DEREK McInnes insists everyone played their part as Rangers defeated Celtic 3-0 in a dominant Old Firm victory to progress to the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
Dan Neil scored a double either side of a Kevin Kelsy strike to see Gers into the last four of the competition.
The manager said players and fans all had a role to play as the strength of Rangers was on display. Speaking to RangersTV at full-time, he said: “The game needed our full attention; it needed a big performance, and I thought from minute one we got after Celtic, we tried to play through the lines, we tried to engage with the strikers when the press came, and I thought we just about got the balance right.
“Ultimately you still need to capitalise on good moments, something we have not been doing enough, and we got good goals at good times.
“It was a great finish from Dan for the first one, and I was delighted at how we were in the first-half. We knew Celtic, being Celtic, they have got good options on the bench; they can change things, but I thought in the main we just carried on where we left off.
"I said to the players at half-time that no back-slapping for a 45-minute performance; it is a 90-minute performance that is required to beat Celtic and to get the club into a semi-final. We needed to stay on the job.
“I thought we did exactly that. It was a brilliant finish for Kevin; I am delighted for him, and another beautiful finish for Dan for the third goal. It was no more than we deserved for today's performance.
“I think you saw the strength of the club today; it was a beautiful sight seeing Ibrox the way it was. The fans played their part, the team played their part, and we look forward now to a semi-final when it comes round.”
With it being McInnes’ first Old Firm match in the dugout, he said he was able to enjoy it a bit more when the third goal hit the back of the net.
He continued: “When the third goal goes in, you can start to enjoy it a little bit more because obviously when you are playing against a team like Celtic with the quality, it can change in a heartbeat.
“They have got the quality that can make it a bit more dramatic than it needed to be, but I think the subs helped with that; we just stuffed the game out and negated what was coming at us.
“We still managed to create a couple of opportunities late on, but it is good to have the options we had on the bench, and I’m delighted for my players and for everyone connected with the club, because I know how much that means to so many people.”
On what he hopes it can do for his squad moving forward, McInnes added: “For us it is good that we have beaten a strong team like Celtic, but it is no more than that really because we have to go and do it all again next week.
"I do think it helps the players; they are very young as a squad, so I think any type of good you can take from this, you have got to take it with you.
“It is a different set of circumstances next weekend, and that'll be an even bigger performance required, and that will feel really important if we can go there and win.”