Ryan Naderi’s dramatic late strike broke down Aberdeen’s stubborn resistance to earn Rangers a place in the Premier Sports Cup final. Aberdeen restricted Rangers to one shot on target in a low quality first half, but Derek McInnes’s side picked up the pace after the break. Aberdeen survived relentless pressure at times but in the 83rd minute, Naderi redirected a strike from James Penrice into the net for his eight goal of the season to seal a 1-0 win at Hampden Park. 23-year-old Naderi later tried to share the glory, saying: “It feels amazing.
I’m happy, of course, happy to be the one who scores the goals, but happy for the team. We believed we could score right up until the very end and we did, and I think it’s a deserved win.” It was another close-range strike from Naderi and he joked about this proficiency from distance. The Germany-born Czechia international said: “I’ve tried to shoot twice today from outside of the box and it didn’t go well.
Maybe I should just stick to the easy ones! As I said, I’m just happy how it is right now and I’m going to try to stick to it.” Rangers – who will face the winners of Sunday’s other semi-final between Hearts and Hibernian in the final – went into the game unbeaten in 10 and firm favourites. With five Aberdeen defenders missing through suspension or injury – Lewis Mayo, Mats Knoester, Dan Happe, Kristers Tobers and Chris Cadden – there was an element of makeshift about their lineup, with a first start of the season for Nicky Devlin.
McInnes, the Rangers manager 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 Aberdeen when Emmanuel Gyamfi injured himself trying to tackle Kim Min-su and was replaced by Stuart Armstrong. In the 23rd minute, the Rangers parted and Nesta Guinness-Walker drove through the gap, forcing goalkeeper Ivor Pandur to save.
Aberdeen captain Kevin Nisbet glanced a header wide of the goal before Naderi hooked an effort over the crossbar. Just before the break Aberdeen goalkeeper Marius Müller parried a 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 Müller blocked a shot from Kim before Rangers striker Kevin Kelsy somehow managed to head a pinpoint delivery from Bouanani past a post from six yards.
Müller’s foot blocked another effort from Bouanani and beat away a Raskin volley as the Aberdeen box came under siege. On a rare break, Nesbit’s shot was deflected wide and from the corner the Aberdeen striker hooked over the bar. Aberdeen finally succumbed when Bouanani knocked the ball back to Penrice and he fired towards goal, with Naderi stepping in to beat Müller from close range.
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