A goal either side of half-time was enough for Rangers to dispatch pesky Albion Rovers and set-up a semi-final date at Ibrox against Dundee United. This quarter-final replay at Hamilton’s New Douglas Park had being hastily arranged after the Rovers valiant draw eight days before at Ibrox. Albion went into the game on the back of a four nil league defeat to Queens Park while Rangers had since secured the League One title with wins over Airdrieonians and Dunfermline. It was one of the goal scorers against Dunfermline, Callum Gallacgher who was the surprise inclusion in Ally McCoist’s side as the youngster made his starting debut. It didn’t take long for Ibrox youth product, Gallagher to make an impact as he assisted fellow youth star Fraser Aird in Rangers opener. With 18 minutes gone, Canadian international Aird shot the Glasgow giants in front as he volleyed home from 8 yards out. Rover’s keeper, Neil Parry had little to do in the first twenty minutes of the game but he could do nothing to stop the volley from the Canadian as he clinically despatched the cross high into the corner of the net. But Rovers weren’t going to go down without a fight and they nearly found an equaliser with 28 minutes gone when Scott Chaplain had a close range shot saved by Bell whose clearance nearly fell to a Rovers players but was thankfully for Bell, cleared by his defence. With five minutes of the first half remaining, Rovers winger Mark McGuigan expertly blocked an Aird strike from just inside the box, with the Canadians effort going narrowly over the bar. Ranger’s last chance of the first-half fell to Callum Gallagher, but the youngster was unable to get enough power behind his shot to really challenge Parry who collected with ease. Into the second-half and Rangers had the game wrapped up with under an hour played when a cross from Richard Foster found Jon Daly at the back post who looped a header over Parry and into the top corner. It was Daly’s first real chance of the match and he despatched it like a striker on top form. A minute later and it could have being three for Rangers as Lee McCulloch found space at the back post where he cut it back to Gallagher, but the youngster was unable to get enough power behind his shot and Parry managed to collect. In extra-time Nicky Law had a final opportunity to make it three nil to Rangers but his chip over Parry was desperately cleared off the line by Rovers defender Ross Dunlop. Rangers now face a much tougher prospect in Jackie McNamara’s Dundee United in the next round of the Cup while for Albion Rovers it is back to the promotion chase in League Two as they entertain Elgin City at Cliftonhill on Saturday. After the match, Albion Rovers manager James Ward, said: “Overall you have to be honest and say Rangers performed a lot better tonight. Second-half especially they had a lot more of the ball. But I feel first-half we contained them pretty well but it was a lapse of concentration, we let a ball get crossed into our box without enough pressure on it, Fraser Aird gets a run off Reid and we lose the goal. “We then have a chance, which I feel as if we didn’t really make enough off to go level but after that, we then let another cross come into our box with no pressure on it from Gary Phillips. To then give Jon Daly an opportunity like that you fully expect him to take advantage of it. We never created anything second-half but over and above that I feel we have done ourselves extremely proud, from the first round of games against Spartans all the way to tonight. And the boys can be immensely proud of what they put into it.” Following qualification for the next round, Rangers manager Ally McCoist added: “The main task was to get through to the semi-final which we will look forward to. It was clearly evident that we were delighted to score first, the previous game at Ibrox, one of the problems we were faced with was losing the goal first as it gives the other team something to hold onto. So to get the first goal was a big thing for us. “Callum has being doing very well, he’s a great kid, obviously came on, on Saturday and scored his first goal, I though he did well again tonight for us. I think Jimmy Sinclair and the boys up at Murray Park will be happy with that. A good cross in and a great finish from young Aird so that was really pleasing. I think getting the first goal from two lads from Murray Park added to the pleasure of it.” Rangers: Cammy Bell, Richard Foster, Bilel Moshni, Fraser Aird, Lee Wallace, Lee McCulloch, Calum Gallagher (Nicky Clark), Ian Black, Jon Daly, Kyle Hutton (Sebastian Faure), Nicky Law. Subs: Steve Simonsen, Arnold Peralta, Robbie Crawford, Steven Smith, Dean Shiels. Albion Rovers: Neil Perry, Alan Reid, Ross Dunlop, Barry Russell, Ciaran Donnelly, Michael Dunlop, Liam Cusack (Josh Flood), Scott Chaplain, Mark McGuigan, David Crawford (Patrick Walker), Gary Phillips (Ryan Tiffney). Subs: Matthew McGinley, Dominic Kennedy, Peter Innes, Martin Macguire. Referee: John Beaton Attendance: 5354 /Frankie
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:48:58 +0000
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