Cyriel Dessers notched a double as Rangers defeated Hearts to set up an Old Firm Scottish Cup Final showpiece next month.
The Rangers forward’s double in the 4th and 77th minute bookended a scrappy affair, as Hearts’ Hampden hoodoo of never beating Rangers at the national stadium goes on.
Philippe Clement appeared to take everyone by surprise in his team selection, with Conor Goldson named only on the bench.
Rangers carved out an opportunity with only two minutes on the clock after some early domination of the ball.
Abdallah Sima picked out Cyriel Dessers in the box, but the Nigerian couldn’t make a clean connection.
Two minutes later though and the Light Blues number nine would be on the scoresheet. Todd Cantwell slipped an incisive ball between the line before Dessers displayed impressive composure in the box to dance the ball around Frankie Kent and then dispatch it beyond Craig Gordon.
Rangers were then forced into an early change with Abdallah Sima replaced by Ross McCausland on the quarter hour mark.
Steven Naismith frantically urged his side up the park as the half wore on and they were presented with a golden opportunity to equalize after 23 minutes. Captain Lawrence Shankland picked out Frankie Kent in the box, only for the defender’s volley to be denied at point blank range by Jack Butland – although there was some suggestion it would have been pulled back for offside had it hit the net.
Minutes after half time and Hearts almost had the breakthrough when Kenneth Vargas robbed John Souttar of possession just outside his own area. Souttar was bailed out by his central defensive partner for the day, Leon Balogun, as he easily cleared Vargas’ cross.
Hearts began to make their mark in the second half with Lawrence Shankland pulling the strings for Naismith’s side.
Substitute Yutaro Oda unleashed a venomous strike deflected just beyond Jack Butland’s right hand post, before Shankland saw a header of his own hit the side netting – much to the angst of the Heart supporters on the opposite side who celebrated it like an equaliser.
That pressure was short lived however as Rangers doubled their advantage on 77 minutes.
Todd Cantwell carried the ball through the centre of the Hearts midfield before laying it off to Cyriel Dessers, who notched home his brace at the second attempt, after an initial strong save from Gordon.
Both teams should have found the net before the end with Fabio Silva missing from yards out to add a third for Rangers, before Oda’s shot was parried away by Butland seconds later.
It is Rangers who will be back at Hampden next month to take on city rivals Celtic in an Old Firm showdown to close out the season.
