RANGERS’ interest in the Scottish Cup was ended at the quarter-final stage tonight with St Johnstone winning on penalties at Ibrox.
The Light Blues looked to have won the match with just four minutes of extra time to play as James Tavernier headed in, but the visitors equalised in stoppage time to force spot-kicks, where they claimed a 4-2 victory.
Boss Steven Gerrard named five changes to his side - from the team which met the Saints on league action in midweek, in came Allan McGregor, Filip Helander, Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.
They took the places of Jon McLaughlin, Jack Simpson, Scott Wright, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten.
That meant it was a back five of McGregor in goal with captain James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Helander and Borna Barisic in front of him.
Glen Kamara, Steven Davis and Aribo were in the middle of the park, while Ianis Hagi and Kent supported Morelos.
The opening stages were very cagey and even, before Gers forced the first big chance of the game on 10 minutes.
Latching onto a clearance from a Saints corner, Kent showed great tenacity to wriggle clear down the left. He played the ball infield for Morelos, who, in-turn, fed Kamara to his right inside the area, but Zander Clark saved well from his strike.
McGregor then saved well from a fine Scott Tanser volley at the other end, while Hagi did well to get his head to a chipped Kent cross, with Clark gathering beyond his left upright.
Morelos then headed a Barisic cross at Clark from deep in the area, while Aribo couldn’t turn in another ball from the Croatian at the front post.
A Barisic corner was then headed on by Helander to Morelos at the back post, but he couldn’t quite convert.
Rangers were well on-top at the start of the second half – Morelos coming close when testing Clark with a powerful drive at his near post.
Morelos then glanced a post after getting on the end of a fine Tavernier ball from the right, with Clark left all at sea.
Barisic then forced Clark to beat away a free-kick which looked to be creeping in at his near upright, while at the other end, the visitors’ first real opportunity of the half was an Ali McCann header on the end of a corner.
Clark denied Morelos again from a Kent assist, while McGregor saved well from Michael O’Halloran to his near post.
Sub Scott Wright danced his way through the defence in the closing stages, but was denied by Clark, and then fellow sub Kemar Roofe headed straight at the goalkeeper in the same attack.
That was to be that really for normal time, with a further 30 minutes called for by referee Alan Muir.
The first period began with Gers right on-top once again, with Tavernier having an early effort deflected away for a corner.
From that corner, Clark denied Helander, while Jamie McCart blocked well from Wright as he again looked to jink a path to goal.
Roofe again saw a header claimed by the goalkeeper, but again, the home side couldn’t find a way through.
Shaun Rooney saw a show flash just by Allan McGregor’s post in the first minute of the second period, while the ‘keeper again saved from O’Halloran.
Rangers soaked up that pressure, and then with four minutes left to play, hit the front.
Lovely play from Steven Davis out on the right kept the ball alive, and he laid it off for Joe Aribo to chip into the back post where captain James Tavernier was waiting to nod home his 18th of the season.
That looked to be that, but in the first of two added minutes at the end of extra time, St Johnstone equalised – Zander Clark the goalkeeper heading home from a late corner.
That took us to penalties, and Clark saved Tavernier’s first before Liam Craig sent McGregor the wrong way.
Barisic then netted for Gers, as did Callum Booth for the visitors. Jermain Defoe was next, and he scored, and Jason Kerr netted his for St Johnstone.
Kemar Roofe then saw his penalty saved by Clark, and Ali McCann won the match for the visitors with his kick.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Helander (Simpson, 111), Barisic, Kamara, Davis (Defoe, 120+2), Aribo, Hagi (Wright, 68), Kent, Morelos (Roofe, 81)
SUBS NOT USED: McLaughlin, Itten, Stewart, King.
ST JOHNSTONE: Clark, Rooney, Kerr, Gordon, Tanser (Booth, 100), Craig, McCann, Wotherspoon (Bryson, 71), May (O’Halloran, 75), Melamed (Kane, 59), McCart.
SUBS NOT USED: Parish, Brown, Conway, Ferguson