Rangers booked their passage into a second cup semi-final of the season with a stroll at part-timers Forfar Athletic.

Billy Dodds hit a hat-trick and Shota Arveladze netted twice, with Andrei Kanchelskis also getting his name on the scoresheet as Rangers made sure there were to be no upsets at the quarter-final stage as far as they were concerned.

Dodds had appeared to have passed up the chance of claiming the match ball when goalkeeper Michael Brown saved a second half penalty, but he went on to notch the sixth with virtually the last kick of the game.

With Thursday night's UEFA Cup decider in Feyenoord in mind, Rangers manager Alex McLeish left out Tore Andre Flo, Claudio Caniggia, Bert Konterman and Michael Mols.

That allowed rare starts for Dodds and Kanchelskis in a line-up that had echoes of the side that had failed to score against another part-time Second Division side, Berwick Rangers, in an earlier round.

But any fears of a repeat non-performance evaporated within 40 seconds when Arveladze and Dodds exchanged passes and the Scot was presented with the simple task of slotting past the exposed Brown.

Dodds repaid the favour to Arveladze on the half hour and the Georgian made it 3-0 a few minutes later with a precise lob over the exposed Brown after Stephen Hughes' through ball had opened up the Forfar defence.

Even Kanchelskis, who was making his first start since September, got in on the act, blasting a fierce curving effort past Brown after Arveladze had set him up.

Defender Iain Good prevented a 5-0 half-time scoreline by blocking an Arthur Numan shot before it could cross the line.

Yet the advantage they enjoyed at the break had flattered Rangers to an extent and Stefan Klos in the Rangers goal had repeatedly been called upon to deny Forfar, and Paul Tosh in particular.

Tosh had already tested the German twice, including a shot that followed an appeal for a penalty when Willie Stewart went down under a Tony Vidmar challenge, before he went close twice in a matter of seconds.

A rising drive after a turn was tipped over for a corner by Klos, who then had to save when the striker appeared to get a header in ahead of Numan's challenge.

Klos had also been required to nip in ahead of Callum Bett, the on-loan Aberdeen midfielder, and Rangers' play at times looked well below the standard required later in the week if the European dream is to be kept alive in Rotterdam.

It was scant consolation for the part-timers, but they had played well against the millionaires everywhere except at the back.

Rangers rested Fernando Ricksen and Arveladze at the break, even though the former is banned and the latter cup-tied on Thursday.

On instead came Maurice Ross and Russell Latapy, with Ross at least likely to start in Rotterdam.

Brown denied Latapy and then McCann, with the former guilty of too casual a finish after Numan had put him through.

Kanchelskis had also wastefully blasted the rebound wide.

But Dodds notched his second and his team's fifth just after the hour mark with a low drive that had the beating of Brown to his right.

Substitute Barrie Moffat might have netted a consolation goal soon after when a shot from fellow replacement Jim Henry was deflected into his path.

But despite a good sight of goal he sliced his shot disappointingly wide.

Rangers were awarded a penalty when Dodds went down in the box as though Sellars had clipped his heel.

It had looked a dubious award so perhaps justice was done when Brown denied Dodds from the spot-kick.

With the match already won, McLeish gave a debut to rookie goalkeeper Allan McGregor, handing him the last quarter of an hour to gather first team experience that could be vital should an emergency arise in a more high-pressure situation.

Dodds made it 6-0 in stoppage time with a low drive that went in off a post.

The result had been a disappointment to Loons manager Neil Cooper, who was a teenage apprentice alongside McLeish at Aberdeen in the 1970s.

But the gate receipts from a near sell-out crowd, plus the added television money, meant the club was no longer in financial jeopardy for another season at least.

Rangers emerged unscathed from their trip to picturesque Station Park, where cows graze next to the main stand, but are sure to be more severely tested in Rotterdam in a few days time.

Teams:

Forfar: Brown, Horn, Lunan (Henry 62), Milne (Christie 57), Rattray, Sellars, Bett (Moffat 65), Byers, Good, Tosh, Stewart.

Subs Not Used: Morris, Ferrie.

Rangers: Klos (McGregor 73), Ricksen (Ross 45), Amoruso, Vidmar, Numan, Kanchelskis, Hughes, Ferguson, McCann, Arveladze (Latapy 45), Dodds.

Subs Not Used: Lovenkrands, Wilson.

Goals: Dodds 1, Arveladze 30, 40, Kanchelskis 42, Dodds 61, 90.

Att: 4,504

Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).