A team outwith the Old Firm will have their name on the Scottish Cup for the first time in nearly ten years.
1998 was the last time Rangers or Celtic failed to win the Scottish Cup and on that occasion it was Hearts who were the winners after a 2-1 victory over Rangers.
After Celtic fell at the first hurdle against Clyde, Rangers joined them by losing 3-0 to Hibernian at Ibrox this weekend.
Rangers dominated in the first half but were torn apart by the Easter Road side in the second. Striker Garry O’Connor started things off in the 50th minute, the Scotland star rose to header the ball home after good work from full-back David Murphy.
Nine minutes later Hibs doubled their lead as Rangers were chasing the game. Ivan Sproule, the hat-trick hero in Hibs’ 3-0 win at Ibrox earlier this season was again to be a thorn in their side and he got the second goal after he got on the end of a long ball from Garry O’Connor.
Rangers fans and players were left in a rage when what looked to be a perfectly good goal by Sotoris Kyrgiakos was chopped off for a foul on keeper Simon Brown. This goal could’ve changed things but the poor performance from referee Stuart Dougal stopped Rangers getting back into the game.
Even at 2 goals down, Rangers could’ve still got into it but just as they were trying to do just that, up popped Hibernian again to kill the game off once and for all.
New signing Killen squeezed a shot home after being set up by Rangers signing target Derek Riordan. With 13 minutes left on the clock there was no way back for Rangers and they could’ve been 4-0 down if it wasn’t for a wonderful save from Waterreus from an O’Connor shot.
So for the first time in 19 years there will be no Rangers and Celtic in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, this is a great opportunity for someone else to get their hands on silverware, Hearts and Hibs will now be hot favourites to lift the cup and we could possibly see the first Edinburgh derby in a Scottish Cup final since 1896.
TEAMS
Rangers: Waterreus, Ricksen, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Murray, Burke, Ferguson, Malcolm (Prso 57), Buffel, Kris Boyd, Lovenkrands (Novo 83).
Subs Not Used: Klos, Hutton, Smith.
Hibernian: Simon Brown, Whittaker, Caldwell, Hogg, Murphy, Sproule, Thomson (Glass 7), Scott Brown (Killen 60), Stewart, Fletcher (Riordan 64), O’Connor.
Subs Not Used: Malkowski, Shields.
Manager Rating
Alex McLeish 1/10 – Fans staged demo outside ground to get him sacked.
Opponent Rating
Tony Mowbray 10/10 – Knows how to beat Rangers, 3 out of 3 so far this season, scored 8 conceded 1.