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Treble complete Rangers down Dundee to win Scottish CupPosted: Saturday May 31, 2003 3:19 PMUpdated: Saturday May 31, 2003 5:06 PM
GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Lorenzo Amoruso headed home a second-half winner for league champions Rangers to beat Dundee 1-0 in Saturday's Scottish Cup final and complete the domestic treble for the seventh time in their history. Having held off Glasgow rivals Celtic for the League Cup and League title, Alex McLeish's side rounded off a remarkable season with Italian defender Amoruso's 65th minute Hampden Park winner earning them the full set of Scotland's trophies. It could well be Amoruso's last match as a Rangers player because Blackburn Rovers have tabled a 1.2 million pounds (US$1.97 million) offer for the former Fiorentina man. "It's been really difficult to win it [the treble] but we did it," said the tearful Italian. "The feeling is fantastic, it's something that will always be in my heart. "I don't know if I will go or stay but if I do go then it's the best way to say thanks very much. "I just don't know whether I will go. I need to relax and enjoy this fantastic treble before I make my decision." Coveted treble McLeish joins a select band of Rangers managers to complete the treble. "The players were really tired but we dug deep and I'm proud of them," said the former Aberdeen defender Bill Struth's first treble in 1949 was emulated by Scot Symon, Jock Wallace [twice], Walter Smith, Dick Advocaat and now McLeish some 54 years later. Predictably, Rangers, who also won last season's Scottish Cup, enjoyed more of the possession in a fiercely contested first period but Dundee always carried a threat. A gulf -- Dundee finished 53 points behind Rangers in the league -- was certainly not apparent between the teams in the first period as the underdogs went in search of an early goal. With Argentine forward Fabian Caballero a nuisance to Rangers, Dundee could have been ahead after three minutes when Barry Smith smashed a volley off a post from long range. Then six minutes later, Steve Lovell broke free but goalkeeper Stefan Klos made a fine block to cushion the ball wide. Rangers' first real threat arrived on 12 minutes when Ronald de Boer headed wide while Michael Mols nodded against the bar from former Dundee winger Neil McCann's free kick. By now, Rangers had settled into a sustained period of pressure but could not find a way through a Dundee side who were defending doggedly. De Boer might have unlocked his opponents' defense with a fine run and shot but Dundee finished the half stronger to remind Rangers of their abilities. Dundee blew a golden chance to take the lead after 57 minutes when Lovell burst into space and set up Caballero, but the striker hesitated and the chance was lost. Rangers made them pay dearly when Amoruso leapt highest from McCann's free kick to bullet the winning goal into the net. Despite a brave response, Dundee could not find an equalizer and their hopes of a first Scottish Cup triumph since 1910 had disappeared. Rangers, on the other hand, could bask in the glory of winning the Scottish Cup for the 31st time in their history. Manager McLeish will take considerable personal pride from winning his fifth trophy at Rangers only 18 months after being appointed. McLeish 'totally drained' after Rangers clinch trebleGLASGOW (Reuters) -- Rangers manager Alex McLeish felt "totally drained" after a 1-0 Scottish Cup final win over Dundee on Saturday earned the Glasgow club the domestic treble for the seventh time in their history. Having already edged out city rivals Celtic to win the league cup and the championship, McLeish admitted the Glasgow side were exhausted after such a momentous season. "I feel totally drained," said McLeish, who has won five out the six domestic trophies up for grabs since being appointed Rangers' manager in December 2001. "It's been a hard season because everything's been so close. I think it's a measure of bottle [courage] that we could turn things our way in the final seconds of games and cup finals. Lorenzo Amoruso's 65th-minute header from Neil McCann's free-kick gave Rangers victory at Hampden Park on Saturday in a fiercely contested final that could have gone either way. "I thought we lacked a spark and were tired today, but Dundee were excellent and gave us a lot of problems. "If it went into extra time, I was worried because a few players were injured and we'd used all our subs." McLeish joins an elite band of Rangers managers who have completed the treble. Bill Struth was the first to achieve the feat in 1949 followed by Scot Symon, Jock Wallace (twice), Walter Smith, Dick Advocaat and now McLeish some 54 years later. It was perhaps ironic that the winning goal should come from the head of Amoruso after English premier league club Blackburn Rovers tabled an offer for the former Fiorentina defender -- who has one year left on his contract -- earlier in the week. While Dutch defender Arthur Numan will leave Rangers during the close season, McLeish believes Amoruso's goal was scripted. "I had a feeling that Lorenzo would pop up with the winner today. It's easy for me to say that now but he's liable to give you something like that and, if he does go, he's signed off in great style. "He would be a loss but we must strive to replace him." On a personal level, McLeish said of winning the treble: "People would say I have made a rod but at big clubs like Rangers there is a demand to win everything and we must strive to win every competition we enter." Dundee manager Jim Duffy was proud of his side's efforts despite failing to win the Cup for the first time since 1910. "I think the 90 minutes were highly competitive. The players gave every ounce of effort and I'm proud of them but the first goal was crucial and it was all about winning the game, so congratulations to Rangers," he said. Duffy was disappointed about the award of a free kick against Zurab Khizanishvili -- who could join Rangers next season under freedom of contract -- when was judged to have fouled Steven Thompson in the build-up to the winning goal. "I was disappointed with that decision because they could exploit us from that situation," added Duffy. SummaryDundee 0 Rangers 1 - resultScottish FA Cup final Scorer: Lorenzo Amoruso 66 Halftime: 0-0; Attendance: 47,136 Teams: Dundee: 12-Julian Speroni; 2-Barry Smith, 3-Dave Mackay (15-Steven Milne 78), 7-Fabian Caballero, 8-Gavin Rae (26-Garry Brady 85), 10-Georgi Nemsadze, 13-Zurab Khizanishvili, 16-Jonay Hernandez, 18-Mark Burchill (17-Nacho Novo 71), 19-Lee Mair, 25-Steve Lovell. Rangers: 1-Stefan Klos; 2-Fernando Ricksen, 3-Craig Moore 4-Lorenzo Amoruso, 5-Arthur Numan (17-Kevin Muscat 69), 6-Barry Ferguson, 7-Shota Arveladze (19-Steve Thompson 56), 8-Robert Malcolm, 9-Ronald de Boer, 10-Michael Mols (21-Maurice Ross 45), 11-Neil McCann. Referee: Kenny Clark.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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