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Rangers dig deep to win Scottish Cup after back-to-back extra-time ordeals

James Tavernier holds the trophy aloft during the Scottish Cup Final match between Rangers and Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park - Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
James Tavernier holds the trophy aloft during the Scottish Cup Final match between Rangers and Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park - Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Rangers 2 Hearts 0 (aet)

Rangers staggered out of a wrenching penalty decider defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, a two-hour plus ordeal in broiling heat and, less than 72 hours later, found themselves dragged by an obdurate Hearts side into an extra 30 minutes of the Scottish Cup final.

They had been offered abundant evidence that the gods of football were toying with what remained of their hope of taking something from a turbulent season– a Scott Wright header that had come off the crossbar and a blatant tug on Joe Aribo’s jersey in the final seconds of normal time when the Nigerian was through on goal inside the Hearts box.

Yet Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s players reached deep into their reserves of self-belief to strike twice within four minutes inside extra time to secure the trophy for the first time since 2009 and assuage the profound disappointment inflicted upon them in midweek. To add to the sense that an otherwise unavoidable destiny had been overthrown by character – and the shrewd judgment of their manager - the goals which allowed Rangers to place their hands on the Scottish Cup for the 34th time were scored by Ryan Jack and Wright, both of whom had been brought off the bench to help relieve the burden on straining limbs.

What few, of either persuasion, could have anticipated was the speed of play, particularly from Rangers, supposedly emotionally and physically drained by the manner of their failure in Seville. Indeed, the standard of football on display was superior to that witnessed for most of the proceedings on Wednesday, a factor largely attributable to the Hampden pitch, in contrast to the unyielding surface at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

The pattern, though, was relatively predictable, with Hearts retreating into a back five when under pressure but also looking to break in similar fashion to Frankfurt, a capacity they demonstrated 10 minutes into the contest when Liam Boyce was played in behind the Rangers defence and slipped a pass across the six-yard box ahead of Ellis Simms, whose touch pushed the ball off the base of the post.

Ryan Jack scores - Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Ryan Jack scores - Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

That constituted not only a golden opportunity but, also as it turned out, the only attempt on target in the first half, an odd fact given the expansive nature of the contest. As they walked from the pitch at half time, Rangers were entitled to rue Amad Diallo’s inability to convert a whipped cross from Calvin Bassey shortly before the break, which the on-loan teenager headed over the crossbar when a more controlled touch would have confounded Craig Gordon in the Hearts goal.

In contrast, aside from the Simms effort that rebounded from the upright, Hearts had not genuinely threatened Jon McLaughlin, the No2 goalkeeper who had been granted appearances in each round of the tournament. The second half brought forth the man of the match in Bassey. The Rangers full-back, who did not convince many Ibrox supporters in his early days with the club, produced a virtuoso performance which at one stage featured three consecutive drag-backs and, quite likely also an invitation to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.

Yet, as time wore on, so did the feeling that this might turn out to be an exercise in perversity, especially when Hearts substitute, Andy Halliday, flattened Bassey, prompting Willie Collum – an official who has kept company with controversy lately – to take a long look before waving play on, to the howled outrage of the Rangers support. The approach and confirmation of extra time looked ominous for Rangers and offered succour to a Hearts side who had offered little in the way of menace in the closing quarter of the match.

Rangers' Scott Wright scores their second goal - REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Rangers' Scott Wright scores their second goal - REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

In defiance of what seemed to be malign fate, it was Rangers who seized the prize soon into the added 30 minutes and as a consequence of their manager’s proactive guile. He had replaced Steven Davis with Jack and the move was repaid when the Hearts defence did not clear a corner kick adequately and Jack thrashed the ball past Gordon from beyond the edge of the box.

With Hearts still reeling, Rangers inflicted the coup de grace with a counter-punch when Ryan Kent released Scott Wright – who had come on for Diallo – to steer a precise low drive into the far corner of the net. With a comely finesse, Van Bronckhorst replaced McLaughlin with Allan McGregor, who, in his first spell with Rangers, had picked up two domestic cup winner’s medals as an unused substitute.

The 40-year-old now gained another medal, this time as a playing member of the winning team, even though – pay attention pub quiz fans – he did not touch the ball during his time on the field. It was the final quirk of a turbulently memorable campaign for Van Bronckhorst and his gratified players.


Match details

Rangers (4-3-3) McLaughlin (McGregor 119); Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Bassey; Davis (Jack 80), Lundstram, Arfield (Kamara 80); Diallo (Wright 63), Aribo (Sakala 109), Kent. 
Substitutes Itten, Ramsey, Sands, Roofe, King, Lowry. Booked Diallo.

Heart of Midlothian (3-4-1-2) Gordon; Souttar, Halkett, Kingsley; Atkinson, Haring, Devlin (McEneff 105), Cochrane (Mackay-Steven 90); Boyce (Halliday 75); Simms, McKay (Ginelly 80). 
Substitutes Stewart (g), Smith, Woodburn, Moore, Sibbick. Booked Haring, Halkett.

Referee Willie Collum. Attendance 50,315.