A goal in each half from Rangers midfielder Christian Nerlinger plus a
clincher from captain Barry Ferguson killed off Partick's giant-killing hopes
and confirmed the booking of another Old Firm final.
Rangers followed up Celtic's 3-0 victory over Ayr on Saturday with a dismissal
of the other First Division semi-finalists by a similar scoreline.
The game was no great spectacle and Partick, as Ayr had before them, found
that endeavour in front of a partisan backing and on a rutted Hampden pitch was
not enough on the day.
Rangers manager Alex McLeish was once again without some of his more
high-profile players, with Ronald de Boer, Shota Arveladze, Bert Konterman,
Craig Moore and Arthur Numan all missing.
Rib injury victim Ferguson took another pain-killing injection to play but
nonetheless the starting line-up was a surprising one.
McLeish had given fringe players the chance to impress in midweek and the
quality of the 5-0 demolition of Kilmarnock meant some were simply undroppable.
So showboater extraordinaire Andrei Kanchelskis, hat-trick hero Neil McCann
and centre back Bob Malcolm all kept their places.
Partick started strongly but skipper Danny Lennon overdid it in only the
fourth minute by getting himself booked for a centre circle felling of
Nerlinger.
Ferguson fired a fair chance tamely wide following good work from Flo before
the Norseman set up Nerlinger for the opener.
The striker rolled a simple ball into the German's path on the edge of the
area and his left-footed effort gave Thistle goalkeeper Kenny Arthur no chance.
It maintained a fair scoring record for the midfielder, who had netted on his
European and Scottish debuts before disappearing for seven months with a foot
injury.
The First Division side could have been forgiven for assuming a
damage-limitation policy but Thistle are also a side used to winning this
season.
Paul Walker made a couple of darting runs and it needed a series of
interventions from Tony Vidmar to deny him and Mark McCulloch, with the latter
having been set up by a cute backheel by Lennon.
There was a penalty scare in the Thistle box in the 15th minute when Flo went
down under Paul Deas' challenge but referee Mike McCurry waved play on.
Scott McLean fired into the side-netting, with Vidmar having closed him down,
before Britton fired over from distance.
But Rangers finished the half more strongly, with McCann firing across goal
and wide before Claudio Caniggia forcing Arthur into a parry from distance.
A Nerlinger blaster was deflected over before Lorenzo Amoruso headed a
Kanchelskis corner wide from almost in front of the back post.
Nerlinger came close again with a shot from outside the box, having set up the
chance with a quick turn.
Vidmar came forward to get on the end of another Kanchelskis corner to the far
post but his effort bounced harmlessly wide.
Thistle tried to regain the initiative after the break and after McLean had
caused some alarm in the Rangers dangerzone the ball fell invitingly for Mark
McCulloch - only for the midfielder to scuff his shot.
He had been given little time and space to work in but the Thistle man's
reaction afterwards suggested he knew such a good chance might not come his way
again.
Little came either side's way for the next 15 minutes, with Flo stumbling into
a good chance in the box and then stumbling over it.
But Flo did better from a Kanchelskis cross straight after but although his
header had power it did not have the beating of Arthur.
McCann pinged a shot off Scott Paterson as Rangers dominated without much
penetration.
The game needed fresh impetus if it was ever to become a spectacle and Rangers
swapped Caniggia for Peter Lovenkrands in the 66th minute.
Thistle followed suit and McLean was replaced by Martin Cameron, the on-loan
Bristol Rovers striker.
A chance fell to Thistle immediately but although Gerry Britton's first touch
was good his shot from outside the box was hurried and it cleared the crossbar
by yards rather than inches.
Cameron was booked for a late challenge on Ricksen that sent the Dutchman
spinning into the air.
Nerlinger doubled the lead in the 72nd minute with a move he created and
finished himself.
The German took a Ferguson pass in his stride and played the ball forward to
Lovenkrands on the left wing before moving smartly into the box to meet the
Dane's cross with a firm, first-time effort that again gave Arthur no chance.
Deas had to head the ball away from goal after Flo's head had beaten
goalkeeper Arthur to a punch but within seconds Ferguson had made it 3-0.
The captain began the move with the ball at his feet and after Kanchelskis had
supplied Flo with his back to goal, Ferguson collected the ball before stroking
it past Arthur.
Ferguson was immediately replaced by Stephen Hughes - and his next task will
be to tell Scotland manager Berti Vogts if he is willing to take another
pain-killing injection and play against France on Wednesday night.
Teams
Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Malcolm, Amoruso, Vidmar, Kanchelskis,
Ferguson (Hughes 81), Nerlinger, McCann,
Caniggia (Lovenkrands 67), Flo.
Subs Not Used: McGregor, Dodds, Latapy.
Booked: Nerlinger.
Goals: Nerlinger 10, 72, Ferguson 78.
Partick: Arthur, Craigan, Paterson, Deas, Kelly,
McCulloch (McAnespie 79), Lennon, Archibald,
Britton (McKinstry 85), McLean (Cameron 67), Walker.
Subs Not Used: Dolan, Gow.
Booked: Lennon, Cameron.
Att: 31,969
Ref: M McCurry (Scotland).
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