Rangers 2 Hearts 0 (AET) Ryan Jack and Scott Wright win Scottish Cup as Light Blues end emotional week with silverware

RANGERS ensured an emotional week ended on a high as they tasted Scottish Cup glory for the first time since 2009 after a 2-0 win over Hearts.

Ryan Jack and Scott Wright were the goalscoring heroes as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men recovered from Thursday’s Europa League heartbreak in impressive fashion, securing silverware despite being taken to extra time for the second time in just three days.

Reuters

Ryan Jack thunders in the opening goal at Hampden[/caption]

Reuters

The midfielder celebrates his wonder strike[/caption]

There was some shock team news before the game, as Amad Diallo was given a start for Rangers, with several Europa League final stars on the bench after that gruelling clash with Eintracht Frankfurt. Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe were left on the bench.

On the other side, the Light Blues came up against a man who will be a team mate next season in John Souttar, who found himself in the rather unique position of making his farewell Hearts appearance against the club that will employ him in a matter of days.

It was a frantic start at the national stadium and Willie Collum was reaching for his yellow card inside the opening three minutes.

Peter Haring went flying into a heavy tackle on Calvin Bassey, with his studs catching the Rangers defender on the ankle.

It was a painful one for Bassey and a crunching challenge, but yellow was probably just about correct, although there probably couldn’t have been many complaints if the ref had opted for a harsher punishment.

The first big opening of the game went the way of Hearts and it was a huge chance. Robbie Neilson set his side up to press high from the off, and it almost paid dividends.

Ellis Simms challenged Leon Balogun for a long, high ball, winning the dual and nodding the ball on to Nathaniel Atkinson.

The Australian then fed Liam Boyce, who sent the ball across goal where Simms was charging in towards the goal.

The Hearts man got there, but perhaps went with the wrong foot, stretching for the ball with his right instead of his lift. He got contact on it, but the ball went away from goal, struck the post and trickled to safety.

Rangers grew into the game, and a few half chances came in quick succession.

A superb Connor Goldson cross field pass set Diallo away and clear in behind Alex Cochrane, but his ball across the box was a tame one and Hearts fired the ball to safety with Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent waiting.

Moments later, Steven Davis miscued an effort on the edge of the box, although the ball fortunately found its way to Scott Arfield.

But the former Canada man couldn’t make a breakthrough as his powerful effort was well blocked by Souttar.

Simms was causing the Rangers defence a fair bit of havoc, and it was his presence and hold up play that led to an opportunity for Barrie McKay.

But he blazed the ball over from just outside the area.

Ryan Kent, perhaps still reeling from his dramatic late, saved attempt in the Europa League final, was having a quiet afternoon but he burst into life on 27 minutes by fashioning a chance for himself.

The winger took possession form Joe Aribo, and despite close attention from a couple of Hearts defenders, he shuffled the ball from his right foot to left. Unfortunately for Kent, there wasn’t a finish to match the footwork as his low shot skidded well wide of Craig Gordon’s goal.

Calvin Bassey, Rangers’ stand-out performer in Seville on Wednesday, was proving a threat here down the left hand side and he created two big chances in the closing stages of the first half.

The first saw the Nigeria international, once again at left back after Borna Barisic’s injury in midweek, sent in a tremendous ball to the edge of the six yard box where Aribo, once again performing as a false nine, got on the end of it.

But his header lacked any real power or direction, and the ball flashed wide of Gordon’s far post.

Three minutes before the half time whistle, Bassey fired in another tremendous cross, this time to the back stick. Diallo was the man looking to make the most of this one, but he mistimed his jump, got underneath the ball and sent it harmlessly over the bar. That was it for an entertaining, albeit goalless, first 45 at Hampden.

It was a fairly quiet start to the second half, at least from a chance perspective as both sides struggled to break down stubborn defences.

Gordon hadn’t had anything of note to do until he was called into action 12 minutes into the second period.

A lovely ball over the top from Diallo from just inside his own half sent Kent clear of the Jambos backline and the pacey former Liverpool man was bearing down on goal.

But showing the excellent form that has earned him player of the year awards, Hearts’ 39-year old ‘keeper read the situation every inch of the way and was there to smother the danger before Kent could get an effort away.

Willie Vass

Craig Gordon gets out fast to deny Ryan Kent[/caption]

Diallo picked up the game’s second caution for a crunching challenge on Boyce, and his heart might have been in his mouth just a couple of minutes after when he caught McKay a little late.

There wasn’t much in it, and that’s how Willie Collum saw it, and there was no need for further punishment.

