The rebirth of Hampden Park will be christened by the first Old Firm Scottish
Cup final in a decade after Rangers resumed normal service against St
Johnstone.
The Ibrox club maintained their domestic treble chance in resounding manner
against the same opposition they defeated to lift the Scottish League Cup at
this venue in November.
Rod Wallace led the way with his 25th goal of the season after 15 minutes and
that advantage was doubled before the interval through Giovanni Van
Bronckhorst.
St Johnstone's faint hopes of a second-half recovery act were cast aside as
first Jonatan Johansson then in-form Neil McCann clinched an emphatic success on
70 minutes.
Much as it will a showpiece event on May 29, two low-key one-sided semi-finals
this weekend - bringing routine wins for Celtic and Rangers - have again exposed
the inequalities in the Scottish game.
A mere 20,644 attended Rangers' sixth meeting with St Johnstone this term,
with this fifth victory taking Dick Advocaat's team's goal tally against the
Perth club to an incredible 19.
The result today was never in doubt from the outset, the only question being
how often Rangers would trouble the scorers as St Johnstone must wait another
season for their first major trophy.
Scotland defender Colin Hendry, fit again after a series of injury concerns,
made his first Rangers start since January with Craig Moore ineligible.
Stephane Guivarc'h was a surprise choice in attack with Johansson on the
bench, while Saints were unchanged from the team which defeated Rangers 3-1 last
Sunday at McDiarmid Park.
It was the unsettled French striker who had the first effort at goal, a
comfortable save for Alan Main, but Rangers' positive start was to set an
irreversible trend.
St Johnstone defender Alan Kernaghan did well to block a Sergio Porrini
header, then Nick Dasovic, in painful fashion, got in the way of a Jorg Albertz
free kick.
After 13 minutes, the German threatened again when McCann and Tony Vidmar
combined neatly on the left to set Albertz up for a fierce but wayward drive.
Rangers' next attack saw Main forced into a low save from a Vidmar strike from
distance, but the momentum generated by the Ibrox outfit showed no signs of
lessening.
The first goal came after 15 minutes when McCann chipped the ball into the
path of a Wallace run from deep and the forward given time and space calmly
slotted under Main.
There was now a swagger in Rangers play absent in their miserable recent
defeats to Dundee United and St Johnstone with their opponents being overrun.
Sandy Clark's men took off the injured John Paul McBride after 22 minutes with
Miguel Simao entering the fray and moments saw Darren Dods hit a powerful
30-yard shot off-target.
Rangers were relentless however and might have doubled their advantage on the
half-hour when Wallace fed Andrei Kanchelskis who tried, but failed, to surprise
Main at the near post.
As it was three minutes later, an intricate free-kick which saw Albertz and
Van Bronckhorst twice exchange passes culminated in the Dutch midfielder firing
in from the edge of the area.
It was a superbly worked goal, albeit aided by a deflection off Gary Bollan,
which summed up the gulf in class between two teams of vastly contrasting
resources.
Vidmar's intelligent angled chip was clutched by the Scotland squad keeper,
then Main was saved by his crossbar as a stunning Albertz strike from 30 yards
thumped against the woodwork.
Rangers lost their fluency for the initial period of the second-half, though
St Johnstone were still unable to create anything in response to test Stefan
Klos.
Guivarc'h was pulled off by Advocaat after 57 minutes and promptly marched
down the tunnel into the dressing-room as Johansson was introduced to freshen
the attack.
The change had the desired impact with Rangers regaining the initiative with
an Albertz shot on the hour mark grasped by Main at the second attempt.
Albertz then twice turned provider, firstly putting through Johansson only for
Main to save with his legs, then the German's inside pass released Van
Bronckhorst for a shot against a post.
Rangers secured a scrappy third after 62 minutes when an Albertz corner was
missed badly by Main and Johansson trapped the ball at the far post before
netting with a low finish.
The lead was extended yet again after 70 minutes when Albertz played the ball
into the path of McCann who almost casually drove beyond the reach of Main.
St Johnstone were now reeling and it took a wonderful Main save to deprive
Albertz the late goal his overall display deserved in a game Rangers effectively
dominated from first to last.
Teams
St Johnstone: Main, Dasovic (Griffin 73), Weir, Kernaghan,
Grant (Lowndes 65), Kane, Bollan, O'Halloran, McBride (Simao 22),
McAnespie, Dods.
Booked: Kernaghan.
Rangers: Klos, Porrini, Amoruso, Kanchelskis (McInnes 71),
Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Guivarc'h (Johansson 56), Wallace,
McCann, Vidmar, Hendry (Wilson 76).
Booked: Vidmar.
Goals: Wallace 15, Van Bronckhorst 33, Johansson 62, McCann 70.
Att: 20,664
Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).
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