Rangers 2 Aberdeen 1 – Kemar Roofe fires winner in classic as Light Blues set up Hampden cup final showdown with Celtic
A RUSH of blood to the head at one end.
As cool as you like at the other.
Kemar Roofe’s calmness under pressure at Hampden couldn’t have been more different from Anthony Stewart’s moment of sheer madness.
The Rangers substitute striker stepped onto the park to score an extra-time winner to take Michael Beale’s side through to the final of the Viaplay Cup.
But for Aberdeen it was a case of what might have been, had it not been for the brainless stupidity of their captain which saw him sent off.
Luckless Roofe didn’t finish the game after picking up a luckless shoulder injury in the dying minutes.
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But Stewart could have no complaint he didn’t last until the end.
The defender went into the semi-final controversially having said he preferred to play against Alfredo Morelos rather than Antonio Colak because the Croat was a much better player.
But his stupidity off the park was only matched on it.
Jim Goodwin’s Aberdeen were brilliant as his team gave him absolutely everything and then some.
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They took the lead through Bojan Miovski before Ryan Jack made it 1-1 to force extra-time.
By then Stewart had been sent off for a crazy challenge on Fashion Sakala which had straight red card written all over it from the second he lunged in.
Even then the Dons refused to lie down and in the end Allan McGregor had to be at his very best to prevent Goodwin’s side scoring again to taking it to penalties.
By the time the final whistle came the red-shirted players were out on their feet with Rangers celebrating a victory which set up an Old Firm derby on February 26.
Hopefully by then the SFA will have sorted out the sorry state of the Hampden pitch and also VAR, which embarrassingly broken down in extra-time.
Both managers were unhappy with both and rightly so.
For Beale, his side will certainly need to perform much, much better than this against Celtic next month.
But the be-all and end-all for Rangers right now is winning and Beale cannot be faulted on that score.
His team played well before falling out of the game and going behind.
Maybe the Rangers defence were getting too used to Miovski’s inability to stay onside.
Maybe that’s why Borna Barisic switched off with 40 minutes on the clock when the ball was played forward to the Aberdeen striker who was a good yard off.
But it was schoolboy defending from such an experienced defender as Barisic failed to spot Matty Kennedy running in behind him from an on-side position.
Miovksi was suddenly back in play and bursting into the penalty box.
Kennedy then lifted his head and picked him out with a perfect ball across goal which the striker calmly placed beyond McGregor.
Beale resisted any temptation to make changes at the interval when he easily could have taken two or three players off.
Aberdeen were working like trojans to close down the space in the key areas, both Graeme Shinnie and Ylber Ramadani superb.
Down on the touchline Beale got ready to make his first two changes with Scott Arfield and Kemar Roofe told to get stripped for action.
But before they could get on the park they were told to sit back sown again, as Rangers got their equaliser.
It was a brilliantly worked goal too.
Morelos did really well to link the play on the edge of the Aberdeen box and Jack timed his movement brilliantly to create a yard of space for himself.
There was an element of good fortune to his shot which spun off Liam Scales on its way past keeper Kelle Roos.
But Jack deserved that slice of luck for being so positive in the final third.
The former Pittodrie midfielder - who lifted the trophy with the Dons in 2014 - was the last player the Aberdeen fans wanted to see score against them.
The semi was back in the balance.
Rangers had regained the momentum with their leveller but Goodwin’s side weren’t finished as an attacking threat.
In 67 minutes Ross McCrorie came close with an effort which deflected wide for a corner.
Next Leighton Clarkson smacked the post with a shot, albeit it wouldn’t have counted as Kennedy had drifted off-side in the build-up.
It was with extra-time looming that their skipper had his moment of madness as he dived into a wild challenge on Sakala.
If Goodwin wasn’t pleased with Stewart before the game - for his brainless comments about Morelos - the Dons boss sure as hell wouldn’t have been any happier there and then.
It was hard enough keeping Rangers at bay with eleven men on the park.
Could the Ibrox side been reduced to ten men?
Liam Scales certainly thought Kent should have followed Stewart after he was smashed in the face by the winger off the ball.
But referee Nick Walsh and VAR took no action.
In extra-time all Aberdeen could do was play for penalties and hope they could hold out for another 30 minutes.
But just three and a half minutes after the restart Roofe was set up by fellow sub Scott Wright to make it 2-1.
It was a super-cool finish from the striker on big his return to action after a long injury lay-off.
There seemed no way back for Aberdeen.
But with VAR breaking down - before being fixed again - Goodwin’s side refused to give up.
Jonny Hayes brought a brilliant save from McGregor as they dug deep.
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With ten minutes of extra-time left to play Roofe’s misfortune returned as he fell awkwardly and hurt his arm, forcing him to go back off.
But Rangers were soon celebrating as a squad and looking forward to an Old Firm final next month.
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