Ryan Naderi strikes late to send Rangers into Premier Sports Cup final
The Czechia forward grabbed the only goal of the game with seven minutes remaining against Aberdeen.
Ryan Naderi’s dramatic late strike broke down Aberdeen for a 1-0 win to book Rangers a place in the Premier Sports Cup final.
The resilient Dons restricted Derek McInnes’s side to one shot on target in a low-quality first half, but the Ibrox side picked up the pace after the break.
Stephen Robinson’s side survived relentless pressure at times but in the 83rd minute, the big striker redirected a strike from James Penrice into the net for his eight goal of the season which settled the semi-final at Barclays Hampden.
Rangers will face Hearts or Hibernian in the December 13 final, with the Edinburgh sides facing each other at the national stadium on Sunday.
The Govan side went into the game unbeaten in 10 games and firm favourites.
With five Dons defenders missing through suspension or injury – Lewis Mayo, Mats Knoester, Dan Happe, Kristers Tobers and Chris Cadden – there was an element of makeshift about the Aberdeen side, with a first start of the season for Nicky Devlin.
McInnes, who won the trophy with Aberdeen in 2014, raised eyebrows by dropping midfielder Dan Neil, with left-back Tuur Rommens starting and Penrice moving into midfield, and Badredine Bouanani starting in place of Djeidi Gassama.
There was more readjustment for the Dons when Emmanuel Gyamfi injured himself trying to tackle wide-man Kim Min-su and was replaced by former Celtic midfieder Stuart Armstrong, with Brad Lyons moving to right-back.
In the 23rd minute, the Gers defence opened wide open and Nesta Guinness-Walker drove through the gap, forcing goalkeeper Ivor Pandur to tip the shot behind for a corner which came to nothing.
Aberdeen captain Kevin Nisbet glanced a header wide of the goal before Naderi hooked an effort over the crossbar and the game struggled along.
Just before the break, however, Dons goalkeeper Marius Muller parried a decent low drive from Bouanani to safety then Naderi headed a cross from stand-in captain Nico Raskin just over before Kim slashed a drive wide.
As the game stretched, Pandur saved a deflected Kevin Nesbit drive then Muller blocked a shot from Kim before Rangers striker Kevin Kelsy somehow managed to head a pin-point delivery from Bouanani past a post from six yards.
Muller’s foot blocked another effort, this time from Bouanani, before Gassama and Neil took over from Kim and Rommens, with Penrice going back to left-back.
The Aberdeen goalkeeper beat away a Raskin volley as the Dons box came under siege and then Bouanani fired wide from the edge of the box.
On a rare break, Nesbit hesitated and his shot was deflected wide by Rangers defender Olwethu Makhanya and from the corner, the Aberdeen striker hooked the loose ball over the bar.
However, the Pittodrie side at last succumbed when Bouanani knocked the ball back to Penrice and he fired towards goal, with Naderi stepping in to beat Muller with a side-footed shot from close range.