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Dundee 0-1 Rangers

Rangers capped a fabulous season with a hard-earned Scottish Cup win over Dundee at Hampden Park to seal the seventh domestic Treble in the club's history.

Lorenzo Amoruso headed the game's only goal to ensure Jim Duffy's brave side did not stage an upset.

The result was tough luck on Dundee, who battled gamely and matched the Glasgow giants in all areas of the park on an energy-sapping warm afternoon.

The national stadium may have been bathed in sunshine for the end of season showpiece but, a bright opening 15 minutes aside, the football failed to shine.

	KEY MOMENTS 4 mins: Dundee's Smith rattles the bar with a 20-yard shot 14: Mols heads against the crossbar for Rangers 66: Amoruso heads in the winner for Rangers

With Mikel Arteta withdrawing from the Rangers squad through injury, Bob Malcolm was given a midfield role.

However, the youngster, more accustomed to central defence, looked out of place in the middle of the park and was given a torrid time by Fabian Caballero.

The wily Argentine, who scored twice in the 2-2 draw between the sides at Dens Park earlier this month, had a free role behind strikers Steve Lovell and Mark Burchill and was a constant threat with his sharp twists and turns.

Dundee came flying out of the traps and after four minutes Barry Smith crashed a powerful shot off the post from 20 yards after Gavin Rae's initial effort was charged down.

Five minutes later, Burchill found Lovell in behind the Rangers defence but goalkeeper Stefan Klos was out swiftly to block at the striker's feet.

Rangers responded with Shota Arveladze slashing a shot wide from edge of the penalty area and Ronald de Boer made a mess of a header at the back post from a Neil McCann delivery.

With 14 minutes gone Michael Mols connected with a McCann free kick but his firm header smacked against the crossbar from the edge of the six yard box.

De Boer then produced a great turn to find room near the Dundee goal but dragged his shot narrowly wide.

The enterprising play of the early stages gave way to a scrappy 20 minutes before the half time interval, with both sides guilty of errant passing and niggling fouls.

Rangers introduced Maurice Ross and Steven Thompson but continued to struggle in the face of stubborn resistance from the underdogs.

With defences on top, neither side could create much in the way of goal-scoring opportunities, so it was no surprise that the only goal came from a set-piece.

Zura Khizanishvili was punished for barging Thompson and McCann's free kick was glanced home from close range by the head of Amoruso after 66 minutes.

Dundee wasted a tremendous chance to hit back after 74 minutes when Amoruso misjudged a cross and the ball fell to substitute Nacho Novo, who could only stab the ball wide from close range.

Khizanishvili then tried his luck from distance but the Georgian international defender's effort fizzed wide.

Novo and Rae worked a clever one-two to open up the Rangers defence but the Spaniard's cut-back failed to find a team-mate.

With Kevin Muscat also thrown into the action, Rangers had no one available to replace the limping McCann and played the final 15 minutes with only 10 fit players.

Klos was also struggling with a hamstring problem but the German was able to get down and smother substitute Steven Milne's 84th minute shot.

Dundee: Speroni, Mair, Mackay, Smith, Khizanishvili, Hernandez, Nemsadze, Rae, Caballero, Burchill, Lovell. Subs: Milne, Langfield, Brady, Carranza, Novo.

Rangers: Klos, Ricksen, Moore, Amoruso, Numan, Ferguson, Malcolm, McCann, De Boer, Mols, Arveladze. Subs: Thompson. McGregor, Ross, Muscat, Hughes.

Referee: K Clark

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