It did ultimately lead to the end of Diallo’s afternoon, and he was replaced on 63 minutes with Scott Wright being send on in his place.

Hearts were struggling to create anything of note, but they showed their intentions when Nathaniel Atkinson fizzed in a fantastic curling ball from the right, but it was just too heavy for Simms to get anything on it.

Wright injected a bit of life into the Rangers performance and they enjoyed another good, attacking spell as the final 15 minutes approached.

The sub showed lovely skill to send Aribo away, but his cross across the face of goal never looked like finding anyone, with Scott Arfield the better option near the penalty spot.

Bassey, having another superb game, then decided to take matters into his own hands. The big defender stepped up and found himself on the edge of the penalty area.

He showed great feet and skill to skip past a couple of Hearts defenders, and his low effort was pushed away from goal by Gordon, and eventually gathered.

Rangers were in control, and should really have made it 1-0 with six minutes left to play with their best chance of the game.

James Tavernier swung in a fantastic corner that was met powerfully by Leon Balogun at the near post. In terms of contact, the centre back couldn’t have met it any better. But he couldn’t keep the header down and it skimmed across the top of the net.

Craig Gordon was a hero for Hearts in the semi final against rivals Hibs, pulling off a number of superb saves, most notably a stunning stop from Ryan Porteous.

He was at it again here as the final entered stoppage time. Joe Aribo shuffled the ball into a shooting position, and despite a shirt pull from Atkinson, he managed to get a powerful, low driven effort towards goal.

The Scotland number one somehow stuck out a leg and almost beyond belief, diverted the ball just past the post and out for a corner.

It was as truly stunning save, and replays showed just how good it was. An absolutely incredible stop from the goalie.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was calling for a penalty – there was a clear shirt pull on Aribo just before he got his attempt away, but the advantage had already been played.

The Rangers pressure was relentless until the very end, and there was still time for another chance. It was from a corner again, and it was Scott Wright this time who did brilliantly to flick the ball towards goal with his head.

This time, the crossbar denied the Light Blues and that was that. Once again, Rangers were off to extra time.

The Ibrox men were showing no sign of slowing down and another fantastic chance passed them by in the opening couple of minutes.

It was Bassey again with another fantastic cross, and in similar fashion to Diallo’s first chance effort, Aribo got underneath and sent the ball high and over the bar when the net should really have been bursting.

But Rangers didn’t have to wait too long to finally make their deserved breakthrough and in absolutely sensational fashion.

Ryan Jack, sent on towards the end of normal time, was the somewhat unlikely hero and it was an absolute wonder strike on 94 minutes.

A corner was cleared to the edge of the area where the midfielder was waiting to pick up the scraps, and he had enough time to take a touch to set himself. He did just that before unleashing an absolute piledriver of an effort that thundered past Gordon and into the net via the underside of the bar.

A special strike, and an outpouring of relief and celebration for the Rangers fans packed into the national stadium after an emotional week.

After that, it was one of those cases of the floodgates threatening to open. Hearts had been toiling since mid-way through the second half, and Rangers, despite heading into extra time for the second time in three days, looked as fresh as ever.

The Light Blues were repeatedly carving the Jambos open, and it was 2-0 just three minutes after Jack’s opener.

The Hearts defence was nowhere to be seen whatsoever as Ryan Kent thundered through the middle. He then laid the ball off for the impressive Wright, who should great feet and composure to drill a low effort away from Gordon and into the bottom corner.

Hearts looked dead on their feet, and it was Rangers who were threatening to add a bit of gloss to the scoreline.

They cut open the defence once again as the first period of extra time drew to its conclusion, although Kent this time sent an effort high and wide of the goal.

Fashion Sakala was sent on for the closing stages as Rangers looked to make the most of the joy they were getting on the break.

He got clean through as the Light B lues looked for a third, but the popular Zambian couldn’t get anything behind his effort and it trickled into Gordon’s arms.

Allan McGregor’s future has been the subject of much discussion this season, and it looks like the 40-year old’s decision has been made.

With cup goalie Jon McLaughlin in sticks, Giovanni van Bronckhorst sent McGregor on for the final minute in what was clearly his farewell moment.

McGregor, who began his Ibrox career at the end of the last century, came on a standing ovation form both his team mates and supporters in another emotional moment.

It finished 2-0 and Rangers have something to show for a remarkable campaign.

The cup hoo-doo is over too – Giovanni van Bronckhorst has secured the club their first domestic trophy for a staggering 11 years, and even more incredibly, a first Scottish Cup success since 2009.

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