We’re ready to end Hoops’ dream of a Treble, says Caixinha

PEDRO CAIXINHA last night pledged that Rangers are ready, willing and able to end Celtic’s treble dreams.

The Light Blues warmed up for their Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with the Hoops a week today with their second win on the spin, their third clean sheet in a row and their eighth game unbeaten.

And while Brendan Rodgers’ side can point to far more formidable figures having gone the entire domestic season unbeaten, there was no mistaking the confidence behind the Portuguese manager’s words.

“This team is always ready to beat anyone, and Celtic is going to be next,” he said.

“The history of this team is about this. We need to be ready and prepare for the game.

“The approach to the game is going to be different – it’s an Old Firm game, a knockout game, and I like the strategic side of the game so I’m looking forward to preparing for it.

“When we met with the players before the match we talked to them about how we felt, and we felt the team is growing in confidence, getting a pattern and an identity.

“So we’ll keep focusing on that process.

“We know this will be a different opponent, a different match because it is a knockout and I just hope to have 11 warriors starting the game.”

As you would expect with Thistle having just clinched a top six place, they came to Ibrox determined to make it tough for Rangers.

They shut down space, muscled their way into their 50:50s and generally got plenty of men behind the ball whenever the home team were in possession.

It wasn’t pretty – it said it all about the tightness of this match that it took 24 minutes for the game to produce its first shot on target.

Even then it came from an unexpected source – Rangers’ left- back Myles Beermen.

He shot wide and showed it was no fluke when he hit a deflected effort over soon afterwards.

With Danny Wilson denied only by an acrobatic save from Tomas Cerny when powering a header in at goal from Barry McKay’s corner from the right, it was impossible to escape the feeling a breakthrough was imminent.

And as at Pittodrie six days earlier, it was Kenny Miller who made the killer contribution.

James Tavernier swung an inviting cross into the back post from where the striker headed down and up into the net.

But it wasn’t all one- way traffic. Ryan Edwards shot wide at the other end of the pitch when a McKay mistake threw up the chance of a rapid fire equaliser.

Having failed to take their opportunity, Thistle soon found themselves further behind.

Emerson Hyndman stole into the box from a disputed throw in and teed up Jon Toral who finished in some style.

Hyndman was decent and was unlucky not to be able to claim an assist when Miller forced an excellent diving stop out of Cerny with a measured shot towards the corner of the net.

“It’s certainly a pleasing result,” summarised Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday. “The first half was a bit scrappy, but once the goal went in, it settled the nerves.

“In the last few weeks, we’ve been a lot more clinical in our chances.

“As soon as we got that good chance, Kenny put it away with aplomb.

“It was a fantastic header and a great ball in from Tavernier.

“That’s something else we’ve talked about – when the chances come along we need to take them.

“The goal came at a very good time for us because we weren’t at our free- flowing best, we weren’t creating chances.

“That was certainly a nerve-settler.

“It’s two wins, but Celtic are obviously in form themselves.

“They’ve had a really consistent season which is something we’ve not managed to stamp our authority on.

“It’s a big game, but it’s a semifinal, a knock-out competition.

“If you can’t get up for this game, you’re in the wrong sport.

“It’s a massive occasion, a global audience is watching.

“I’ve managed to be part of a few and I can’t wait for the next one.”