Cowdenbeath 1-3 Rangers: Ibrox side secure Scottish Cup trip to Kilmarnock

Rangers secured a Scottish Cup last-16 trip to Premiership rivals Kilmarnock after a routine win over League Two part-timers Cowdenbeath.

Once Andy Halliday put Steven Gerrard's side into a 12th-minute lead, there was little prospect of a cup shock.

Lassana Coulibaly slotted the second from close range and Kyle Lafferty provided a cool finish.

David Cox pulled one back after Wes Foderingham saved a Harvey Swann penalty kick just after the break.

Rangers survived some nervous moments thereafter, but they were never in real danger of losing the rearranged tie.

The fortunes of these two clubs have diverged dramatically since the Glasgow side's last visit to Central Park, which ended 0-0 in the Scottish second tier in 2015.

Rangers manager Gerrard, though, insisted he was not taking the opposition lightly despite only Nikola Katic, Ryan Jack and Daniel Candeias retaining their places following the weekend win over Livingston.

It meant a start for Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis, Rangers' high-profile loan signings from the English top flight, but Cowdenbeath started impressively against their more illustrious visitors.

Home manager Gary Bollan - a former Rangers defender - had started midfielder Blair Malcolm ahead of forward Jordan Allan in an attempt to frustrate Gerrard's side.

However, with veteran former Livingston and Dunfermline Athletic left-back Jason Talbot off the pitch nursing an injury, Rangers took full of advantage of the extra man in midfield to take the lead.

Halliday left Kyle Miller foundering with a neat shimmy before firing low past goalkeeper David McGurn from 18 yards.

Substitute Harvey Swann restored Cowdenbeath to full strength, but the part-timers' belief in a shock appeared to have disappeared along with the unfortunate Talbot.

Rangers soon extinguished any remaining doubts as Lafferty flicked on a corner and, when Defoe's shot was blocked, Coulibaly thumped home the rebound.

Defoe will have rarely, if ever, played in a stock car stadium and Rangers were taking an uncharacteristically direct approach against a side renowned for their robust challenges, sending long balls forward to exploit the veteran former England striker's pace.

However, it was Lafferty who beat the offside trap to extend the lead just before the break, the Northern Ireland striker capitalising on Ryan Jack's through ball.

Renton, the one-time Norwich City striker, had been lucky to only receive one yellow for two thumping challenges on Nikola Katic and used his physique to win a penalty under a Jon Flanagan challenge.

Although Swann's spot kick was blocked by goalkeeper Foderingham, Cox was first to react to the rebound.

McGurn was called upon to save from Defoe and Candeias, but Rangers were guilty of thinking the job was done against the side sitting seventh in Scotland's fourth tier.

Substitute Allan, the forward who made his first-team debut for Airdrieonians at the age of 14 before a spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers, thought he had capitalised on a moment of slackness by Flanagan only for his strike to be ruled out by an offside flag.

BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin at Central Park

Rangers produced a clinical, professional display on a bitterly cold night at Central Park. From the outset, Jack and Candeias looked in the mood to put the game to bed as quickly as possible and Lafferty was also out to prove a point and stake a claim for a more regular place.

However, the slackness shown by the Rangers rearguard in the second half will be a cause for concern for Gerard. The centre-back pairing of Gareth McAuley and Katic was put under pressure time after time by the Cowdenbeath strikers and full-back Flanagan had a night to forget in Fife.

The Cowdenbeath players will take confidence in the fact they kept a clean sheet in the second half and Bollan will impress on his players the need for similar attitude and application between now and the end of the season if they are to have any chance or reaching the promotion play-off spots.

Cowdenbeath head coach Gary Bollan: "I'm disappointed with the result, but it's been a good night for the club.

"To go out there and play for 90 minutes and play at full throttle against Rangers, it's a great performance from the lads."

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard: "Credit to Cowdenbeath, they played a game for 90 minutes. We played for 45 but got the job done.

"Hopefully we have learned our lessons. You can't go to Kilmarnock and give goals away or we will be out of the cup. We have to go there and defend better."