The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Celtic lie in wait as Gers see off Cove
Rangers will have to overcome Celtic to keep their double dreams on course after sweeping past Cove Rangers in the Scottish Cup last night.
Steven Gerrard’s team learned before facing Paul Hartley’s League One parttimers the prize for the winners was the chance to host Celtic in the last-16.
And that was all the inspiration the recentlycrowned Premiership champions needed as a Kemar Roofe brace plus strikes from Jermain Defoe and Nathan Patterson all before half-time saw them cruise to a 4-0 triumph.
The Light Blues missed the chance to make this year’s Betfred Cup the first trophy of the Gerrard reign as they were stunned by St Mirren back in December.
But there was little chance of a repeat of their only domestic slip-up even as Gerrard made seven changes to the team which drew 1-1 with Celtic a fortnight ago.
Patterson and Calvin Bassey started in the fullback slots after Gers appealed their four-game bans for breaching lockdown rules, while Scott Wright came in for his first start since joining in January.
Cove were not lacking in top-flight nous with exAberdeen trio Mitch Megginson, Jamie Masson and Fraser Fyvie included in Hartley’s line-up.
The Aberdeen outfit did well to survive three big chances inside the opening 11 minutes, including a Roofe shot which hit the post before bouncing into the grateful arms of Stuart McKenzie.
Having stemmed those early waves of attacks, Cove tried to build up from their own box but it proved to be a costly mistake as Gers pounced on 24 minutes.
Steven Davis regained possession from Adam Livingstone’s heavy touch and Rangers ruthlessly sprung forward.
Glen Kamara fizzed the ball into Defoe’s feet, with the 38-year-old spinning past Fyvie before drilling home with a low drive.
Another self-inflicted error cost Cove the second
seven minutes later. Broque Watson and Daniel Higgins got themselves in a muddle as Bassey applied pressure.
Defoe took over, sweeping the ball to Scott Arfield’s feet. McKenzie saved the midfielder’s effort but Roofe was there to turn home the rebound.
The former Leeds ace had another 60 seconds later as he darted across Higgins to turn home Wright’s ball to the front post.
The Gers were 4-0 up two minutes before the break as Cove again failed to learn their lesson.
With his team already under a heavy press, Higgins attempted a suicidal square ball across his own box, with the inevitable result as Patterson stole ahead of Livingstone to tuck home his second goal for the club.
Masson had to be stretchered off with a nasty ankle injury after his studs caught in the turf just on the hour mark.
But at least there was no further damage to the scoreline despite another second-half bombardment that saw Defoe, Connor Goldson and Cedric Itten come close.