Cyriel Dessers blasted a double to fire Rangers into a Scottish Cup final showdown against Celtic as the pressure lifted on Philippe Clement thanks to a 2-0 semi-final win over Hearts at Hamden.
The much-maligned striker took his tally for the season to 19 goals for his club as the Light Blues kept alive hopes of a domestic Treble. Clement finally got a response after a recent wobble that had seen them win just two games out of eight and questions asked of the boss and his players but the victory did come at a cost with Abdallah Sima going off injured.
The Light Blues were criticised for not showing a reaction at Dens Park in midweek but they were right up for it from the off here and got into a dream lead with less than five minutes on the clock. James Tavernier showed hunger to win a second ball and fed Todd Cantwell who slipped it through to Dessers and he showed good composure to get control and fire a shot low beyond Craig Gordon.
Suddenly that pressure had been lifted and they could have been ahead even earlier when Dessers sent an effort over from Abdallah Sima’s cross. Sima started lively but suffered a blow when he limped off after just 15 minutes - replaced by Ross McCausland - and that will be a concern to Clement given the Senegalese star has only recently returned.
Hearts struggled to provide any attacking threat but John Lundstram gave them encouragement with a loose pass straight to the opposition and the ball was worked to Alan Forrest who forced a smart save from Jack Butland. That was nothing compared to the keeper’s next stop though as he pulled off a remarkable point blank save to deny Frankie Kent from Lawrence Shankland’s brilliant cross, albeit it looked like the offside flag would have gone up.
The Jambos slowly felt their way back into the game but Rangers should have double their lead on the stroke of half-time when a quick breakaway saw Rabbi Matondo left with a glorious chance but the Wales winger’s poor first touch allowed Nathaniel Atkinson to get back and make a vital interception and the chance was gone.
Hearts almost made them pay early in the restart as Naismith’s men started with real purpose. Kenneth Vargas robbed John Souttar - sloppy on more than one occasion in the second half - and the Costa Rican had Alan Forrest waiting but the cross was poor and Tavernier got back to make a crucial clearance. Shankland then bulleted a header into the side netting with 20 minutes left.
And then it was game over as Dessers grabbed his second of the game. Cantwell burst forward and fed Dessers who saw his initial effort saved by Gordon but when the rebound fell to him the striker put the ball away at the second attempt to fire them into the final.
There were chances at both ends with a frantic finish. Dessers unselfishly played in substitute Fabio Silva but the Portuguese made a complete mess of his chance before Butland denied Yutaro Oda at the other end. Here’s five talking points from Hampden.
Clement strikes Gold
Philippe Clement called it “resting” Connor Goldson but he dropped the defender to the bench and it was a huge call to bring Leon Balogun in for the Englishman. It shows he’s not afraid to make big calls and few fans would have disagreed with the decision. He got what he needed and the Belgian was vindicated. Securing a final place eases some of the pressure on the Ibrox boss that had been building after recent results and it could be the spark they need for the run-in where a Treble remains a possibility, albeit the odds are heavily stacked against them winning the Premiership.
Abdallah anguish
Abdallah Sima, along with Jack Butland, was one of the few who impressed in the early part of the season before a thigh injury cruelly struck while away with Senegal at the start of the new year. The Light Blues missed him badly during his three months out and it was a welcome return earlier this month but it was a huge concern to see him limping off again - reportedly with a hamstring problem - and the Ibrox side will be desperately hoping he’s not out for the run-in with the on-loan Brighton man showing since his return how much they need him.
Diomande in the rough
Rangers needed someone who could bring a bit of calmness to their play, particularly in the midfield area after this rough spell. Step forward Mohamed Diomande. The African midfielder has been sideline due to an operation on his thumb with some fans criticising the fact he didn’t play on, albeit it could have a decision made by the medics. Regardless, his pressing in the engine room set the tone and he showed what a shrewd signing he could be - his class shining through at a time when his midfielder partner on the day, John Lundstram, has come in for some stick and was sloppy on a couple of occasions.
Hampden hex continues for Hearts
All the talk from the Jambos camp in the build up was of how they were looking to capitalise on a fragile Rangers but they didn’t start on the front foot as you would have expected and to concede inside five minutes was a nightmare start - and they could have been behind even before Dessers broke the deadlock with the Nigeria international sending an early effort over the bar. It was the exact same as their most recent meeting at Ibrox when they ended up on the back of a 5-0 thumping. They did find their feet but didn’t do enough and that astonishing record of having never beaten the Ibrox side at the National Stadium continues.
Old Firm final a long time coming
It’s 22 years since Rangers and Celtic met in the season showpiece at Hampden and if it’s anything like the last one then next month’s meeting will be worth the wait. The top two in the Scottish Premiership will go head to head on May 25 in what should be a fascinating encounter. In 2002 it was Peter Lovenkrands who settled it with the odd goal in five coming at the death to seal a domestic cup double for Alex McLeish’s men against Martin O’Neill’s champions.
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