Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers scored a hat-trick as the Premiership side eased into the fifth round of the Scottish Cup with a 5-0 win over Fraserburgh at Ibrox.
Despite the Gers’ almost total domination, the Highland League side held firm until the 27th minute when the 30-year-old Nigeria international headed in from a corner, having earlier missed an open goal.
French defender Clinton Nsiala scored his first Rangers goal in his fourth appearance for the club six minutes into the second half and then Dessers, linked with Leganes, St Etienne, Cagliari and Empoli in this transfer window after falling behind Hamza Igamane and injured Danilo in the pecking order, added a third five minutes later.
The attacker set up Ross McCausland for a fourth with 15 minutes remaining then completed his hat-trick at the end.
The fixture allowed manager Philippe Clement to rest a clutch of players with one eye on Thursday’s Europa League tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford where, with 11 points from six games, qualification hopes are still very much alive.
Northern Irish goalkeeper Mason Munn, 18, made his debut in one of seven changes made by Clement, while Zak Lovelace, also 18, started in attack.
Skipper James Tavernier returned along with Connor Barron, Nedim Bajrami, Dessers and McCausland, who forced a save from visiting keeper Joe Barbour with a drive after just 30 seconds.
The Broch were penned in and in the seventh minute Dessers missed a sitter, somehow failing to hit the open goal from a few yards out after being set up by McCausland.
Fraserburgh could not get out of their own half and their resistance was broken when Tavernier’s looping corner from the right found Dessers unmarked 10 yards from goal and he headed in his 14th goal of the season.
On the half-hour mark Tavernier skimmed the bar with a 30-yard drive and Brazilian left-back Jefte smacked the far post after Bajrami sent him clear of the visiting defence.
However, in the 38th minute the Light Blues had a let-off.
Munn, who was in the Rangers B team which beat Fraserburgh 5-0 in the Challenge Cup in September, looked at ease when he took the ball from Jefte. But his pass under pressure from Connor Wood was intercepted by Fraserburgh’s top scorer Scott Barbour, who drove through the keeper’s legs and just past the far post.
The Govan side continued their dominance into the second half and doubled their lead when Nsiala walked onto a Bajrami pass and fired in a shot which deflected off Jamie Beagre and sped low past keeper Barbour.
Then McCausland linked with Bajrami and, when his cross fell to Dessers at the back post, he turned onto his left foot and fired into the net.
With the tie effectively over, Clement brought on Ridvan Yilmaz and teenagers Bailey Rice and Findlay Curtis – the latter making his debut – for Robin Propper, Mohamed Diomande and Lovelace.
Curtis showed his intentions as he curled a shot over the bar then had another effort saved by Barbour before McCausland tapped in a Dessers cross at the back post to add some gloss to the scoreline.
Dessers, who ended up with the captain’s armband when Tavernier went off, then headed against the post but he was not to be denied his hat-trick, squeezing in from a tight angle in the 90th minute.
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