RANGERS will take their place in the draw for the inaugural UEFA Cup group stage next Tuesday following a tumultuous night at Ibrox that hinted at disappointment but ended triumphantly for Alex McLeish’s men.
It then took the nerve-wracking prospect of a penalty shoot-out to split the sides, with Rangers ultimately winning 4-2 to proceed to the next round.
Relief as much as joy was the prime emotion on show at the conclusion of this breath-taking spectacle.
The tabloid art of hyperbole had turned this into “the biggest game of McLeish’s career” and while that may have been stretching the truth somewhat there was no doubting the importance of this tie to Rangers.
A goal down after an eventful first leg in Madeira, Rangers made three changes from the team that had lined up against Dundee, with Mo Ross returning at right-back and Zurab Khizanishvili switching to centre back to replace Craig Moore.
Up front Dado Prso and Nacho Novo were restored to the starting XI at the expense of Shota Arveladze and Stephen Hughes, with Novo asked to motor down the right flank with Chris Burke operating, unusually, out on the left.
The Notting Hill-style brass band that had noisily backed Maritimo at home a fortnight ago had made the long journey from Madeira to see their team in action – all trumpets and drums seemed to have made it through Customs no problem – and, true to his word, coach Mariano Barreto sent his side out in an attacking style.
As in the first leg, a 4-5-1 formation soon became 4-3-3 and within 100 seconds Stefan Klos had to look alert to clear a cross from the suspiciously offside-looking Gustavo Manduca.
Klos was by far the busiest man in the first leg but it was Marcos in the opposing goal who was a central figure in this contest as Rangers looked to draw level on aggregate.
He was helpless when Novo headed a Ross cross off the top of the crossbar after 19 minutes but was instrumental in denying the Spaniard again moments later when he tipped over another threatening header after Prso had cutely flicked on a Burke cross.
Less than 60 seconds later and the Brazilian pulled off his finest stop of the night, tipping a Prso header acrobatically around the post after the Croatian had latched onto a precise Fernando Ricksen free kick.
Maritimo, while on the whole happy to sit in and defend, still possessed lethal pace on the counter attack leaving the Rangers defence looking decidedly uncomfortable every time Leo Lima or Alan dropped a shoulder and tried to shimmy past them.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Marcos seemingly making it his one-man mission to break the hearts of Rangers as he clawed another Novo header off his line just two minutes after the re-start.
When the goalkeeper finally faltered – spilling a Prso snap-shot from Steven Thompson’s knockdown – Novo was unable to capitalise allowing Mitchell van der Gaag a to intervene and sweep the ball high over the crossbar to safety.
Moments later and Marcos was helpless again as Novo swept a shot narrowly past the post as Rangers crept ever closer to breaking the deadlock.
Just when it seemed it would never come, the Light Blues levelled the tie with 20 minutes to go.
Gregory Vignal – on as a replacement for Paolo Vanoli – was the creator with a delicious long ball that Prso controlled before drilling a fierce left-foot shot across Marcos and into the far corner of the net.
A goal down, Maritimo were fortunate not to lose a man as well 60 seconds later when Lima appeared to elbow Khizanishvili in the throat off the ball.
Referee Vladimir Hrinak missed the incident and was given no help from his assistants, aside from helping to break up the rammy that had broken up in front of the dug-outs with the Rangers bench incensed by Lima’s heinous antics.
Maritimo were reeling by this stage – both Lima and Chainho were sporting bandaged heads while Manduca went down clutching his hamstring – and only a debatable offside call from the Main Stand assistant kept the Portuguese side in the game after Prso had netted again with a sweet right foot shot.
With time ticking out Rangers piled on the pressure and Boumsong headed a Burke cross just over before Khizanishvili embarked on a spectacular mazy dribble but ran out of puff before he could net what would have been without doubt goal of this – or any other – season.
A nervy 30 minutes of extra time then followed as Rangers – with Shota Arveladze on for the tiring Burke – continued to dominate without forcing Marcos into a meaningful save in the opening period aside from grasping a Thompson header right on half-time.
The second period was no less frantic as Rangers poured forward trying to avoid the lottery of a penalty shoot-out without conceding the away goal that would have surely killed their chances.
Stephen Hughes had the best opportunity but couldn’t steer his shot beyond Tonel’s outstretched body as Ibrox groaned for the umpteenth time at another chance passed up.
With four minutes to go, Rangers should have sealed the victory. Arveladze worked his way down the left flank and fired in a cross that skimmed off the head of Prso.
Unprepared for the chance, Novo tamely lifted the loose ball over Marcos’ crossbar paving the pay for penalties.
Novo, first up, saw his shot creep in off Marcos’ glove before Klos plunged low to keep out Chainho’s fierce effort.
After Prso and Silas both netted, Arveladze’s attempt was well blocked by Marcos but the Georgian was redeemed seconds later when Ferreira’s effort clipped the top of the crossbar.
Thompson and Lima both converted leaving the way for Vignal to become a hero.
A cool penalty low into the left-hand corner sparked mass celebrations all around the stadium as Rangers emerged victorious after an enthralling night at Ibrox.
RANGERS (4-4-2): 1 Klos; 21 Ross, 4 Boumsong, 15 Khizanishvili, 16 Vanoli (Vignal 65); 10 Novo, 2 Ricksen, 12 Malcolm (Hughes 78), 17 Burke (Arveladze 95); 9 Prso, 19 Thompson,
Subs not used: Smith, Andrews, Lovenkrands, McCormack
Booked: Malcolm (61), Hughes (95)
MARITIMO (4-5-1): 26 Marcos; 2 Ferreira, 25 van der Gaag, 4 Tonel, 21 Briguel; 8 Bino (Filipe 72), 10 Lima, 15 Wenio, 23 Chainho, 11 Alan (Silas 65); 22 Manduca (Souza 82)
Subs not used: Nelson, Evaldo, Fernando, Joel
Booked: Lima (69), Souza (86), van der Gaag (86)
Rangers’ Man of the Match: Jean-Alain Boumsong