RANGERS B marched into the quarter-finals of the SPFL Trust Trophy with a resounding 4-1 victory over League One side Stenhousemuir at Forthbank Stadium this evening.
The Light Blues were at their scintillating best in Stirling, with a brace from Findlay Curtis stealing the headlines alongside goals from Danilo and a Euan O’Reilly own goal.
The triumph sets up a quarter-final meeting away to Queen’s Park next month, with the young Gers advancing into the last eight as the only B Team remaining in the competition.
The Gers were bolstered from the off by the inclusion of Hagi and Danilo, with the latter marking his return to the pitch following an injury lay-off.
And the home side wasted precious little time in putting Stenhousemuir under pressure when Curtis and Paul Nsio went close in quick succession.
Indeed, Rangers ought to have went ahead on 13 minutes when a wicked free-kick delivery from Bailey Rice was met by Leon King, but the defender’s glancing header was straight into the arms of Darren Jamieson in the away side’s goal.
The deadlock was then broken six minutes later and was inspired by a strong run down the left-hand side from Zak Lovelace.
The 18-year-old left Ross Meechan in his wake as he darted to the byline, pulling a dangerous low delivery across goal which was met by Danilo and bundled into the net off the head of a surprised Curtis.
It settled any early nerves in the Rangers ranks, with Lovelace going close himself six minutes before the interval after combining neatly with Hagi on the edge of the penalty area and fizzing a driven effort off target.
And the Gers soon strengthened their grip on the last 16 contest on the stroke of half-time when the returning Danilo showed his class inside the Stenhousemuir penalty area.
Nsio was the architect – which would become the theme of the evening – as he threaded a pass inside for the Brazilian who found the deftest of finishes through a crowd of Stenhousemuir bodies to leave Jamieson with no chance.
The Gers emerged for the second half with a renewed intensity and Curtis went close instantaneously when he sprung the offside trap and forced Jamieson into a smart stop.
However, Curtis didn’t have to wait too long to grab his second of the evening – and Rangers’ third – as the hour-mark brought about a move of supreme quality.
The midfielder advanced onto the Stenhousemuir backline and received a pass from Nsio which he flicked around the corner and raced clear of the visitors’ backline to curl a confident finish into the bottom corner.
All was going right for Rangers, although they suffered a setback moments later when Blair Alston reduced the arrears with an audacious effort from distance.
The lively Archie Stevens was then introduced from the substitutes bench and he almost latched onto a pass behind the Stenhousemuir defence if not for his touch to desert him at an inopportune moment.
The hosts were relatively untroubled defensively and they soon put the seal on the victory with the final kick of the game.
Hagi’s corner from the right-hand side was wicked, dipping wickedly at the near post to catch out Euan O’Reilly who contrived to glance the ball into his own net.
RANGERS B: Munn, Hutton, Webster (Grant, 72), King, Nsiala, Rice (Robertson, 72), Nsio, Hagi, Curtis (McClure, 88), Lovelace (Stevens, 45), Danilo (Gentles, 61)
Subs not used: McGuire, Scott, Stewart, Eadie
STENHOUSEMUIR: Jamieson, Meechan, Buchanan, Wedderburn, Aitken (Berry, 61), Yates (O’Reilly, 70), Tomlinson, Bilham, Anderson (O’Donnell, 61), Ewen, Alston (Cameron, 70)
Subs not used: Lyle