Motherwell keeper Stevie Woods was left shame-faced and embarrassed today at Fir Park in the Tennents Scottish Cup.

Woods lost his bearings with seven minutes to go to throw Rangers a lifeline and keep them in the competition.

Motherwell, without a manager after Alex McLeish's departure to Hibernian, were heading for the quarter-finals after a Richard Gough own-goal put them in front for a second time.

But Woods had a rush of blood in the head in the 83rd minute when he tried to play the ball into touch after it had been knocked back to him by Brian Martin, and he only succeeded in scuffing the ball.

It rolled neatly into the path of Durie and the Scotland international could not believe his luck, knocking the ball into an empty net.

It was a devastating blow for a Motherwell side under the care of assistant manager Andy Watson.

They played with remarkable spirit and could have snatched the winner with two minutes to go when Rangers keeper Andy Goram did superbly well to turn away a shot from the edge of the area from Willie Falconer.

Instead, the teams will go to Ibrox on Tuesday for a replay of this fourth round game and Rangers are looking for some much needed inspiration.

They were without Brian Laudrup, who was not injured but likely to move to Chelsea after holding talks with the London club this week just before Ruud Gullit's sensational departure.

Paul Gascoigne was back in Rangers colours after being on England duty in midweek but he was anonymous in a game that again cast doubt on Rangers' ability to chalk up a League and Cup double in manager Walter Smith's final season.

Motherwell, struggling in the Premier Division, could have been 3-0 ahead at the break.

Owen Coyle sent a header over the bar from Tommy Coyne's cross when it seemed easier to score.

Coyle then dragged a shot wide of the post after Coyne had again set up the opening.

It was Coyne who got Motherwell off the mark in the 19th minute after Dougie Arnott and Coyle had linked up.

Rangers drew level in the 26th minute when Marco Negri scored his 34th goal of the season.

The score came after Durie's header had been knocked off the line by Steve MacMillan, and after keeper Woods had beaten away a shot by Jorg Albertz.

Negri then knocked the ball wide of the post as Rangers stepped up the pressure, and Woods did remarkably well to turn away Negri's first-time shot after Albertz had delivered the cross.

Durie struck the post in the 70th minute after Sergio Porrini had carved out the opening, only for Motherwell to regain the lead 13 minutes from time.

The impressive Macmillan played in a freekick from the right after Albertz had been pulled up for a foul on Kevin Christie.

Ibrox skipper Gough seemed to get the final touch after being unsettled by the presence of Falconer.

Motherwell looked in command only for Woods to suffer a nightmare and deny his side a clear passage to the last eight.

Teams

Motherwell: Woods, May, McMillan, Newman, Martin, Falconer, Christie, Garcin (Valikarri 68), Coyne, Arnott (McCulloch 19), Coyle.

Subs Not Used: McSkimming.

Booked: Christie.

Goals: Coyne 19, Gough 77 og.

Rangers: Goram, Cleland, Albertz, Gough, Porrini, Bjorklund, Durie, Gascoigne (Johannson 77), Negri, McCall, Gattuso (Ferguson 77).

Subs Not Used: Moore.

Booked: Gough, Porrini.

Goals: Negri 26, Durie 83.

Att: 12,602

Ref: M McCurry (Glasgow).