Rangers hit back to beat Motherwell and set up Old Firm Premier Sports Cup final

Rangers came from behind to beat Motherwell 2-1 and set up an Old Firm Premier Sports Cup final but only after frustrating their fans again.

The mood among Gers supporters, many of whom have turned against boss Philippe Clement, worsened markedly after former Light Blues midfielder Andy Halliday opened the scoring at Hampden Park in the 25th minute and the lacklustre Ibrox side were loudly booed off at the interval.

There was improvement in the second half and Gers striker Cyriel Dessers levelled from close range in the 49th minute before attacker Nedim Bajrami fired in the winner in the 81st minute to have the Rangers fans cheering again.

The Ibrox side will face Celtic in the final at the national stadium on December 15 and the Hoops, who along with Aberdeen are nine points ahead of Rangers at the top of the William Hill Premiership, showed their prowess with a 6-0 thumping of the Dons in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Rangers will have to reach heights they have not reached this season if they are to retain the trophy.

Smoke engulfed the arena due to pyros and flare from both ends of the ground which led to a delayed kick-off – as was the case in Saturday’s semi-final – but when referee Nick Walsh gave the go-ahead the Light Blues took control.

Dessers should have sent Bajrami racing clear on goal but his pass was poor and intercepted, moments before Cerny’s drive was saved by Well keeper Aston Oxborough, who would have a solid game.

In the 12th minute, Jefte played in Dessers but he dragged an unconvincing shot from 16 yards past the far post.

The Steelmen scored with their first chance, Steve Seddon crossing from the left for Halliday arrive at the back post – while Jefte ran away from the danger – and stab the ball past keeper Jack Butland before refusing to celebrate against his old team.

A lengthy delay while the VAR checked for an offside earlier in the move ended with referee Walsh confirming the goal and more cheers from the Well supporters.

Rangers’ response was a powerful 20-yard drive from midfielder Connor Barron which was pushed round the post by Oxborough but the corner came to nothing.

An anti-board banner was revealed by the Union Bears, Rangers’ ultras-style fans group, and the boos soon followed.

Gers’ problems increased when Tom Lawrence picked up a knee injury and was replaced by Mohamed Diomande and when his curling shot in the 41st minute was parried by Oxborough, Dessers somehow missed the target with the loose ball.

The keeper made another save from a John Souttar header just before the break, with the Rangers players heading up the tunnel with the boos of their fans ringing in their ears.

Dessers got them back onside soon after the restart, however, when he converted Barron’s pass from six yards.

As Rangers increased the pressure, Jefte cracked the post with a left-footed drive from the edge of the box and then skipper James Tavernier lofted a Bajrami cut back over the bar from six yards.

Cerny had two attempts on goal thwarted by the increasingly busy Oxborough and the Govan side kept pushing, with Motherwell’s sporadic attacks still promising.

However, nine minutes from time, the Light Blues broke with pace and Cerny turned inside and set up Bajrami, whose shot from a tight angle clipped defender Kofi Balmer and sped past Oxborough, this time helpless.

Cerny struck the post in added time before Barron headed over but Well looked beaten.

Celtic, however, will prove an altogether different challenge in the final.