Ayr United 1-6 Rangers: Graeme Murty's side cruise into Scottish Cup quarter finals despite early scare

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One of the enduring attractions of football is the boundless chances for redemption it always seems to offer. Alfredo Morelos should be thankful that occasionally they arrive at the most opportune moments.

Doubtless, the Colombian striker has never heard of Peter van Vossen but, with half an hour of this cup tie having expired, he produced a miss worthy of the hapless Dutchman all those years ago.

At that point trailing by Alan Forrest’s opportune goal, you wondered if Morelos would be left to regret it for the rest of his days. Within 60 seconds, we had our answer.

Alfredo Morelos missed an open goal from two yards when Rangers were trailing Ayr 1-0

However the striker scored 60 seconds later as Rangers came from behind to win 1-6

Morelos spared his own blushes and later scored another as Rangers made the last eight

Smashing a rebound beyond Ayr keeper Jack Ruddy, the striker spared his own blushes and consigned his aberration to a small footnote in history. Rangers had their equaliser and we had reached the turning point in a hitherto nip-and-tuck contest.

The League One side had been immense up until that point. They kept believing right up until Jason Cummings’ smart finish turned the game on its head on 66 minutes. Thereafter, Rangers’ class simply told.

As the tie ran away from the Somerset Park men, Morelos gave Graeme Murty’s side breathing room with the kind of tap-in he should have taken advantage of much earlier.

Alan Forrest capitalised on a mistake by Rangers keeper Wes Foderingham to score

Third tier side Ayr United were looking to cause a Scottish Cup upset and led for 20 minutes

There was a degree of redemption here too for Josh Windass. He scored a brace and this time the celebrations were low key and mature, ensuring the unfortunate episode at Firhill was put to bed.

By the end of a curious old cup tie, Jamie Murphy raced away from a leggy Ayr defence to register his first goal for his boyhood heroes. Truthfully, the final score was harsh on Ayr and their absent manager Ian McCall, who missed the match after undergoing eye surgery earlier this week.

Having given as good as they got for two-thirds of the contest, Ayr ended up on the wrong end of a real sore one.

Murty, though, was entitled to feel pleased with the character his side showed after a disastrous start courtesy of Wes Foderingham’s indecision under pressure. A first major trophy in seven years remains within his side’s grasp.

Josh Windass scored two in the second half as Rangers ran away with the game later on

McCall’s men had matched Rangers man for man with a diamond midfield and two strikers. From the outset it was clear they intended taking the game to the Premiership side.

Although Declan John did worry them with an early shot into the side netting, they won the bulk of the 50-50s. Their opener on 11 minutes did not come against the run of play.

Reinstated ahead of Jak Alnwick after the win at Fraserburgh, only Foderingham could explain what he was attempting to do as he gathered David Bates’ back-pass.

Evidently believing that Ayr winger Forrest had neither the pace nor the desire to challenge him, he took a woeful first touch while standing only a matter of inches off his line.

Forrest, brother of Celtic’s hat-trick hero James, spotted his opportunity, slid to the turf and got to the ball before the keeper could clear. To the delight of the home fans, he got enough on it to send it over the line.

As half of Somerset Park went ballistic, Murty called for calm, but the initial response was far from convincing. Sean Goss fired powerfully from the edge of the box but straight at Jack Ruddy. Andy Geggan then produced an almighty block to prevent the Rangers midfielder doing better next time.

Jason Cummings made it 2-1, paving the way for Rangers to score five in 22 minutes

When Geggan clipped Windass on the edge of the box, Goss was handed another chance to restore parity, but his free-kick flew straight into the wall.

Morelos had done little to catch the eye in the first period. When Russell Martin cushioned Bates’ cross into the Colombian’s path, the defender was entitled to ask why his team-mate had shown so little appetite to connect with it.

Ayr, remarkably, might even have had a second. Foderingham flapped horrible at a routine cross while under pressure from Lawrence Shankland. Declan McDaid could only fire the loose ball high into the visiting support.

It belatedly stirred Rangers into life. With the next wave of play, Windass threw himself at James Tavernier’s cross only for his header to fly back off the crossbar.

When Greg Docherty got in behind and fired a loose ball across goal, all Morelos had to do was make a firm connection to score. It’s possible the ball took a slight bobble on the turf but even then it was a woeful miss. From no distance the ball sailed high over the ball.

Goss, Rangers’ best player on the day, might well have equalised himself with a fine strike from 25 yards but the ball bounced back off the underside of the bar. Unmarked, Morelos made no mistake this time with a clinical finish.

Jamie Murphy netted his first Rangers goal to complete a scoreline which was harsh on Ayr

Cummings warmed Ruddy’s gloves with a decent effort soon after but Ayr made it to the break with the dream very much intact.

Yet it was clear Rangers were in the mood to quickly atone for a poor opening period, Tavernier and Goss peppering the home goal with efforts. Murphy had the ball in the net after Ruddy spilled Cummings’ effort but was flagged offside. It seemed only a matter of time now.

Goss, fittingly, was the provider of the second on 66 minutes. His floated cross still left Cummings with much work to do but a clever back-flick by the striker left Ruddy helpless and Ayr broken.

Three minutes later, the result was put beyond all doubt. Declan John’s cross was met with a towering leap by Windass. He slid towards the fans after his headed conversion. No hot-headed celebration this time.

Number four arrived on 72 minutes. Murphy got to the byline and squared the ball back across goal. Morelos didn’t miss on this occasion.

Windass claimed his second and Rangers’ fifth with another header, this time from Goss’ cross.

With two minutes remaining, Murphy’s pace on the counter was just too much for Ayr. He picked his spot in the corner to round off a fine day’s work for Murty’s men. Suddenly, Forrest’s opener and Morelos’ horror miss seemed an awful long time ago.