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Rangers Defeat Hibernian To Reach Premier Sports Cup Semi-Finals As Raskin Shines On Return
Rangers Secured Their Place In The Premier Sports Cup Semi-Finals With A Vital 2-0 Victory Over Hibernian At Ibrox, Thanks To Goals From Nico Raskin And Bojan Miovski.
The Result Ended A Run Of Six Games Without A Win For Head Coach Russell Martin, Whose Future Had Been Under Heavy Scrutiny. Fan Protests Against Martin, Chief Executive Patrick Stewart, And The Board Dominated The Pre-Match Atmosphere, But The Returning Raskin Provided The Spark Rangers Desperately Needed.
VAR Denial Keeps Rangers Alive
The Hosts Looked Nervous Early On, And Hibernian Threatened To Punish Them. Martin Boyle Twice Went Close, Including A Strike That Found The Net — Only For VAR To Rule It Out For Handball. The Decision Prevented A Potential Meltdown Inside Ibrox As Home Supporters Made Their Anger Known.
Raskin’s Redemption
After Being Omitted From Rangers’ Last Two Squads, Nico Raskin Delivered A Perfect Response. Rising To Meet James Tavernier’s Corner, He Powered A Header Into The Net To Give The Hosts A Crucial Lead. Minutes Later, Raskin Turned Provider, Releasing Mikey Moore, Who Supplied Miovski For His First Goal In Rangers Colors.
That Quickfire Double Changed The Entire Vibe Inside Ibrox. From Boos And Protests To Cheers And Belief, Rangers Suddenly Looked In Control.
Second-Half Push Seals Victory
After The Break, Rangers Continued To Dominate. Djeidi Gassama Struck The Crossbar, While Miovski And Moore Both Came Close To Extending The Lead. Substitute Youssef Chermiti Also Missed A Late Chance, But The Two First-Half Goals Proved More Than Enough To Secure A Semi-Final Spot.
Analysis: A Turning Point For Martin?
Raskin’s Return Could Prove Pivotal For Rangers. His Performance Not Only Brought Quality To Midfield But Also Gave Fans A Symbol Of Hope At A Time When Patience Is Wearing Thin. Winning A Cup Quarter-Final Provides Breathing Space For Martin, But With Fan Protests Still Fierce, The Long-Term Outlook Remains Uncertain.
For David Gray’s Hibernian, This Will Feel Like A Missed Opportunity. They Created Chances But Failed To Take Them And Never Recovered From Conceding Twice Before Halftime. With Premiership Form Still Strong, Their Focus Shifts To The League, But Missing Out On A Semi-Final Will Sting.
What’s Next?
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Rangers: Host Belgian Side Genk In The Europa League On Thursday, September 25 (20:00 BST).
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Hibernian: Travel To Falkirk On Tuesday, September 23 (19:45 BST) For A Premiership Clash As They Look To Consolidate Third Place.
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