Holders Rangers booked a place in the next round of the Tennents Scottish Cup with victory at Hibernian.

Top-scorer Shota Arveladze opened the scoring in the first half and an often bad-tempered game was wrapped up shortly after half-time by Peter Lovenkrands.

Arveladze's 35th-minute goal represented the only clear chance of a stormy first half, although Hibernian youngster Scott Brown did test Stefan Klos at the other end shortly afterwards.

Instead, the first 45 minutes centred around referee Mike McCurry's attempts to keep control and the crescendo of boos from the home fans that accompanied the half-time whistle showed how he struggled.

Four players were booked before the half-hour as the youthful home side, who had harried Celtic to a famous defeat in the CIS Insurance Cup earlier in the season, showed the other half of the Old Firm an equal lack of respect.

Rangers forward Nuno Capucho was the first to be shown a yellow card, for a 15th-minute elbow on Mathias Doumbe.

Hibernian substitute Kevin Nicol was next, booked three minutes later for a late challenge on Zura Khizanishvili, who was back in the side in place of the suspended Craig Moore.

Nicol had only been on the pitch for four minutes after replacing Grant Brebner, who was stretchered off with a serious shoulder injury having landed hard following a challenge with Arveladze and Mikel Arteta.

Brown was booked in the 26th minute for felling Lovenkrands and four minutes later Kevin Thomson, the teenager who had downed Celtic, followed him for barging over Arteta.

Rangers winger Chris Burke was the next casualty, going over on his ankle after jumping for a header. He had to be replaced by debutant Hamed Namouchi.

The newcomer, who has opted to represent Tunisia ahead of France, made an immediate impact by setting up the opening goal.

Lovenkrands outpaced Gary Smith down the left and when Namouchi jumped higher than Steven Whittaker at the far post Arveladze was able to stoop to head the knock-down past Daniel Anderson from six yards.

Whittaker brought Namouchi down on the edge of the penalty box just before half-time but Arteta fired the free-kick wide.

The second half saw Rangers swap Capucho for Michael Mols, who was immediately involved in a challenge that hurt Kevin Thomson.

Bob Malcolm was booked for a late challenge in the 48th minute on Brown but a minute later Rangers went two ahead with some sparkling football.

Mols was the creator, holding off opponents on the halfway line before turning to send Lovenkrands away down the left and the Dane showed composure and pace by lofting the ball over goalkeeper Daniel Andersson from a difficult angle as Smith slid into to challenge.

Hibs badly needed a way back into the tie and former Rangers striker Stephen Dobbie almost provided it when he forced Klos into a fine parry with a 25-yard drive following a knockdown from Garry O'Connor.

Lovenkrands set up Mols for a tap-in into an unguarded net but the flag was already up for offside and the game petered away until the final whistle.

Teams

Hibernian Andersson, Smith, Murdock, Brebner (Nicol 12), O'Connor, Riordan, Doumbe, Whittaker, Dobbie, Brown, Thomson.

Subs Not Used: Hyldgaard, Baillie, Reid, Orman.

Booked: Nicol, Brown, Thomson.

Rangers Klos, Ricksen, Berg, Malcolm, Vanoli, Khizanishvili, Capucho (Mols 45), Arteta, Arveladze, Lovenkrands, Burke (Namouchi 32).

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Ball, Ostenstad.

Booked: Capucho, Malcolm.

Goals: Arveladze 35, Lovenkrands 49.

Att: 11,392

Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).