Nadir Ciftci’s agent, Pierre van Hooijdonk, was often worn down in his Old Firm pomp by the frustration of losing in one-on-one combat at the Broomloan Road goal with Rangers’ brilliant keeper Andy Goram.

The former Celtic striker’s client found it all so laughably easy yesterday. Seven minutes from time, Ciftci rolled the ball into the empty net after a goalkeeping calamity from Steve Simonsen, standing in for injured Cammy Bell, to seal a William Hill Scottish Cup Final place for Dundee United.

Simonsen’s folly was an example of the individual incompetence at the back as the Rangers defence was exposed when stepping up in class.

There was plenty of ineptitude up front, too, as miserable efforts in front of goal by Dean Shiels and Jon Daly undid a display that was markedly better than last weekend’s flop against Raith Rovers — yet not good enough to stifle one of the country’s more potent attacking teams.

Rangers actually looked better for taking the game to one of the Premiership’s top sides this season. After flopping as favourites in the Ramsdens Cup, their supporters loved the status of being embattled underdogs on their home turf.

‘Defytheodds’ was the advertised hashtag on the tournament sponsors’ big screen advert and it was raucous stuff from the first whistle, the closest this stadium has come to rocking in Old Firm game fashion since Rangers beat Celtic six weeks after being sunk into administration in 2012.

Fraser Aird forced the first corner after a John Souttar slip, then launched pressure upon United keeper Radoslaw Cierzniak, with Lee McCulloch and Bilel Mohsni both having efforts at goal in a packed area.

Ibrox roared as loud as on a Glasgow derby day and the action was just as frenetic. There was barely time to draw breath in the first half but, upon settling down, the story to tell at the break was one of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven doling out lessons in being lethal in the aftermath of those Rangers misses.

Ally McCoist had been in the line of fire last week but the manager was let down here by his forwards. Many wondered why Shiels was kept on the bench when that insipid display against Raith at Easter Road was in sore need of a spark last Sunday.

Shiels got his movement, run and control all right to latch on to the pass as Daly found a gap in the United defence. The finish, however, was all wrong, skewed tamely wide with his left foot from 12 yards.

If McCoist has trust issues with the former Kilmarnock man in front of goal, that 19th minute miss explained why.

Four minutes later, Armstrong showed Shiels how to keep composed in front of goal.

Cifcti gave himself up in his offside position as Armstrong advanced on to Gavin Gunning’s header back into the area. The ball bounced kindly for the Scotland Under-21 midfielder to volley in off Simonsen’s left-hand post.

The keeper then palmed away a bouncing effort from Ciftci as the hosts tried and failed to settle in the wake of falling behind. Nicky Law came closest for Rangers when his cross struck an upright, with the unperturbed Cierzniak presumably believing there was no threat.

Nor was there any danger from his former colleague Daly who, after Aird’s lay-off, scooped a shot wildly over when left in penalty-box space for the first and only time on the day. His 18 goals in League One this season counted for little as the Irishman blew it on the big stage.

United warmed to the theme of Rangers’ failings and struck for a second time against the run of play.

Ryan Gauld’s pace and skill took him to the byline and Armstrong helped the cutback on to Mackay-Steven. He took aim with a left-foot shot and Mohsni’s bid to block provided only assistance for United — Simonsen was helpless as that touch sent the ball spinning over the keeper and into the net.

With the Rangers forwards flopping in front of goal, it took a set-piece from a defender to drag them into contention.

Fair play to left-back Steven Smith for the execution over the wall and accuracy of the effort on target. But the pace should not have caused a top-flight keeper to fail to save at his left-hand post.

Cierzniak tried with two hands but the mechanics were all wrong and the ball squirmed in behind him. United were denied an immediate chance to respond when referee Bobby Madden blundered in failing to award a penalty as both Mohsni and Simonsen had an illegal go at stalling Ciftci’s charge.

The second half saw Rangers’ pursuit of an equaliser push back a United team seemingly content with a 2-1 scoreline.

Smith was in the set-piece mood and, with the aid of a heavy deflection, caused more panic for Cierzniak. As McCulloch and Richard Foster closed in, the keeper clawed the ball off his line.

There was always the creeping concern about Rangers that a communication breakdown would prove costly. With Bell missing and Mohsni as erratic as ever, United were a danger on the break.

Ciftci was the length of a stud away from converting substitute Keith Watson’s drilled delivery across the six-yard box.

But the Turkish striker was to be presented with another gift that helped him wrap up the win and send United into the Final.

Foster helped the ball back to Simonsen and the keeper’s terrible touch allowed Ciftci to pinch possession.

He could even afford a stumble and another touch before tucking gleefully home in front of a jubilant United contingent, including Stephen Thompson.

That was not a bad way to impress his chairman. In Ciftci’s case, he had managed to please his Celtic-supporting advisor, too.

—Daily Mail