Rangers 2-1 Greenock Morton: Michael Beale's side make hard work of visitors

1 year ago 27

Much-changed Rangers made hard enactment of dispatching second-tier Greenock Morton to publication a Viaplay Cup quarter-final spot for an eighth consecutive season.

Michael Beale made 8 switches to his broadside pursuing Tuesday's European occurrence implicit Servette, but the Ibrox hosts suffered from the aforesaid deficiency of fluidity arsenic the Championship visitors took a daze second-half pb done a Grant Gillespie penalty.

That infinitesimal served arsenic a wake-up telephone for the location broadside though and they equalised done Cyriel Dessers' spot-kick - awarded aft a VAR reappraisal - 7 minutes aboriginal earlier substitute Danilo fired successful the winner.

Rangers failed to adhd gloss to the hard-fought triumph arsenic Ianis Hagi and Abdallah Sima, who besides headed disconnected the bar, were denied by inspired visiting keeper Jamie MacDonald.

Backed by a steadfast distant crowd, Morton forced Jack Butland into enactment with a Robbie Muirhead free-kick portion Robbie Crawford failed to marque the astir of a one-on-one accidental earlier Dessers' foul connected Kirk Broadfoot allowed Gillespie to person from the spot.

The second-tier broadside could person besides grabbed an added-time equaliser, but debutant Johnly Yfeko's last-ditch tackle connected George Oakley was followed by erstwhile Rangers defender Broadfoot poking implicit the bar.

It was Broadfoot's tug connected Leon Balogun, who had conscionable smashed a volley disconnected a post, that allowed Dessers to slot a quickfire equaliser for Beale's side, who were uninspiring for the bulk of the archetypal hr until the instauration of Danilo, Hagi and Sima.

Dessers thought helium had opened the scoring aft rounding MacDonald - who pulled disconnected good first-half saves to thwart Rabbi Matondo and Kieran Dowell - but the striker was penalised for a brushed foul connected O'Connor, a determination that could not beryllium reviewed arsenic the referee had blown.

Beale, whose broadside were acold from convincing again, volition beryllium fixed leeway portion his new-look squad gels, but questions of his summertime recruitment volition not spell distant until performances amended connected a much accordant basis.

Player of the lucifer - Jamie MacDonald

Line-ups

Rangers

Formation 4-3-3

1Butland
21SterlingSubstituted forPereira da Silvaat 57'minutes
6Goldson
27BalogunSubstituted forSimaat 57'minutes
46Yfeko
15Cifuentes
4Lundstram
20Dowell
17MatondoBooked astatine 61minsSubstituted forDevineat 81'minutes
14LammersSubstituted forHagiat 57'minutes
9DessersSubstituted forRoofeat 80'minutes

Substitutes

7Hagi
11Lawrence
19Sima
25Roofe
28McCrorie
38King
44Devine
64Rice
99Pereira da Silva

Morton

Formation 4-5-1

30MacDonald
8BluesBooked astatine 32mins
15BroadfootBooked astatine 59mins
4O'Connor
6Waters
9Muirhead
21GillespieSubstituted forKingat 69'minutesBooked astatine 90mins
14Crawford
20Power
17McGrattanSubstituted forBearneat 76'minutes
22Oakley

Substitutes

1Mullen
5Baird
19Bearne
25King

Referee:David Dickinson

Attendance:38,943

Live Text

Match ends, Rangers 2, Greenock Morton 1.
Second Half ends, Rangers 2, Greenock Morton 1.
Attempt missed. Kirk Broadfoot (Greenock Morton) close footed changeable from the centre of the container is excessively high.
Corner, Greenock Morton. Conceded by Connor Goldson.
Attempt missed. Ianis Hagi (Rangers) near footed changeable from extracurricular the container is excessively precocious from a nonstop escaped kick.
Alex King (Greenock Morton) is shown the yellowish paper for a atrocious foul.
Ianis Hagi (Rangers) wins a escaped footwear successful the attacking half.
Foul by Alex King (Greenock Morton).
Attempt missed. Kemar Roofe (Rangers) header from the centre of the container is excessively high.
Ianis Hagi (Rangers) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Foul by Robbie Crawford (Greenock Morton).
Attempt missed. Danilo (Rangers) close footed changeable from the near broadside of the container is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Abdallah Sima (Rangers).
Robbie Crawford (Greenock Morton) wins a escaped footwear successful the antiaircraft half.
Attempt saved. José Cifuentes (Rangers) close footed changeable from the centre of the container is saved successful the apical centre of the goal.
Corner, Greenock Morton. Conceded by José Cifuentes.
Corner, Greenock Morton. Conceded by Johnly Yfeko.
Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Darragh O'Connor.
Attempt blocked. Abdallah Sima (Rangers) close footed changeable from the centre of the container is blocked.
Attempt missed. Kemar Roofe (Rangers) close footed changeable from extracurricular the container misses to the left.