Rangers enigma emerges as unlikely hero as 'serial loser' starts things off to pile more woe on Hearts

Dessers scored two but and could have grabbed more as Jambos’ wait for Hampden glory against Gers goes on

Teenage substitute Macaulay Tait lost possession of the ball after an admirable attempt to force the issue and drive at Rangers. His manager Steven Naismith sank to his knees on the touchline and within seconds Cyriel Dessers – yes, Cyriel Dessers – had given the Rangers supporters another one.

It was what they had demanded after the same player put his side ahead after just five minutes. “Nice one Cyriel, nice one son …” they chorused from behind the goal at the west end of the stadium.

His second, ultimately decisive goal with 12 minutes left might have been a bit scruffy and was converted only at the second attempt, but it was required. Hearts had been slightly underwhelming, yes. However, if they were only able to put some accuracy into their final ball, an equaliser always seemed possible. Alas for them, it was not to be. Lawrence Shankland’s header made the side-netting ripple and the illusion of scoring a goal was as good as it got for the massed ranks of Hearts supporters.

Cyriel Dessers scores his second goal of the match as Rangers took down Hearts 2-0 at Hampden.

Rangers fans, meanwhile, might have felt like they were hallucinating as Dessers emerged as the unlikely hero. The man of the match might even have celebrated an unlikely hat-trick. Fabio Silva broke away in the final moments. The substitute’s pass seemed bound for the unmarked Dessers before the exhausted Beni Baningime put some final ounces of effort into stretching out a long leg to intercept.

Who knows if the Rangers striker would have had the composure to finish? He passed up several other chances and remains the ultimate enigma. According to some, he is not good enough to be a Rangers striker and yet here he is, on 19 goals for the season. He could prove pivotal if the Ibrox side are to haul back Celtic in the league and then overcome them in the final at Hampden next month.

There was a handshake and hug from manager Philippe Clement for his opposite man, the casually attired Naismith, at the final whistle this time. All's well that ends well? Maybe not exactly. Although the Rangers supporters acclaimed the team at the end there's still a lot of work to be done to heal the rift that has developed between some of the fanbase and the players following a turbulent spell. This, though, was undoubtedly a more positive afternoon.

While it cannot be paraded as a reliable bellwether with regards to measuring the extent of Rangers’ recovery, a victory against the third best team in the country was nonetheless supremely welcome by the Ibrox side. There’s never a good time to suffer a first-ever defeat to Hearts, and this certainly wasn’t it. Not seven days after a first-ever defeat to Ross County. Not four days after a first failure to score against Dundee since 2001.

Dessers celebrates with Mohamed Diomande after securing a date with Celtic in next month's final.

Rangers’ recent travel travails have been well documented. They were at least assigned home team status at Hampden, where they were listed first on the team sheet and accommodated in the home dressing room. Like the last time they faced Hearts at Ibrox, a 5-0 win in February, they scored soon after kick-off here too.

Dessers punctured the hopes of nearly 20,000 Hearts supporters housed in the perhaps unfamiliar – for them – east end of the ground. That these fans had travelled with abundant hope might be stretching it. After all, history was firmly against them. In what became a well-rehearsed fact in the run-up to the match, Hearts travelled knowing they had never beaten Rangers at Hampden. They had never beaten them in a national cup semi-final anywhere, with the last meeting in this competition, in 1993, played at Celtic Park due to the renovations at the national stadium.

Their last Scottish Cup clash at Hampden was in March 1977. As here, that ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Edinburgh side. Rangers met Celtic in the final that year too. Hearts, meanwhile, were relegated. Things are different in Gorgie currently which perhaps accounts for the greater sense of disappointment that follows this latest reversal.

Hearts were better than they were the last time they played Rangers in a last four match, as recently as earlier this season in the League Cup. But they could not take advantage of a Rangers team that were reeling after dropping seven points in their last three outings. To their credit, Clement's side stood strong, helped by influential performances from Todd Cantwell, veteran defender Leon Balogun and the returning Mohamed Diomande. Jack Butland pulled off a fine save from substitute Yutaro Oda near the end.

Clement stood as ramrod straight as ever at the side of the pitch. He has remained constant throughout this recent turbulent spell, defending his players to the hilt for the most part although he did drop Connor Goldson to the bench. That was the headline news before kick-off.

The defender turned to wave to the VIP seats as he warmed up for the first time. Goldson did not seem too concerned about losing his place for a showpiece occasion. Perhaps even he could acknowledge that he is jaded. Dens was his 48th appearance of the season. Although 35, Balogun was reckoned to have more in his legs. Sillva and Kemar Roofe also dropped out. An enforced change was required after 15 minutes when Abdallah Sima limped off. Ross McCausland came on with Rangers already in charge following Dessers’ opener just five minutes in.

Tavernier, branded a “serial loser” by some Rangers fan critics, won his first but not last 50-50 battle of the afternoon in a challenge with Kye Rowles. The ball reached Cantwell, who slipped it to Dessers. Let’s not be ungenerous. The much-criticised Rangers striker still had a lot to do and he cleverly sidestepped Nathaniel Atkinson before converting past Craig Gordon.

This was an afternoon where more than one Rangers player enjoyed some redemption. Tavernier seems to always get it in the neck when Rangers fail but although he did not get on the scoresheet here and the Ibrox side were not awarded a penalty, he was still to the fore. He was in the right place at the right time to intercept a cross from Kenneth Vargas with Alan Forrest waiting behind him in the middle.

It was an important intervention and contributed to Hearts’ drooping spirits as they began to sense time as well as history was against them, something confirmed by Dessers’ second after Cantwell drove at the Hearts defence before laying the ball off to the striker, who needed two attempts to finish. He might not be clinical enough at times but he was plenty clinical here.