Ferguson's red card adds to Rangers' frustration on wasteful day

Dunfermline Athletic 1 Rangers 1

Ten months ago, the Scottish Cup provided a red-letter day for Barry Ferguson as he scored one of the goals that helped put the trophy in Rangers' cabinet, but yesterday provided a red-card occasion he will want to forget. The captain was sent off in the dying minutes of a fiery quarter-final at East End Park for scything down Dunfermline's substitute Noel Hunt as the holders underwent a real inquisition.

Ferguson's offence merited an instant dismissal and his absence from the replay on 9 April will be compounded by Craig Moore's. His yellow card for also cutting down Hunt was his second of the competition.

Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager, said: "Barry has shown great maturity in recent years, but he will be annoyed with that. We had chances to win the tie, but we're still in the Cup and that's what counts."

The ugliness of the second half was in contrast to the flowing football of the first, when David Grondin gave Dunfermline great hope of repeating their 1988 cup upset, until Claudio Caniggia cancelled out their lead.

Grondin had broken the deadlock in the 23rd minute after Craig Brewster evaded Rangers' offside trap to turn a pass into the former Arsenal full-back's path. Grondin beat Stefan Klos with a low, left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area.

However, eight minutes later Ronald de Boer threaded a perfect pass into the path of Caniggia, who poked a left-foot shot past the goalkeeper Derek Stillie.

Steve Crawford almost restored Dunfermline's lead on two occasions before the interval, but one ambitious shot just clipped the far post while Klos denied the other attempt.

From then on, it was Rangers who had the clearest chances in the second half to move into the semi-finals. De Boer ought to have buried a fine cross from Neil McCann and then Caniggia squandered another header after Mikel Arteta had located him.

But the worst culprit was the substitute Shota Arveladze, who headed over from point-blank range after Berk Konterman's flick put him clear six minutes from the end.

Goals: Grondin (23) 1-0; Caniggia (31) 1-1.

Dunfermline Athletic (4-4-2): Stillie; McGarty, Wilson, McPherson, McGroarty; Nicholson (Hunt, 53), Brannan, Mason, Grondin (KiIlgannon, 74); Brewster, Crawford. Substitutes not used: Ruitenbeek (gk), Walker.

Rangers (4-3-3): Klos; Ricksen, Moore, Malcolm, Muscat; Konterman, Ferguson, Arteta; Caniggia, De Boer, McCann (Arveladze, 75). Substitutes not used: McGregor (gk), Thompson, Ross, Eggen.

Referee: J Underhill.

Bookings: Dunfermline: Hunt. Rangers: Ricksen, Muscat, Moore, Malcolm. Sent off: Rangers: Ferguson.

Man of the match: De Boer.

Attendance: 9,875.