R'S ROMP TO 5-0 VICTORY

Last updated : 13 July 2005 By Mark O' Haire

Rangers face Championship rivals Coventry City in the final of the tournament after a high intensity and bruising semi-final, which saw the R’s batter, the local team from start to finish.

Rangers handed debuts to new signings Simon Royce, Ian Evatt, Stefan Moore and Tommy Doherty as well as giving match time to trialists Adam Chambers and Hugo in front of a respectable and impressive away following from the UK.

Martin Rowlands, Paul Furlong and Marc Bircham put the R’s 3-0 ahead to hand Rangers a comfortable first-half advantage.

Gareth Ainsworth and Stefan Moore completed the route in the second period to book Rangers’ place in the final.

There were four scuffles between rival player’s in the match proving that the game was more than just a pre-season kick-around as Tommy Doherty showed is physical side, crashing into tackles to win the ball.

Doherty was later asked to leave the field instead of risk being sent-off.

Rangers will now meet Coventry in the final on Thursday evening.

FIRST HALF TEAM: Royce, Shittu, Hislop, Cook, Doherty, Bircham, Furlong, Rowlands, Shimmin, Sturridge, Hugo.

SECOND HALF TEAM: Cole, Evatt, Bignot, Brown, Gallen, Santos, Moore, Bean, Ainsworth, Miller, Chambers.