Amoruso saves Rangers blushes

Rangers 3 Berwick Rangers

Rangers avoided a repeat of their 1967 Scottish Cup humiliation thanks to three goals in 11 minutes, but not before Ibrox's patience had been exhausted. The third-round replay was harder than the scoreline suggests, but Alex McLeish is rewarded with a meeting against his old club Hibernian on Saturday.

If Berwick hoped to return across the border with sackfuls of loot, they would be disappointed. The occasion was snubbed by the Rangers support, who gathered in possibly their smallest numbers for 15 years since the Souness Revolution.

Barry Ferguson and Shota Arveladze, two who had avoided the shame of Shielfield Park, were pressganged for this occasion and the pair combined after eight minutes to allow Ferguson to prompt a fine save from the goalkeeper Willie McCulloch.

Berwick then caused panic when they won an indirect free-kick in the box after Stefan Klos picked up a pass back. A fierce strike from Craig Feroz beat Klos and appeared to strike the arm of Lorenzo Amoruso, but to Berwick's anger no penalty was awarded. The greater ire, though, belonged to the Ibrox crowd, who jeered McLeish's team off after a barren first-half.

Rangers quelled their restless support just before the hour when Amoruso crashed in a free-kick, his second spectacular goal in three days. Bert Konterman doubled the lead, also from a free kick, on 65 minutes and then Arveladze got in on the act three minutes later, with a shot which McCulloch could only help into the net.

Rangers (4-3-3): Klos; Ross, Konterman, Amoruso, Vidmar (de Boer 45); Hughes, Ferguson, McCann; Latapy (Lovenkrands 70), Mols (Dod 45), Arveladze. Substitutes not used: Christiansen (gk), Ricksen.

Berwick Rangers (4-5-1): McCulloch; Farrell (McNicholl 78), Wood, Neill, Murie; Forrest, Anthony (Bradley 68), McDonald (Neil 29), Bennett, Smith; Feroz. Substitutes not used: Gilfillan (gk), Huxford.

Referee: D McDonald.