Rangers 1-0 Maritimo

(Aggregate 1-1, Rangers win 4-2 on penalties)

UEFA CUP McLeish applauds spirit

Gregory Vignal's penalty sent Rangers into the Uefa Cup group stage after a nail-biting 120 minutes at Ibrox.

Dado Prso scored the vital goal during regulation time, collecting Vignal's cross before sweeping the ball past Marcos Oliveira after 71 minutes.

No more goals were forthcoming, so the match went to penalties.

Nacho Novo, Prso and Steven Thompson also scored from the spot and Stefan Klos's save from Chainho and Ferreira's miss meant Rangers progressed.

Rangers almost conceded a disastrous away goal in the opening minutes when Gustavo Manduca broke free to cross from the right, leading to a needless scramble in the home side's box as Zurab Khizanishvili played the ball off Klos before the ball was cleared.

Prso passed up a glorious opportunity to open the scoring when he took a clumsy first touch after Bob Malcolm found him free in the box and his eventual shot was blocked.

Novo headed on to the top of the crossbar after 19 minutes as he got on the end of a Maurice Ross cross and the Spaniard came even close on 28 minutes.

Chris Burke's cross was flicked on by Prso and Novo's header was palmed over by Marcos Oliveira.

The keeper came to Maritimo's rescue again a minute later when he pushed Prso's header away.

At the other end, Alan flashed a shot just wide and then hit another effort into the arms of Klos as the Portuguese side showed they could be a threat.

Prso forced another save from Marcos Oliveira eight minutes before the interval with a decent effort from the edge of the box but Rangers could not find the breakthrough.

Novo was again denied at the start of the second half when he his close-range header was tipped away by the keeper.

Having had a penalty claim for a challenge on Ross waved away in the first half, Paolo Vanoli felt he should have had a penalty when he went down in the box but again the referee saw nothing amiss.

Prso is congratulated on his goal

Moments later, Marcos Oliveira did superbly to touch the ball away from Novo, who looked poised to score as he followed up on Prso's shot.

Novo shot just wide but it was Prso who finally put Rangers ahead.

Substitute Vignal swung in a good cross from the left and the Croatian striker took the ball down before despatching it past Marcos Oliveira.

Nine minutes later, Prso thought he had put Rangers through after his shot on the turn beat the keeper but the strike was harshly ruled offside.

Khizanishvili almost got the vital goal in injury time, with a tremendous run through the Maritimo defence, but he could not muster any power in his strike and Marcos Oliveira saved easily.

Stephen Hughes passed up a wonderful chance after 20 minutes of extra time - his effort from 12 yards was tame and was blocked by Mitchell van der Gaag.

Novo also missed a glorious opportunity as the game went into penalties, where Rangers finally emerged victorious.

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Rangers: Klos, Ross, Khizanishvili, Boumsong, Vanoli (Vignal 66), Burke (Arveladze 96), Malcolm (Hughes 80), Ricksen, Prso, Thompson, Novo.
Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Andrews, Lovenkrands, McCormack.

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: Prso 71.

Maritimo: Marcos Oliveira, Ferreira, Van der Gaag, Tonel, Briguel, Alan (Silas 67), Wenio, Chainho, Bino (Luis Filipe 72), Manduca (Souza 84), Leo Lima.
Subs Not Used: Nelson, Evaldo, Fernando, Joel Santos.

Booked: Leo Lima, Souza, Van der Gaag.

Rangers win 4-2 on penalties

Att: 47,360.

Ref: Vladimir Hrinak (Slovakia).