Rangers Fan View: Miller saves Rangers' blushes

Rangers are into the next round of the Scottish Cup courtesy of a late fight back in against Motherwell in a 2-1 victory at Ibrox.

Kenny Miller’s double in the last 10 minutes cancelled out Louis Moult’s header to give the Rangers a massive win.

Rangers went with 4-3-3, switching from the 3-5-2 system they used in the Old Firm match on Hogmanay. And it was the home side who started much better. Lee Wallace came close with an effort early on as the visitors looked unable to cope with Rangers’ pressing game.

Kenny Miller hit the woodwork as his header looked as if it may loop under the crossbar and go into the back of the net.

Motherwell offered virtually nothing in an attacking sense during the first half and their task was primarily based around seeing out the Rangers pressure and getting to half-time goalless. However, they should have given away a penalty kick when Michael O’Halloran was brought down inside the box by Motherwell left-back Stevie Hammell. Referee Craig Thomson had a clear view of the incident but he never pointed to the spot nor did he book O’Halloran for simulation.

Barrie McKay was Rangers’ best player on the day, and he was involved in everything positive about Rangers’ play. He went close early on in the second period as his shot went just wide. And not long after that, he skinned Tait and cut the ball back into the six-yard box, but no one was in the centre of the goal to take advantage.

Rangers’ tempo and directness improved when Josh Windass replaced debutant Jon Toral and he almost made an instant impact. He played a nice one-two with Michael O’Halloran but he could not trouble Craig Samson.

Motherwell had done well to this point to restrict the home side to very few clear-cut chances, and as the old football adage goes: they hit Rangers with a sucker punch.

Chris Cadden got free down Rangers’ left and crossed for Louis Moult to head home. Unfortunately, it was another defensive shambles from a Rangers point of view. Lee Wallace was caught up the park and Rob Kiernan got done by Moult’s movement before the striker produced a header of the highest quality to beat Wes Foderingham.

However, when it looked like Rangers had lost their way and that Motherwell were going to come away from with a famous victory, Kenny Miller had other ideas – the veteran number nine netted twice in four minutes.

The first came courtesy of a patient Rangers build up before Martyn Waghorn swung a delicious cross into the box and Miller leapt like a salmon and his header thundered beyond Samson, both the ball and Miller ended up in the back of the net much to the Rangers fans’ delight.

However, Rangers had Foderingham’s double save to thank for keeping them level just after they equalised. He denied Scott McDonald and then denied McHugh to give Rangers the platform to go on and win the cup tie.

And with a minute to go, Miller – the man for the big occasion – delivered again. This time, Stephen McManus played a loose pass that was intercepted by Emerson Hyndman and the young American played a perfectly-weighted pass to Miller, who ran onto it and slotted it home.

The comeback was complete, but there was still time for McKay to try and make it three but his two efforts at goal were well saved by Samson.

The reward for beating Motherwell is another home tie this time against Morton and it should be a relatively easy passage into the quarter-finals for last season’s beaten finalists.