How Rangers started on the road to recovery with thumping 5-0 win over Dunfermline at Ibrox

Rangers began the process of applying balm to the self-inflicted wounds of their troubled start to the season by sweeping Dunfermline aside to claim their place in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup.

John Lundstram gave Rangers the early breakthrough in their Premier Sports Cup tie against Dunfermline at Ibrox with his first goal since joining the club in the summer. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images,)

It will take much more than a comprehensive beating of Championship opposition to fully heal the pain of falling at the first hurdle in the Champions League.

But this was an undoubtedly cathartic 90 minutes for Steven Gerrard’s team in front of an impressive Friday night attendance of 41,467 at Ibrox.

The home support got the reaction they were seeking after Tuesday’s dismal defeat against Malmo and were treated to some eye-catching football and impressively executed goals.

Kemar Roofe made a scoring return to action for Rangers in their Premier Sports Cup victory over Dunfermline at Ibrox on Friday night. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

On an evening which saw Gerrard make eight changes to the line-up which flopped against the Swedish champions, the youthful full-back pairing of Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey both excelled.

There were plenty of other positives for Gerrard to take away, including the previously underwhelming John Lundstram perhaps getting his Rangers career properly up and running as he claimed his first goal for the club.

It was a harrowing experience for Dunfermline who found themselves 4-0 down with just over half an hour played. Rangers were never in danger of equalling an unwanted all-time club record as they avoided the nightmare scenario of a fourth consecutive defeat, a sequence previously racked up in 1985.

The visitors didn’t do themselves any favours with a sloppy start to the tie. It was an unhappy return to Ibrox for Graham Dorrans, the Pars captain’s poorly judged second minute passback seized upon by Bassey to set up Lundstram who smashed home the opener from around 12 yards.

The second goal was all Rangers’ own work, Scott Wright gathering Ianis Hagi’s fine through ball and cutting inside Aaron Comrie before beating Deniz Mehmet with a smart finish in the 17th minute.

Two minutes later, it was 3-0 when Bassey’s superb cross was headed home by Hagi. Dunfermline were under siege. Mehmet did his best to resist, saving brilliantly to keep out a Patterson shot, but he was beaten again in the 33rd minute when Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo combined to create an opening which Kemar Roofe made the most of with a firm close range shot.

After what has been a difficult period for Roofe, whose baby son spent five days in hospital but is now happily on the mend, he was savouring his return to action.

The English striker claimed Rangers’ fifth goal from the spot after he was clumsily fouled by Dorrans in the 58th minute.

Dunfermline avoided any further damage, despite almost constant pressure from the hosts whose presence in Sunday’s quarter-final draw had long been assured.

Far tougher tests await Rangers in the coming weeks, starting with the first leg of their Europa League play-off against Armenian champions Alashkert at Ibrox next Thursday, but this was a soothing evening for Gerrard as he looks to rediscover his team’s optimum form.

Rangers (4-3-3): McLaughlin, Patterson, Goldson, Simpson, Bassey; Lundstram, Kamara (Kelly 79), Aribo; Hagi (Arfield 71), Roofe, Wright (Morelos 64). Subs not used: McCrorie, Tavernier, Helander, Itten, Kent, Barisic.

Dunfermline (3-4-1-2): Mehmet, Comrie, Watson, Graham; Macdonald (Dow 46), Pybus, Dorrans, Edwards; Wighton (Cole 56); O’Hara (Thomas 46), Todorov. Subs not used: Williams, Breen, Gaspuitis, Allan, Jones, Todd.

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