STATS PACK

RANGERS..5KILMARNOCK..0

STEVEN GERRARD asked for a reaction and you don’t need to be Albert Einstein to understand the formula for Rangers success.

Alfredo Morelos returned temporarily from suspension to terrorise Kilmarnock in last night’s Scottish Cup fifthround replay – six months after his hat-trick floored them in the Betfred Cup.

In a match marred by sickening sectarian singing, another trio of top-class finishes, plus one more for good luck, took his total for the season to 27 in 39 games.

Once again it highlighted his importance to a side that has won just one of the six games he has missed through GARY RALSTON AT IBROX indiscipline. Gerrard’s call for a response after a tame 0-0 draw with St Johnstone put a huge dent in Gers’ title hopes was answered in front of an impressive crowd of 37,918.

But the fifth meeting of these clubs this season was also an equation that created a volatile combustion of footballing familiarity breeding contempt.

Kilmarnock lost this by the length of the M77 as Rangers set up a quarter-final at Aberdeen on a night in which the only criticism heading their way was an allegation of being too casual in front of goal. That was before sub Andy Halliday smashed a third in 77 minutes, Morelos ran on and completed the hat-trick his all-round game deserved then added a fourth.

It was an act of folly when the spotlight on player behaviour has never been so great and there was no way back for Killie, already trailing to Morelos’s seventh-minute opener. Mind you, Steve Clarke was justified in fuming about a penalty denied two minutes in when Joe Worrall wrestled Eamonn Brophy to the ground.

It was a stonewaller and had the potential to make the Ibrox audience antsy, albeit Morelos soon settled nerves.

Skipper James Tavernier was the architect, winning the ball from Conor McAleny on the halfway line before clipping a delightful pass down the inside right channel.

That found Daniel Candeias who delivered a low cross for the Colombian to finish from close range. As the first half ebbed and flowed few would have predicted the chaos that sprang in the Killie penalty box midway through.

Morelos bulldozed his way into the box, winning a challenge from Stephen O’Donnell to which he had no right, before pulling the ball back for Scott Arfield to shoot tamely at Bachmann.

Confusion reigned as players squared up and ref Alan Muir initially appeared to award Killie a free-kick. But assistant Drew Kirkland drew his attention to a short, sharp elbow used by Bachmann