Hagi sparks Gers to life off the bench as they finally deliver knockout blow to Livi
IANIS HAGI provided the spark that carried Rangers to Hampden for the first time since December 2019.
He bounced off the bench at the break to inject some muchneeded creativity into an Ibrox outfit that had struggled to break down Livingston in a Premier Sports Cup quarterfinal they always controlled without truly hitting the heights.
Within two minutes of appearing for Scott Wright, Hagi created the opener for Kemar Roofe. Alfredo Morelos’ strike just after the hour, after a horrendous pass from the otherwise excellent Livi No.1 Max Stryjek, then sealed passage to the National Stadium.
Having got there Steven Gerrard will be determined to go all the way and finally deliver a knockout trophy at the seventh time of asking in his three-year tenure.
The closest his team have got was that League Cup Final against Celtic 21 months ago.
It’s a record that irritates the manager and his team, while still not performing at the top of their game, took a significant step towards rectifying that situation.
This might not be the most glamorous competition Gerrard has ever competed for but a semi-final place was needed, if only to quieten the noise that had been growing over his team’s less than scintillating start to the season.
He made six changes from the draw with Motherwell – among them Nathan Patterson in for James Tavernier, Jon McLaughlin replacing Allan McGregor, John Lundstram for Steven Davis and Morelos coming in for Fashion Sakala.
Livingston, still on a high after beating Celtic, threw former Hibs loanee Stephane Omeonga straight into the fray, while Ben Williamson couldn’t play against his parent club.
Right from the off, Patterson looked like a man on a mission and in the seventh minute a storming run took him beyond the defence and in on Stryjek.
The keeper did well to narrow the angle and make a block but it was a sign of intent from the young Scotland cap.
The match quickly fell into a familiar pattern at Ibrox; Rangers dominating possession and trying to pick holes in a team happy to sit in. And for all of their territorial advantage, they didn’t cause Stryjek too many more early problems.
In fact, their most likely moment came from a route one effort when Connor Goldson picked out Wright with a long pass over the top that would have had the attacker in on goal had he been able to gather the ball.
A few minutes later Calvin Bassey blew an even better opportunity after brilliantly
controlling another superb Goldson ball and cutting inside onto his weaker right foot to slash wildly over.
Gerrard had demanded more ruthlessness in front of goal but he wasn’t getting it.
Livi boss Davie Martindale would have been far happier and in particular with the way in which Omeonga and Jason Holt were keeping the ball in tight situations to give their defence a break when the heat was on.
Rangers finally produced an incisive move in the 34th minute to carve out a look at goal for Morelos on the right side of the box. He smashed his angled shot across the keeper but Nicky Devlin got back to make a superb goal-line clearance.
Morelos and Roofe had been poor, though. And they weren’t the only ones. Livingston, who took off Adam Lewis for Jack McMillan in 43rd minutes, went in at the break still in the contest.
Hagi, recovered from Covid issues, came on and it took the Romanian only two minutes to make an impact with an assist for Roofe’s fifth goal of the season.
Lundstram did well initially, finding Morelos and then Roofe, who switched it to Hagi and continued his run into the six-yard box. When the sub’s low cross eluded the visiting defence, Roofe slammed the ball high into the net.
Leon Balogun should have doubled the lead a couple of minutes later, glancing a header wide and Stryjek kept Livi in the game with a terrific save from Roofe after Jack Fitzwater inexplicably passed straight to
Morelos, who fed his strike partner for a shot that the keeper kept out with his left leg.
But then a ridiculous pass from Stryjek aimed for Fitzwater went straight to Morelos, who could hardly believe his luck as he rammed it past the Pole.
That gave Gers the breathing space they needed and also earned Morelos a rest with Juninho Bacuna on.
Rangers coasted to the final whistle. While they’ve still to replicate last season’s form, they’ll be happy to have emerged unscathed from what could have been a tricky evening.