The Rangers Football Club

FT: Rangers 3 Falkirk 0 – Rangers progress to the final of the CIS Cup thanks to a first-half double from Nacho Novo and a third goal from Kris Boyd at the death.

88min – GOAL! Rangers 3 Falkirk 0 - Kris Boyd makes it three and what a gift it was. Mallo recieved a pass back but tried a mazy dribble past the striker who made an easy tackle before rolling it in to the empty net.

86min – Rangers substitution - McCulloch on for Barry Ferguson.

84min - Rangers playing some great football on a dodgy surface but Walter Smith looks to be bring on Lee McCulloch for the latter stages.

81min - Boyd lays the ball back to Novo but the Spaniards 25yard shot is high and wide.

78min - Fleck immediately gets on the ball with a darting run down the left. The 17-year-old plays in Boyd who has his back to goal but his turn and shot is blocked. 

77min – Rangers substitution - John Fleck on for Steven Naismith. Lively performance from Naisy and he is given a warm applause from the Rangers fans. 

70min – Falkirk substitution - Mark Stewart on for Patrick Cregg.

68min - Novo again finds space down the right and this time he crosses for Boyd at the back post. The striker tries a bicycle kick but the ball bounces once before skimming off the roof of Mallo’s net.

66min - Sasa Papac slides in to a tackle and comes off worst when he takes a nasty hit to his face from the boot of McNamara. He is quickly back on his feet and in to the thick of the action.

63 min - Steven Davis skips past four Falkirk players in a 40 yard run before toe poking the ball inches past Mallo’s right hand post from 15yards. Terrific energy from the Northern Ireland international.

59min – Falkirk substitution - Michael Higdon on for Lee Bullen.

59min - Sasa Papac shows great skill to cut inside his marker but his right-foot shot from 20 yards is skewed well wide of goal.

55 min - Darren Barr is the second player to go in Richmond’s book after a poor challenge on Naismith.

52min - McGregor has to be lively to tip a Barr header over his own bar!

48min - Mendes takes a corner and again he goes low to the near post. The ball is easily cleared, better delivery required.

47min - Mendes releases Novo down the right wing. He shoots from 30 yards but fails to see Kris Boyd in acres of space. He should have squared it.

46min - Falkirk get the second-half started and immediately go on the attack.

HT: Rangers 2 Falkirk 0 - A double from Nacho Novo has given Rangers a half-time lead at Hampden.

43min - Pressley is shown the first yellow card. The defender had his elbow up when challenging Boyd for header. Looked a sore one for Boydy.

39min – GOAL! Rangers 2 Falkirk 0 - It’s that man Novo again! Steven Davis plays a perfect pass through to his teammate and the striker has time to look up before placing an excellent shot across Mallo in to the net. Terrific goal before half-time.

36min - Novo is again hacked to the ground this time by Pressley 20 yards from goal. Great chance for Gers but Boyd’s rocket smashes against the Falkirk wall. 

34min - Mendes tries a long rage shot and the ball comes off a Falkirk defender for a corner. The Portuguese star takes, again near post, but McCann gets plenty of distance on his headed clearance.

30min - A third of the game gone and Rangers are handling the poor surface better that their opponents. Falkirk, however, remain a threat and a second goal before the interval would be the perfect scenario for Walter Smith’s men.

28min - Steven Naismith wins a corner for Gers. Mendes again curls a near post cross which is cleared and Naismith volleys a terrific right-foot shot which is narrowly wide of target.

24min - Despite Rangers’ narrow lead Falkirk look dangerous on the break and have stuck to their passing game. Bougherra and Weir need to stay alert.

23min - Novo skins Pressley on the right. He has time to look up but his bullet cross almost takes Boyd’s head off and is impossible for the striker to control.

20min - Charlie Richmond awards Falkirk a free-kick on the right wing after Naismith tackles Cregg. The cross goes deep but McGregor holds it brilliantly under pressure from Pressley.

17min - Neil McCann finds space on the left wing but the ball bobbles up and his poor cross ends up behind McGregor’s goal. The former Gers’ man looks at the turf with frustration.

16min - Broadfoot plays a clever pass through to Novo on the right flank. The Gers’ No. 10 cuts the ball back but Steven Naismith sclaffs his effort and the danger is cleared.  

13 min - Novo again gets space to turn at the Falkirk defence. He decides to let fly from 30 yards but his shot hits the head of on-rushing Pedro Mendes and deflects over the bar, Good spell for Gers.

10min - Goal has shocked the Bairns who started the game so positively.

8min – GOAL! Rangers 1 Falkirk 0 - Mendes drills a low corner into the penalty area. Bougherra flicks it on and the ball finds Novo at the back post who fires it home from five yards. Positive start for the Spaniard who is starting his first game since January 4 at Inverness.

7min - Rangers try to respond and a neat one-two between Boyd and Novo results in a corner.

5min - Broadfoot loses the ball to Patrick Cregg who plays in Lovell 25 yards from goal. The striker tries to swerve a shot to the opposite bottom corner of McGregor’s goal but the keeper is there again to make a fine one-handed stop.

2min - Great early chance for Lovell. McCann, playing on the left, finds the striker with a terrific pass and McGregor has to be sharp to make a stop the goalbound effort with his legs. An identical chance to the one Lovell tucked away at Ibrox. Poor defending from Gers.

1min - Pedro Mendes tries an ambitious volley from 25 yards which trickles past Dani Mallo’s goal.

0min - Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo get tonight’s game underway from the kick-off. Gers wearing their all red kit.

RANGERS: McGregor; Broadfoot, Bougherra, Weir, Papac; Davis, Mendes, Ferguson, Naismith; Novo, Boyd.

SUBS: Alexander, Miller, McCulloch, Fleck, McCulloch.

FALKIRK: Mallo; McNamara, Barr, Pressley, Bullen, Scobbie; Cregg, McBride, Arfield, McCann; Lovell.

SUBS: Olejnik, O’Brien, Holden, Higdon, Stewart.

Ref: Charlie Richmond

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Tags: 27 01 09, Falkirk, Rangers

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