Boli breaks the resistance

Hamilton Academical 1 Rangers 3

A thoroughly professional performance from Rangers ensured there would be no shock result in this Tennents Scottish Cup third-round tie which had been twice postponed due to the weather. Two goals in the space of five minutes in the first half gave the Ibrox club the edge and from then they always proved a class above their First Division opponents.

With memories of their shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Accies in the same competition in 1987, there would have been a few Rangers supporters in the crowd exchanging nervous glances as the First Division side put up a spirited early effort.

However after 19 minutes Rangers took the lead. Stuart McCall eluded his marker on the edge of the penalty area and supplied a short pass to Gordon Durie, who in turn found Trevor Steven who clipped the ball into the net via the far post.

Five minutes later Basile Boli, the French defender, gave Rangers a 2-0 lead which effectively sealed the tie. The Hamilton defence had their eyes on Mark Hateley and Durie as Craig Moore's cross found its way to the penalty spot where Boli, making a late run, controlled and swept a fine shot into the bottom corner.

Twice before half-time Rangers might have added to their lead, but David Robertson's shot came back off the goalkeeper and then McCall shot wide from a Durie knock-down.

Hamilton rallied for a while in the second half, forcing a save from Ally Maxwell from Martin McIntosh, and it took a fine covering tackle by Boli to prevent Gary Clark from sending in a shot after the Accies man had run clear of the Rangers defence.

A third goal arrived on 57 minutes courtesy of Brian Laudrup, who took advantage of hesitation in the defence to collect a through ball from Stuart McCall before rounding the goalkeeper and scoring. Accies gained some consolation when the substitute, David Lorimer, shot into the roof of the net from close range 14 minutes from time.

Hamilton Academical (4-4-2): Ferguson; Renicks, Chalmers, Hillcoat, McIntosh; McStay (Lorimer, h/t), McEntegart, Clark, McQuade (Baptie, 63); McCall, Duffield. Substitute not used: Cormack (gk).

Rangers (4-4-2): Maxwell; Moore, Boli, Gough, D Robertson; Steven, Miller, McCall, Laudrup; Durie (Brown, 75), Hateley. Substitutes not used: Durrant, Scott (gk).

Referee: W Crombie (Edinburgh).