Rangers ended Forfar's Scottish Cup fairytale after the holders cruised to a 4-0 win at Station Park.
Third Division club defeated 4-0 at Station Park
Rangers ended Third Division club Forfar's Scottish Cup fairytale after the holders cruised to a 4-0 win in their rearranged fifth-round tie at Station Park.
Kenny Miller was among the goals with a double to ensure Rangers eased through to the quarter-finals where they will meet Hamilton.
Defender Sasa Papac gave the visitors the lead in the eighth minute after taking a pass from Miller who doubled the Ibrox side's advantage nine minutes after the break.
Forfar defender Elliot Smith was red-carded with 20 minutes remaining for a horror tackle on Gers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley before his replacement Aaron Niguez grabbed the third, and Miller notched his second in the final minute.
The SPL side never really looked in trouble against the battling Loons although there will be concerns over Beasley who once again suffered an injury.
The visitors made six changes from the Old Firm derby line-up at the weekend but it was a seamless start to the match from Rangers.
In the third minute right-back Steven Whittaker won the first corner of the match and when Beasley's cross was cleared to the edge of the box, the former Hibernian defender slammed a left-footed shot a yard wide of the target.
The Govan defence had to contend with a series of high and hopeful balls but in the eighth minute they took the lead through the unlikely figure of Papac.
Power
As the Forfar defence retreated, Miller burrowed towards the goal, feeding the Ibrox defender who quickly knocked the ball past Loons goalkeeper Ally Brown from 12 yards.
Minutes later Forfar defender Smith had to throw himself in front of Steven Naismith to block a goal-bound shot from the Ibrox midfielder, then, as the visitors pressed further, Miller scuffed an angled shot.
There was a slight power failure in the floodlights in the 15th minute but there was still plenty of energy in both sides as play swung from end to end although Kris Boyd's header from a Whittaker cross was easily saved by Brown.
The Ibrox side looked comfortable in their lead but there were occasional moments of unease in their defence which offered the Third Division side some hope.
On the half-hour mark, as Rangers broke with pace, Miller set up Beasley at the edge of the Forfar box and this time Brown pulled off a fine save from the American's powerful volley.
Whittaker did well to block a shot from Tod for a corner as the home side rallied and from the resultant corner, the ball fell again to the former Pars stopper who drove wide from just inside the penalty area.
In the 40th minute Brown pulled off a remarkable save from Miller's perfectly-executed overhead kick, after he had been set up by the head of Boyd 10 yards from goal.
Boyd drove wide from the same distance as the visitors finished the half strongly.
The Forfar fans among the crowd of 4,718 inside Station Park generously applauded their side off at the break but Rangers looked in no mood to offer any succour when the game restarted.
Boyd had the ball in the net in the 50th minute but was ruled offside, moments before he shrugged off the attentions of Tod to bear down on goal before Brown prevented him getting his shot away.
Brown again had to be at his best to smother an angled shot from Beasley but in the 54th minute Miller doubled the visitors' lead when Loons defender Stephen McNally failed to clear his lines properly from Beasley's cross.
The ball landed at the feet of the Rangers striker who lashed the ball high past Brown from 16 yards.
Displeased
Kyle Lafferty replaced Boyd in the 65th minute, the Ibrox striker trooping off clearly unhappy.
In the 70th minute Forfar defender Smith was red-carded for a shocking tackle on Beasley who had to be replaced by Aaron.
It was a disappointing end to the night for Beasley who has been beset by injuries in his time at Ibrox.
Aaron capitalised on another mistake by McNally in the 83rd minute to slam in number three before being booked for taking his top off in celebration.
In the final minute Miller added a fourth when he nodded in from close range after Lafferty had set him up.
