Rangers get serious to break Hearts

Rangers made surprisingly hard work in claiming a place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, going off the boil for lengthy spells in last night's quarter-final. Even if there was never any serious danger of the Edinburgh club winning, the holders seemed reluctant to put their visitors on the floor until two goals midway through the second period gave the result a more realistic scoreline.

After Celtic had been beaten last Wednesday to virtually secure the championship, the Rangers captain Lorenzo Amoruso said somewhat ominously, "and now we can concentrate on the Cup." It looked as if he was rubbing salt into an open wound, but early in this match it was clear he meant every word.

Hearts were stung with two goals in the first 17 minutes. Admittedly, Rangers' passing game was radar-like, but the visiting manager Jim Jefferies must have been tearing his hair out as a series of diagonal runs split his side open almost at will.

He was not short of bodies either. With Gary Naysmith and Thomas Flogel back in the side, Rangers had no right to expect to be given the freedom of the park. But they were, and they are far too talented a side not to take advantage of such disarray.

In the 12th minute Giovanni van Bronckhorst slipped a ball to the edge of the penalty area. Rod Wallace pulled away from his marker, sprinted to the by-line before turning the ball back across the face of goal for Barry Ferguson to tap home.

Five minutes later an exceptional goal doubled their advantage. Arthur Numan, deep on the left, began a reconnaissance and the Hearts defence, quite clearly waiting for an overlap to be orchestrated, bought the proposition. But the Dutchman changed gear, sprinted inside and hit a 15-yard shot which flew low past the former Rangers goalkeeper Antii Niemi.

Hearts may be having an average season but there was enough resilience about them to stage some kind of rally. They were helped by Rangers' complacency. In the 33rd minute Colin Cameron embarked on a lone forward run which seemed to be achieving little until Craig Moore brought him down. Cameron picked himself up to convert the penalty.

Their poise disturbed, Rangers would nevertheless have won out of hand had Wallace not wasted two perfect chances either side of half-time. But gradually their passing touch returned and they produced a scoreline which reflected the overall play.

In the 69th minute Van Bronckhorst arrowed a corner towards the near post and, in the crush of bodies, Amoruso appeared to make sufficiently strong contact to force the ball over the line.

Moments later, Flogel's tackle on the substitute Billy Dodds earned a penalty. After Jorg Albertz's misses in recent matches, the Rangers players hung around awkwardly looking for somebody to take it. Dodds, never the wallflower, put it safely into the net.

Rangers will face Ayr United in the semi-finals after last night's draw. The other tie pits Hibernian against Aberdeen.