynecastle in December and he was soon involved in controversy again when he wrestled Mols to the ground early in the second half.
Referee Mike McCurry chose to let Maybury off but showed great inconsistency two minutes later when he booked Ricksen for a tackle on Stephane Mahe.
The match was becoming bogged down in the midfield areas as Hearts showed no great desire to chase an equaliser and Rangers’ flurries were frequently halted by the assistant referee’s flag – much to the displeasure of the fans in Light Blue on three sides of the stadium.
Both sides made changes to try to alter the flow of the game; Stamp was taken off before he was sent off as Hearts boss Craig Levein pushed Kevin McKenna up front to try to claw back the deficit.
Claudio Caniggia – who scored in Rangers’ three previous CIS matches including two in last season’s final – came on for Mols, with boss McLeish looking for the second goal that would surely end any chance of a Hearts’ comeback.
They should have doubled their advantage with only six minutes remaining. Amoruso’s precise free kick fell invitingly for de Boer and he picked out Ricksen whose powerful drive was batted away by the goalkeeper.
McCann was first to the loose ball but his cutback fell behind the on-rushing Rangers supporting players and the chance was lost.
Levein threw on a fourth attacker – Andy Kirk – and Valois had a low shot well held by Klos as Rangers held on to reach next month’s final.
HEARTS (4-4-2): 1 Moilanen; 2 Maybury, 4 Webster, 5 Pressley, 3 Mahe (Krik 86); 7 Macfarlane, 6 Severin, 8 Stamp (McKenna 66), 11 Valois; 9 de Vries, 10 Wales
Subs not used: A McCann, Boyack, Gordon
Booked: Stamp, Pressley
RANGERS (4-4-2): 1 Klos; 21 Ross, 3 Moore, 4 Amoruso, 5 Numan; 2 Ricksen, 6 Ferguson, 23 Arteta, 11 McCann; 14 de Boer; 10 Mols (Caniggia 70)
Subs not used: McGregor, Malcolm, Bonnissel, Arveladze
Booked: Ricksen, Arteta
Referee: Mike McCurry
Attendance: 31,609
Man of the Match: Lorenzo Amoruso