Rangers’ first-half flurry sets up Celtic showdown
Steven Gerrard has prioritised a Scottish Cup win from his squad – to add to the Premiership title they’ve already banked.
But the Rangers manager also has an unbeaten league campaign record which is just five games away and is conscious of spreading the minutes amongst his squad after a lengthy and demanding season. However, he has insisted he won’t do either to the detriment of Hampden glory – now his number one priority.
That the Scottish Cup run now includes a fifth Old Firm meeting with Celtic, and a chance to relocate a second piece of silverware across the city, will only concentrate minds further after progress to the last 16 was secured with some comfort at Ibrox in last night’s penultimate third round tie.
The trophy and shared team time don’t have to be mutually exclusive though. That much was proven by several of Gerrard’s fringe players being drafted in and their professional handling of Cove Rangers to maintain the club’s reliable course and unbeaten home domestic form.
In his Scottish Cup selection the Rangers manager made seven changes to his last team – one which drew 1-1 at Celtic Park last month - and it’s fair to suggest that the Ibrox line-up against Celtic will be slightly different when that tie is played in two weeks’ time, no less because two of the firstteam may be unavailable once again.
The club’s appeal against the sixgame bans meted out by the Scottish FA disciplinary panel at the start of last week on five players for covid protocol breaches allowed two of those – Calvin Bassey and Nathan Patterson – to add to their appearance count against Cove.
But the pair made their reprieve count with capable performances – particularly Patterson.
The young defender has impressed since deputising for the injured James Tavernier and looked accomplished once again. Alert and advanced, Patterson sniffed out possession as Cove diced with danger along their own area shortly before half-time, then raced in, seized the ball and planted a punishment of his own into the corner of the net for Rangers’ fourth and what proved to be final goal of the evening.
To that point the game had smouldered without ever catching light, despite the Ibrox DJ being prompted to play ‘The Roof Is On Fire’ twice to mark two Kemar Roofe goals in quick succession around the halfhour mark.
The forward also hit the post early on and will be one of those with designs on a start against Celtic when the fourth round clash comes along.
So too should Scot Wright. On from the start for the first time, he went close in the early exchanges and throughout the home side channelled much of their early play towards the former Aberdeen winger, who has slotted into the Rangers style and set-up with ease.
Wright’s inclusion for a first start of the season at Ibrox contrasted with Gerrard’s trusted lieutenant Connor Goldson, now one start off hitting a half-century for the title-winning campaign after captaining the side and showing no signs of slowing down.
Neither too does Jermain Defoe – another fringe player pitched in against Cove and another who has proven he can be relied upon when his body allows him.
Defoe has rarely been seen from the start this season, but has found the net when he has, with a classy finish at Ibrox against Livingston in October, and he unleashed a rocket from 25 yards after cleverly using all of his experience to spin Fraser Fyvie in midfield to open the scoring beyond Stuart Mckenzie on 23 minutes.
With that sort of guile and nous in reserve, Gerrard’s ambition of doing the double may still be achievable with more than a little input from the lesser-seen squad members before the season is out.
However, when the bench comprises of Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo, Allan Mcgregor and Alfredo Morelos, not to mention Ianis Hagi who was given 45 minutes against Cove, the options are plentiful for Gerrard and selection against Celtic won’t be any easier after an accomplished evening against the League One promotion hopefuls.
Cove had billed the game as the biggest in the club’s history, and while holding out admirably and fighting their corner, they rarely approached Jon Mclaughlin’s net in the first half,
and by which point they did, they were already well behind.
This game though, was not the priority for Paul Hartley’s team, whose 48-hour countdown to a key league fixture against Clyde tomorrow began during the half-time interval at Ibrox. That was considered in his team selection, and made an already difficult task insurmountable, while a second-half injury for Jamie Masson didn’t help their cause.
Neither too did a professional performance from a much-changed Rangers side which lived up to its oftcoined ‘relentless’ billing and who looked intent on fulfilling that tag in their pursuit of their second silverware of the season.
Rangers now look forward to Hibs then Celtic in a fortnight's time, and remain in impressive form, whoever Gerrard selects.
Rangers: Mclaughlin, Patterson, Goldson, Helander, Bassey, Arfield, Davis (Hagi 46), Kamara, Wright, Defoe (Stewart 73), Roofe (Itten 63). Subs not used: Mcgregor, Simpson, Kent, Aribo, Morelos, Balogun.
Cove Rangers: Mckenzie, Scott Ross, Graham, Higgins, Livingstone, Watson (Mcintosh 65), Fyvie, Scully, Smith, Masson (Hanratty 67), Megginson (Mcallister 46). Subs not used: Strachan, Yule, Sebastian Ross, Demus, Logan, Ngwenya.
Referee: Kevin Clancy