Raith Rovers gave a decent account of themselves for an hour against a full-strength Rangers before Ryan Nolan’s own goal all but killed the game.
Connor Goldson’s header put the home side ahead in the Scottish Cup quarter-final just before half-time but Rovers were still competing until the Irish defender turned the ball into his own net.
Substitute Scott Arfield added a third late on in a 3-0 defeat for Rovers at Ibrox.
What was always going to be a difficult challenge was made even more so when captain Scott Brown and right-back Ross Millen were ruled out – adding to the five others already missing for various reasons.
Raith still have a cup final to look forward to at the end of the month but the focus for now turns to the Scottish Championship.
Key moments
Off the back of losing the League Cup final Rangers manager Michael Beale wasn’t messing about with his lineup.
Though it was a threadbare Rovers who almost took the lead in the opening exchanges through Isma Goncalves’ audacious effort from halfway.
Raith’s approach was to understandably let the Glasgow giants have the ball and they were rarely cut open in the first half.
Jamie MacDonald made a great save from James Tavernier and soon after Tom Lang had to block from Connor Goldson, but that was about it.
For all their good defending they were undone minutes before half-time through Goldson’s header – that came just after Rovers had got into a good position in the box but picked the wrong ball.
Tavenier shot blocked, again after a set-piece before Rovers again got into a promising position after some good play but Dylan Easton’s shot was weak – like in the first half, Rangers scored almost immediately after when Nolan turned the ball into his own net.
After that Aidan Connolly flashed across goal, but out of the reach of Goncalves, and Ethan Ross had a good opportunity after coming off the bench before Arfield made it 3-0.
Player ratings
Raith Rovers (4-2-3-1): MacDonald 7; Masson 7 (Young 6), Lang 7, Nolan 6, Dick 7; Stanton 6, Spencer 7; Connolly 7, McBride 7 (Vaughan 6), Easton 7; Goncalves 6 (Ross 6). Subs not used: Thomson, Mahaday.
Star man
Nolan was excellent other than his own goal but, at 2-0, it killed off any real chance of Rovers getting back into the game.
Easton and Aidan Connolly were given more defensive roles than they are used to but both performed well in that respect while, on occasion, also looking like they could make something happen at the other end.
Easton probably edges it for the moments of skill that got the 1573 noisy Rovers fans off their seats.
Manager under the microscope
Murray was dealt a cruel blow ahead of the game when Brown failed to recover in time and Millen was ruled out.
With Ross Matthews and Jamie Gullan also injured, Kieran Ngwenya on international duty and William Akio and Scott McGill cup-tied, it left the manager’s hands tied.
Lewis Vaughan then came on at half-time from a depleted bench.
Murray’s approach largely worked and it was unfortunate that they conceded the opener so close to the break from a set-piece.
They looked on course to keep themselves in with a chance in the final stages before Nolan’s unfortunate own goal.
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