East FifeEast Fife0RangersRangers2
Goals by striker Jon Daly and midfielder Ian Black put Rangers on course for a second successive Petrofac Training Cup final as they eased to a win over East Fife at New Bay View.
Daly finished off some clever play between Nicky Clark and Black with a tap-in opener after 29 minutes.
Twelve minutes into the second half, Black fired home a 20-yard free-kick.
The victory means Rangers now travel to Alloa for a place in the final against Livingston in April.
Rangers lost in the final last year to Raith Rovers at Easter Road but their performance in Fife gave little room for another upset, despite manager Ally McCoist's decision to place three of his top names - Kris Boyd, Kenny Miller and Lewis Macleod - on the bench.
Instead, McCoist selected Daly and Clark in attack, while David Templeton was also promoted to the starting line-up to face Gary Naysmith's men.
There was a tentative start by the visitors as they toiled against the League Two side.
Their only chance before Daly's opener came after 11 minutes when the Irishman headed down Fraser Aird's deep cross for Templeton five yards out. But before the winger could ram home, goalkeeper Allan Fleming had bravely dived at his feet to block.
Daly, making a gradual return to the top team after injury, grabbed the lead as Black played in Clark down the right before darting to receive the striker's cut-back. The midfielder's shot looked to be heading in but Daly made sure as he turned the ball over the line.
The East Fife players complained Daly was offside but referee George Salmond sanctioned the goal.
The hosts had their chances, with an Allan Walker free-kick deflecting against Steve Simonsen's post, while Jon McShane wasted another chance near the end of the first half as he fired over from 12 yards.
But a glancing Clark header which flew just wide from Black's in-swinging free-kick 10 minutes into the second half was proof Rangers were not done yet.
And they received a helping hand from Fleming as they doubled their lead when the goalkeeper let Black's 20-yard free-kick slip through his grasp and bounce into his net.
The Fifers' number one looked suspect again as he opted to let Aird's cross fly past - only to see the ball crash off his crossbar.
Rangers have League and Scottish Cup dates with St Johnstone and Dumbarton next week and will have to wait for the SPFL to set a date for their Alloa tie.
Line-ups
East Fife
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Fleming
- 8BrownBooked at 53mins
- 5MoyesBooked at 49mins
- 4Campbell
- 16Barr
- 7McAleerSubstituted forCampbellat 72'minutes
- 2MullenBooked at 85mins
- 6WalkerBooked at 65mins
- 17Beaton
- 9McShaneSubstituted forMaskreyat 87'minutes
- 14AustinSubstituted forFalconerat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 18Maskrey
- 19Falconer
- 21Millar
- 23Campbell
Rangers
Formation 4-4-2
- 31Simonsen
- 23Foster
- 24McGregor
- 6McCulloch
- 5Wallace
- 4Aird
- 8Black
- 7LawSubstituted forShielsat 71'minutes
- 11Templeton
- 9DalySubstituted forMillerat 72'minutes
- 14ClarkSubstituted forBoydat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Smith
- 3Mohsni
- 10Macleod
- 15Boyd
- 18Miller
- 22Shiels
- 25Robinson
- Referee:
- George Salmond
- Attendance:
- 1,827
Match Stats
Home TeamEast FifeAway TeamRangers
- Possession
- Home40%
- Away60%
- Shots
- Home5
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away5
- Corners
- Home2
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away10
