A first-half penalty from Dapo Mebude and goal from Josh McPake was enough to see the young Gers through to face Stranraer next week.

Rangers started well with Eros Grezda finding Kai Kennedy on the overlap down the left on the 7th minute. Kennedy cut the ball back to Josh McPake with his powerful shot heading for goal before being deflected wide by a Berwick defender for a corner.

Graeme Murty’s side were threatening early on as McPake came close again with a shot from the edge of the box which was just too high to trouble Berwick goalkeeper Sean Brennan.

The keeper was called into action shortly after as he denied Eros Grezda an opener as the Rangers wideman cut inside and drove a effort towards goal but it was blocked by the body of Brennan.

Berwick had their first chance of the game on the 21st minute as a corner swung in was met by the head of Kevin Waugh but bounced just wide of the Rangers goal.

The young Gers broke up the other end of the park and were awarded a penalty as Dapo Mebude was taken down by a Berwick defender inside the box. The striker stepped up to the spot himself and made no mistake in sending the keeper the wrong way to put Rangers ahead after 23 minutes.

The lead was doubled just after the half-hour mark as a ball over the top reached Josh McPake who beat the Berwick defenders to run through on goal and fire past Sean Brennan.

There was almost a second for McPake just five minutes later as he again took a touch to pass the Berwick defender before his shot was denied by the post.

The pressure kept coming from Murty’s side as Grezda found Dapo Mebude down the right who done well to find space and cut into the box before getting a shot away and which was blocked by the goalkeeper.

Murty made one change to his side at half-time with Lewis Mayo being replaced at centre-half by Daniel Finlayson.

Early in the second-half Jordan Houston played the ball forward to Grezda who fired a low dangerous cross across the face of goal which was blocked by Ricky Miller to stop it from reaching McPake, who was waiting to tap home.

On the 58th minute Rangers came close again as the ball broke for McPake at the byline. He found Kai Kennedy in the middle of the box who set-up Dapo Mebude but his curled right-footed shot was pushed away for a corner by Brennan.

Berwick were reduced to 10-men on the 67th minute as Yaw Osei was shown a straight-red for a challenge on Jamie Barjonas.

The home side got a goal back on the 71st minute as Lewis Barr put a cross into the box which Gers keeper Keiran Wright tried to push over the bar but the ball bounced back off of the upright and was bundled home by Dan Purves.

Mebude had a chance at a third for Rangers in the final stages of the game as Eros Grezda picked up a poor clearance from the Berwick keeper to find Dapo Mebude but his shot was wide of the target.

Rangers: Wright, Houston, Maxwell, Mayo (Finlayson 45,) Breen (McKinnon, 89), Thomson (Patterson,80), Grezda, Barjonas, Mebude, McPake, Kennedy.

Subs: McAdams, Balde, McKinnon, Miller, Lowry.

Referee: Colin Whyte