Neil Alexander is the hero as he saves two penalties to earn Rangers a place in the final of the Scottish Cup on May 24. PEN 10: Cousin scores - 4-3
PEN 9: Morris misses - 3-3 (Alexander saves) PEN 8: Hemdani misses - 3-3 (Main saves)
PEN 7: Jackson scores - 3-3 PEN 6: Novo scores - 3-2 Gers
PEN 5: Milne misses - 2-2 - (Alexander saves) PEN 4: Whittaker scores - 2-2
PEN 3: Craig scores - 2-1 St Johnstone PEN 2: Davis scores - 1-1
PEN 1: Sheerin scores - 1-0 St Johnstone St Johnstone will take the first spot kick. FT: The game goes to penalty kicks. 27 MIN: Novo's shot beats Main but the ball comes back off the post and Buffel can't reach the rebound to turn it in.
26 MIN: Whittaker is picked out on the right by Davis, but his cross is cleared.
20 MIN: Buffel again involved as Rangers force another corner. From the resulting set piece, goal scorer McBreen totally misses the ball but is happy to see Main gather.
19 MIN: Novo crosses from the right looking for Buffel but he is well marked in the centre.
16 MIN: After a quick turn around the action restarts.
HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME 12 MIN: GOAL: Rangers 1 v 1 St Johnstone Nacho Novo slots the ball into the bottom left corner. Main goes the right way but it's a good spot kick.
11 MIN: PENALTY: Rangers Gary Irvine pulls Daniel Cousin to the ground and the referee points to the spot. Novo to take.
10 MIN: Cousin wins a header in the box but it's an easy take for Alan Main.
7 MIN: Novo loops a right footed effort over the bar.
6 MIN: Another chance for Saints with a header this time flying wide of the post.
3 MIN: GOAL: Rangers 0 v 1 St Johnstone Paul Sheerin's cross is converted by Daniel McBreen to give Saints the lead early in extra time.
1 MIN: Nacho Novo missed a chance early in extra time as he completely miscues in the Saints box.
1 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: St Johnstone Steven Anderson replaces Goran Stanic at the start of extra time.
1 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: Rangers Kirk Broadfoot replaces Stevie Smith at the start of extra time.
EXTRA TIME The game ends goalless and there will be another thirty minutes to earn a place in the final.
90 MIN: Three minutes of injury time to be added.
89 MIN: Daniel Cousin's looping header is acrobatically cleared by Jody Morris.
88 MIN: Whittaker turns the ball behind for a corner as the match enters the final few minutes.
87 MIN: A Davis header is cleared off the line by Liam Craig amidst a series of Gers corners.
86 MIN: Buffel forces his way in to the box but can't get a shot away before a tackle earns Gers another corner.
84 MIN: Another tight offside against Novo and the Rangers fans are not impressed with the linesman.
81 MIN: Again Novo is called offside when he was a yard onside. Main produces a good save from his shot after the flag is raised.
79 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: St Johnstone Peter MacDonald is replaced by Daniel McBreen.
78 MIN: Rangers retain possesion for a lengthy period and when the ball finds Whittaker he breaks in to the box and forces a good save from Main. Dailly heads the resulting header over the bar.
74 MIN: Dailly concedes a foul for a push on Jackson.
70 MIN: Sheerin straight in to the action as he picks a ball up on the left side of the box and drags a shot just wide of the far post.
69 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: St Johnstone Martin Hardie is replaced by Paul Sheerin.
68 MIN: Stevie Smith's cross is sliced behind for a corner.
65 MIN: Cousin wins an aerial battle but when the second ball drops to him inside the box, he mishits his shot.
63 MIN: St Johnstone threaten again when MacDonald's cross from the right needs Cuellar and Dailly combined to clear.
60 MIN: Stevie Smith blocks a cross with his arm and from the resulting free kick wide on the right Neil Alexander does well to gather from Milne's flick.
58 MIN: Davis does well to outpace the Saints midfield with a run down the right. He releases Cousin, but the forward's cross is too short for the waiting Rangers players and Saints clear.
57 MIN: Craig breaks on the Saints' left and delivers an inch perfect cross for Milne. Dailly does just enough to put him off and the ball loops over the bar.
56 MIN: Novo once again looks threatening on the left but a good challenge from Irvine puts the ball behind for a corner.
55 MIN: Whittaker tries his luck from a little over 20 yards, but he drags the attempt wide of the post.
52 MIN: St Johnstone's best chance of the game falls to Steven Milne but his half volley flies over the bar from 12 yards out.
51 MIN: Buffel switches to the left and continues to cause the Saints problems, finally being stopped by the third challenge.
49 MIN: Novo sprints forward on the left and his low cross is forced behind by Rutkiewicz.
48 MIN: Buffel breaks quickly down the right and cuts back to play the ball infield to Davis, but the midfielder can't collect the pass cleanly and a chance is lost.
