Rangers’ Challenge Cup bid continued with a second round win at Somerset Park against Ayr on Wednesday.
It’ll, as will always be said prior to and after – if Rangers win of course! – this cup competition isn’t the priority for the Gers at all but the unbeaten, and so far 100% start, to competitive action under Warburton continued with a two-nil win.
Warburton might have made five changes to his side but first half goals from Clark and McKay were enough to book that place in round three.
The passing and movement wasn’t something that Ayr could always content with from Rangers and this brought an opening goal for the Gers with a Walsh pass putting in Holt who was able to cross into Clark (15) who opened the scoring early on.
Ayr offered up some threat, playing some nice football too, with ‘keeper Foderingham getting away with a clearance that he sliced when looking to beat Devlin to the ball that dropped to Moore but from a tight angle he could only find the side netting and not the back of it.
A second came just before the break, Gilmour didn’t win a ball he’ll feel – and will now know he should have as this failure proved costly, that Walsh picked up. McKay (43) was put in and that was that, two-nil to the Gers at the break.
McKay forced a save out of Ayr ‘keeper Fleming in the second half with Clark putting a Waghorn cross against the post, from the sort of range he would have expected to score from.
That miss, when Moore couldn’t hit the target himself with Ayr’s best effort in the second half, wasn’t costly with the first half goals enough to win this tie.
A win is always taken but for others to get some minutes, including Spurs loanee duo Oduwa and Ball, would be especially pleasing for Warburton with those changes not changing the winning run.
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