East Fife 0-2 Rangers

Pic: Jeff Holmes

Rangers took another step towards a second successive Petrofac Training Cup final as they eased to a 2-0 win over quarter-final opponents East Fife. Jon Daly and Ian Black netted to tee up a last-four clash with Alloa at the Indodrill Stadium. The memories of last year's humiliating loss to Raith Rovers in the Easter Road final are still painfully fresh in the minds of the Rangers players. But there was little chance of them suffering another embarrassment against Fife opposition as they cruised to victory with minimum fuss at New Bay View. Yet of the four trophies available to Rangers this season, the lower-league contest is last on boss Ally McCoist's list of priorities so it was no surprise he rested three of his top names for the trip to Methill. Kris Boyd scored his first league goal of the campaign as his side gained some measure of revenge for their Leith agony last year with a 6-1 drubbing of Raith. But he was dropped to the bench alongside Kenny Miller and Lewis Macleod. Instead, McCoist selected Daly and Nicky Clark in attack, while David Templeton was also promoted to the starting line-up which faced Gary Naysmith's men. McCoist's switch paid off as Daly finished off some clever play between Clark and Black with a tap-in opener after 29 minutes. A Lewis Barr trip on Clark 20 yards out then handed Black the chance to add the second from a set-piece 12 minutes into the second half. Rangers have League and Scottish Cup dates with St Johnstone and Dumbarton next week and will have to wait for the SPFL to set a date for their Alloa tie.