THE win was all that mattered. There was nothing more important for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to take from this one.
It was job done. A debut goal from Robbie Ure and Scott Arfield brace were enough to overcome Queen of the South and a place in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup was the reward.
Van Bronckhorst need not analyse and assess this one for too long. All the focus is now on Celtic and a fixture that slotted into the schedule almost as an afterthought will be consigned to history.
It is said that a week is a long time in football. The excitement and achievement of Eindhoven just days before could not have been further from the minds of the 30,000 that turned out to watch this one.
There were glimpses into the future as a handful of academy kids got their chance to catch the eye, while other members of Van Bronckhorst’s ranks got match minutes under their belts. The performance was professional, but the margin of victory was hardly a statement of intent.
This was a free hit for Willie Gibson’s side. It was one they couldn’t make the most of, though, and a fine effort from Lee Connelly proved to be a consolation rather than a moment of inspiration as the League One outfit were beaten.
Given the schedule that Rangers have between now and the World Cup break in November, this fixture was always going to provide a chance for Van Bronckhorst to utilise his squad and the Auchenhowie academy. Depending on the draw, the quarter-final clash in a couple of weeks may provide the same opportunities for those on the fringes and those that are aiming to make their big breakthrough at Ibrox.
A glance at the team lines highlighted the widespread changes that Van Bronckhorst had made. It took another look to determine the positions and the setup as Ryan Jack played, notionally at least, at centre-back alongside Leon King.
Adam Devine is now seen as the back-up option for captain James Tavernier following the departure of Mateusz Zukowski to Lech Poznan. On the other flank, Ridvan Yilmaz started for only the second time since moving from Besiktas.
Further forward, the selections were enlightening and most of those who started here will not get a jersey at Parkhead. Fashion Sakala will be replaced by Ryan Kent, while Scott Wright seems set to get the nod over Rabbi Matondo on the right.
If the theory holds, there will be no spots for Steven Davis, Glen Kamara or Arfield at the weekend. All could have some part to play, though.
The coming days give Van Bronckhorst the chance to fine tune his Old Firm plans. This game was not an inconvenience, but it was as low-key as expected as Rangers took care of business to move into the last eight.
There was one moment of angst when Queens levelled in the first half. Apart from that, this was a straightforward, if unspectacular, night under the Ibrox floodlights.
The strike from Connelly was one to remember for the travelling support. A slack pass from Sakala was reckless but Connelly’s finish was neat as he dinked the ball over a stranded Allan McGregor.
That wasn’t in the script. It wasn’t the start of an upset, though, and Rangers were worthy of their lead at the interval despite a performance that was lacklustre at times.
It had started brightly. The first chance of the night fell to Ure as he collected a wayward pass from Ruari Paton and fired just wide of target.
He didn’t have to wait long for his time to take the acclaim. Just nine minutes into his debut, the 18-year-old had his first goal for Rangers.
Sakala was direct with his run down the left and found Kamara in the area. Ure was waiting and primed and his finish was clinical as keeper Max Currie was beaten and Ibrox rose to share his moment.
Ure had few other chances during the first half. As dominant as Rangers were in terms of possession, Currie wasn’t exactly under siege and Yilmaz and King fired wide from distance either side of the goal that ensured the hosts were ahead at the interval.
It was a fine move from all involved. Sakala set Yilmaz away down the left the Turkish internationalist showed ingenuity and technique with a deft touch that took him clear.
The finish was typically Arfield. The run was timed perfectly and the midfielder slotted home before a knee-slide and trademark salute as Queens suffered a setback.
It wasn’t one that the Doonhamers took to heart. The opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern in terms of the flow of play, but Rangers lacked any cutting edge in the final third.
Queens would grow into the encounter. A loose pass that Davis put out of play was a worrying sign for Rangers and Devine had to be alert moments later as he cleared at the back post and denied Josh Todd another equaliser.
It was largely uninspiring stuff. Every minute that elapsed was a step closer to the winning line for Rangers, but it also gave Gibson’s side hope as they attempted to keep themselves in the tie and cause Ibrox to get increasingly anxious.
A rare chance saw Arfield direct a volley just wide of target. Within minutes, Van Bronckhorst had turned to his bench as Charlie McCann was given another outing and Zak Lovelace, aged just 16, earned his debut following his move from Millwall this summer. Debuts for Paul Nsio and Archie Stevens followed.
It was Arfield that had the final say. The finish was again assured as a low strike from the edge of the box, after a neat touch from McCann, made the score line more reflective.
No more needed done on the night. The game and the tie were won. Now, greater challenges await sooner rather than later.