46 MIN: Novo stretches to make a header and Main does well to tip it over for a corner.
46 MIN: St Johnstone get the second half started.
HT: Rangers 0 v 0 St Johnstone A disappointing first half comes to and end with Rangers needing to find another gear after injuries to Naismith and Burke disrupted their first 45 minutes.
45 MIN: After a couple of lengthy breaks to treat Naismith and Burke, the fourth official indicates 4 extra minutes in the first half.
43 MIN: Novo is wrongly called offside, but the ball skips off the turf and through to Main.
41 MIN: Davis delivers a fine cross from the right but when it breaks out to Thomson on the edge of the box he can't get it out of his feet for a shot.
38 MIN: Martin Hardie finds some space on the edge of the Rangers box, but his shot is well wide of Alexander's goal.
36 MIN: Neil Alexander's turn to advance from his box. Some neat footwork buys him time to clear.
34 MIN: Davis collects a great long ball from Smith and almost finds Cousin in the six yard box. Corner for Gers, but it comes to nothing.
32 MIN: Novo misses a glorious chance when Stanic's pass back lets him in, but he fires it off Main and the ball trickles behind. The ref somehow awards a goal kick.
31 MIN: Cousin wins a race with Alan Main as the keeper comes charging out of his box on the Saints' right, but the Rangers forward can't find the empty net from wide on the touchline.
30 MIN: YELLOW CARD: Rangers Christian Dailly goes in the referee's book for a foul on Andy Jackson on the half way line.
28 MIN: Cuellar is penalised for a foul on MacDonald. Whittaker is there to clear the danger with a firm header when the free kick is delivered.
26 MIN: The Belgian has the ball in the net, but he was offside when Stevie Smith delivered the cross.
25 MIN: Buffel is looking lively on his first appearance in the top team for three months.
22 MIN: Thomson skips round two challenges and aims a chip to the back post, but it drifts wide of Alan Main's post.
21 MIN: A bit of reorganisation for Rangers after two enforced changes. Buffel has moved further forward to play beside Cousin, with Davis on the right and Novo wide left.
20 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: Rangers Naismith is replaced by Steven Davis. Two changes for Rangers after less than a quarter of the match.
18 MIN: Naismith almost immediately sets up Buffel, who is well challenged on the edge of the box. It looks like Naisy will be the second player forced off with injury though as he crumples to the turf with no one near him.
17 MIN: Naismith is back on but not looking entirely comfortable just yet.
15 MIN: It's Steven Naismith's turn for treatment after Martin Hardie tramples on his knee as the young forward lies on the turf.
14 MIN: Thomson finds Novo on the right and the Gers No 10 almost picks out his partner Cousin in the middle, but the Saints defence are there to clear again.
12 MIN: Gary Irvine clears under pressure from Stevie Smith, wide on the left.
10 MIN: McManus fouls Novo on the right side of the box. Thomson takes the free kick but Main punches well clear.
9 MIN: SUBSTITUTION: Rangers Thomas Buffel replaces Chris Burke for his first appearance since the fourth round against East Stirling.
8 MIN: It looks like Burke's afternoon is over. The stretcher is on and Thomas Buffel looks like the man to take his place.
6 MIN: Rangers are guilty of giving the ball away too often in midfield, and when Burke stretches for a pass he is caught on the ankle by Kevin Rutkiewicz.
3 MIN: Whittaker breaks down the right and finds Cousin in the box with his cross, but the Gabonese forward's flick towards Novo can't locate the little Spaniard.
1 MIN: St Johnstone look to test the new look Rangers defence early on with a couple of long balls, but both eventually drift out for goal kicks.
0 MIN: Rangers get the match under way at Hampden.
TEAMS Rangers: Alexander; Whittaker, Cuellar, Dailly, S. Smith; Burke, Hemdani, Thomson, Naismith; Novo, Cousin.
Subs: G. Smith, Broadfoot, Davis, Buffel, McMillan.
St Johnstone: Main; Irvine, Stanic, Morris, Rutkiewicz, McManus, Milne, Hardie, Jackson, Craig, MacDonald.
Subs: Cuthbert, James, Anderson, Sheerin, McBreen.
En match avancé (13h) des 8es de finale de la coupe d'Ecosse le Celtic c'est facilement imposé 5 buts à 1 sur la pelouse de Kilmarnock (Rugby Park, 6491 spectateurs). A signaler les 20es & 21e buts de Scott McDonald (22e & 67e) auteur d'un doublé & le 1er but de Georgios Samaras (85e) qui n'était que remplaçant après son arrivée en prêt de Macnhester City. Les 2 autres buteurs du Celtic se nomme Vennegoor of Hesselink (58e, son 12e but cette saison) & Gary Caldwell (52e, 2e but cette saison pour le défenseur central). Kilamrnock avait momentanément réduit le score à 3-1 par Jamie Hamill à la 66e. A noter la première titularisation de Paul Caddis côté Celtic au poste d'arrière droit.
