Falkirk 1-3 Rangers Scottish League Cup R3 23/09/2014

[Lofty.]

Couldn't find a stream for this one, so here's the report from the official Rangers site:

 

Falkirk 1-3 Rangers



RANGERS had to come from being a goal down to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the League Cup with Dean Shiels and Ian Black getting the all-important second and third goals in the second half.

Former Gers youth player Rory Loy gave Peter Houston’s side the perfect start on five minutes when he blasted the ball home after Steve Simonsen had denied Blair Alston.

Rangers, however, responded immediately with Owain Tudur Jones putting the ball in his own net from Stevie Smith’s dangerous cross.

After a pulsating start to the match the tie lost its way somewhat but the Rangers fans were out their seats again on 65 minutes when Shiels showed his composure to beat Bairns’ number one Jamie MacDonald and send his side through to the next round of the competition.

Another highlight from the night was the introduction of 17-year-old forward Ryan Hardie who replaced Shiels to make his debut with six minutes remaining.

Ian Black, however, produced the best moment of the night at the death when his superb curling shot from 25 yards dipped into the opposite top corner of MacDonald's goal to complete the scoring.

Ally McCoist made two changes to his team with Lee Wallace returning after he missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Alloa due to a calf injury. As a result Smith pushed up into midfield. Shiels also start alongside Kris Boyd and after just two minutes the Ulsterman was involved in the game’s first talking point.

Bilel Mohnsi’s pass was perfect for the striker who sprinted through on goal but just as he was about to release a shot he appeared to be brought down by Liam Dick’s challenge. The ref, however, let play continue when most fans in the ground waited for him to point to the spot.

Falkirk then took the lead and it was former Loy who broke the deadlock. Alston’s effort from 20 yards was palmed away by Simonsen as he dived low to his right and Loy was quickest to react to fire the ball into the empty net.

60 seconds later and the visitors were back on level terms. Smith had space and time to deliver one of his dangerous crosses from the left and it was Welshman Tudur Jones who diverted the ball high beyond Jamie MacDonald in front of the travelling bears to make it 1-1.

It was a pulsating start to the tie and with 10 minutes on the clock Rangers created yet another opportunity.

Boyd burst clear down the right wing and with just one Falkirk defender back he rolled the ball inside to Shiels who was odds on to score. MacDonald, however, did brilliantly to dart off his line to make an excellent stop. The ball then came back to Shiels again and his second effort was blocked by a defender.

The light rain coming down in the first half helped to keep the artificial pitch slick which, in turn, allowed the game to be played at a high tempo.

The zip on the surface was highlighted when Black tried his luck from distance and his powerful shot skimmed off the surface and went inches wide of MacDonald’s goal.

Falkirk’s five-man midfield was doing an effective job of closing down the space in the middle of the park allowing Craig Sibbald and Tom Taiwo to provide support to lone striker Loy.

Indeed Taiwo came close to putting his side back in front on 24 minutes but his left-foot curler went wide after Lee Wallace had been harshly shown a yellow card for a foul on Sibbald.

As the first half went on both teams got to grips with the pitch and as a result fewer chances were created.

Into the second half and it was Simonsen who was called into action first on 49 minutes. A moment of slackness from Mohsni at the corner flag allowed Loy to cut the ball into Joe Shaugnessy but his near post shot from a wide angle was straight at the big Englishman.

With the Rangers fans becoming restless, and with their team in need of a spark, McCoist made his first change before the hour mark with David Templeton replacing Fraser Aird.

On 65 minutes, however, it was Shiels who burst clear and with a Falkirk defender trying desperately to get back his shot from inside the 18-yard box had too much power for MacDonald who got a hand to the ball but could only push in up into the top corner of the net.

With the game drifting the goal was just what it needed and while it was a confident finish from Shiels, Bairns’ boss Peter Houston must have been frustrated with his side’s defending in the build-up.

Falkirk did have a chance to get back on level terms but Luke Leahy's header was again straight at Simonsen and as the game moved into injury time Black produced a moment of magic to end the tie on a high.

Templeton passed it back to the midfielder who curled a majestic shot into the opposite top corner to clinch an important victory for Rangers who will find out who they face in the quarter-finals tomorrow night.
 
FALKIRK (4-5-1): MacDonald; Shaughnessy, Vaulks, McCracken, Dick (Cooper 80); Alston, Taiwo (Durojaiye 75), Tudur Jones (Biabi 68), Sibbald, Leahy; Loy
SUBS NOT USED: Bowman, Maybury, Blair, Boulding
GOALS: Loy 5, Shiels 65, Black 90
BOOKINGS: Durojaiye

RANGERS (4-4-2): Simonsen; McGregor, Mohsni, McCulloch, Wallace; Aird (Templeton 55), Black, Law, Smith; Shiels (Hardie 84), Boyd (Daly 77)
SUBS NOT USED: Robinson, Peralta, Foster, Zaliukas
GOALS: Tudur Jones 6og
BOOKINGS: Wallace

REF: Alan Muir
ATT: 5,259

 

[carrickblue]

cheers for that Big Figure i didn't see the game tonight - backing the jambos tomorrow