The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Hampden agony for Rangers as Moult hits double to send Well into Betfred final
Louis Moult said he had a hunch he would be the match-winner and it proved that way as his double sank Rangers in the second Betfred Cup semi-final.
The English striker took the Hampden glory in Motherwell’s 2-0 win that sets up a shot at Celtic in next month’s final.
He called the outcome “unbelievable” and added: “I thought about the game before and that’s what I imagined in my head and thankfully it’s come off.
“What a result and what a display from us today.”
The Steelmen’s talisman was man of the match at the national stadium in Glasgow, but has yet to commit his long-term future to Motherwell.
“I’ve said it many times: I’ve got to look for the best for my family,” Moult told BT Sport.
“These people behind me (Motherwell fans) understand that and I think the football club understands that. I’ll take each day as it comes so we’ll see what happens.”
Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha said ahead of the game that it was one that Rangers had to win, but his verdict afterwards was: “It was a bad day for them. It was a bad day for the club.”
Fresh doubt may now surround his position, and Caixinha was understandably downbeat after his team’s dismal performance.
“I am responsible. I am the leader. I am the one that prepared them. And we didn’t manage to cope with the high expectations.”
He added: “Especially after the second goal we just disappeared as a team. Overall it was a really poor performance from us. I am the only responsible.”
Regarding what the future holds for him, Caixinha said: “My future here at the club is to win on Wednesday.”
That is when Kilmarnock visit Ibrox in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
“We need to show a different face totally,” Caixinha said.
He added that he would speak to chairman Dave King, who cannot have been impressed by the way Rangers missed out on a major final.
“Of course I will speak to him,” Caixinha told BT Sport. “He’s here. He’s the top man at the club. He’s the face of the club. He knows in which direction he wants to take the club.”
Caixinha and opposite number Stephen Robinson were sent to the stand during a bad-tempered clash.
Both managers were ordered off by referee Steven Mclean after clashing on the touchline after the alreadybooked Motherwell striker Ryan Bowman caught Fabio Cardoso with an elbow in an incident which went unpunished by the referee.
Robinson spent his time in the stand relaying messages to assistant Keith Lasley while Caixinha must have been contemplating what the future holds.
Motherwell went ahead in the 52nd minute when Chris Cadden delivered a corner into the goalmouth and Peter Hartley and Moult saw headers stopped by the bar and Jack before the striker lashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Rangers tried to force their way back in but Daniel Candeias sent a couple of wild shots well off target and Moult showed him how it was done in the 74th minute. Charles Dunne’s ball down the left flank took out Mccrorie and Moult let it bounce before lobbing Rangers goalkeeper Jak Alnwick from 25 yards.
Ryan Bowman almost rubbed salt in the wounds when he made space to shoot but was off-target and Carson effectively sealed the victory with a brilliant save to hold a Morelos header.