Van Bronckhorst delighted to leave Dundee with semi-final ticket

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was pleased that his Rangers side responded to his plea for Scottish Cup success with a 3-0 quarter-final win at Dundee.

The Light Blues followed up their 3-0 Europa League first-leg win over Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night with a controlled performance against the Taysiders and led at the interval through Connor Goldson’s strike and James Tavernier’s penalty with substitute Fashion Sakala adding a third with three minutes remaining.

Rangers, who last won the Scottish Cup in 2009, join Hearts, Hibernian and the winner of Monday night’s Dundee United versus Celtic tie at Tannadice in the last-four draw.

The Rangers boss told Premier Sport: “I said to the players we need to show our energy and drive to go all the way.

“It’s been a while since we won the cup and that’s our drive.

“We had parked Europe and we had to show from the first minute that we came here to be in the next round. We had to show we were able to do anything that it takes.

“If you come here with 80 per cent then you will have a very hard game.

“But we have shown everyone that we wanted to leave here with the semi-final ticket in our pocket.”

Ryan Kent hobbled off in the second half but Van Bronckhorst is hopeful he will be fit for the return game against Red Star on Thursday night.

He said: “He’s fine. I think he just had a bruise. I don’t think it’s anything special.

“I wanted to take him off just before it happened. But he’s OK. Ryan Jack is OK, too.”

Dundee manager Mark McGhee was serving the last of a six-game touchline ban and had also tested positive for Covid-19.

Assistant Simon Rusk was in charge of the technical area and is hoping for some good news on Lee Ashcroft who came off injured before the break.

The defender, who had recently recovered from a hamstring injury, pulled up in the warm-up for the midweek defeat to St Mirren but was back for the visit of Rangers.

He said: “I haven’t had any feedback. I am assuming it is (same hamstring) but I am not 100 per cent sure until I speak to him.

“It’s a real blow for Ash, I am really gutted for him. He’s such a big influence on the dressing room, his character and wholehearted approach.

“I haven’t had any feedback yet on how bad it is but it is disappointing.

“I am hoping for good news but we will need to roll with the punches and we will need to move forward with Ash or without Ash in the next couple of weeks.”

On the game, Rusk said: “Against a team like Rangers, the early goal can hurt you and the penalty not so long after.

“We managed to stay in the game until the late stages. Obviously we are disappointed about the nature of the goals in the first half.

“I haven’t seen it (penalty) back yet, it appears soft and a lot of the feedback I am getting is that it is a questionable one but I don’t want to make excuses, I don’t think the penalty is the reason we lose the game.”