BBC SPORT | Football | Scottish League (original) (raw)

Rangers boss Alex McLeish was held aloft by Nacho Novo

Two goals from Sotirios Kyrgiakos helped Rangers to a straightforward CIS Insurance Cup final victory over Motherwell at Hampden Park.

Veteran goalkeeper Gordon Marshall seemed to be at fault as Maurice Ross chipped in an early opening goal.

Kyrgiakos headed the second, but David Patridge rose above the Greek at the other end to reduce the arrears.

Fernando Ricksen replied with a 30-yard free-kick, Nacho Novo chipped in the third and Kyrgiakos headed the fifth.

It meant that the Glasgow club lifted the League Cup for the 24th time and denied Motherwell their first success since 1951.

Motherwell keeper Marshall, 40, had recovered from illness to become the oldest-ever League Cup finalist.

But he was beaten after just five minutes when he ill-advisedly came off his line and full-back Ross, who was found running into the box by Thomas Buffel, lofted the ball over the goalkeeper and into the unguarded net.

Phil O'Donnell was a member of the Motherwell side that had won the Scottish Cup in 1991 - the last time they had picked up a trophy - but inadvertently helped Rangers to their second goal.

The midfielder got his head to a Barry Ferguson cross but flicked it over Marshall, presenting centre-half Kyrgiakos with the simple task of heading in from 10 yards.

Maurice Ross and Sotirios Kyrgiakos scored Rangers' first two goals

Dado Prso fired in a powerful drive straight at Marshall as the Glasgow side threatened to run away with the game.

Marvin Andrews had missed the chance to be the first to collective winners' medals in successive seasons with different clubs when he failed a late fitness test and was replaced with Bob Malcolm.

And Motherwell took advantage of some indecision in Rangers' defence to force themselves back into the game after 13 minutes, Partridge beating Kyrgiakos in the air to head home an inswinging free-kick by Steven Hammell.

Scott McDonald sent a low drive a few feet wide as Motherwell started to dominate possession.

But Rangers restored their two-goal advantage when Ricksen curled a free-kick round the wall and beat a slow-moving Marshall at his near post.

Novo just failed to effectively kill the tie when he was inches from connecting with a Kyrgiakos header across the face of the Motherwell goal.

But the Spaniard made no mistake early in the second half, speeding away from the Well defence to latch on to a Prso through ball and lofting the ball over the advancing Marshall.

Kyrgiakos adding the icing to the Rangers cake by heading in off the post following a Ricksen corner.

Rangers: Waterreus, Ross, Kyrgiakos, Malcolm, Ball, Buffel, Ferguson, Ricksen, Vignal (Alex Rae 79), Novo (Thompson 84), Prso.
Subs Not Used: Lovenkrands, Khizanishvili, Graeme Smith.

Booked: Ferguson.

Goals: Ross 5, Kyrgiakos 9, Ricksen 33, Novo 48, Kyrgiakos 86.

Motherwell: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Partridge, Hammell, McBride (Paul Quinn 83), Leitch, O'Donnell, Paterson (Fitzpatrick 65), Scott McDonald, Foran (Clarkson 65).
Subs Not Used: Fagan, Corr. Booked: Craigan, O'Donnell, Fitzpatrick, Corrigan.

Goal: Partridge 13.

Att: 50,182

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