Live - Rangers v St Johnstone
GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times GMT)
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MY SPORT: DEBATE
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1941: Rangers almost take the lead, but what a clearance on the line by Dave Mackay! Nacho Novo beat the offside trap after a Steve Davis through ball, the striker played it through the legs of goalkeeper Graeme Smith and side-footed the ball from the edge of the area only for the Saints defender to slide in and deflect it from goal.
1938: St Johnstone start on the front foot and Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander just beats Cillian Sheridan to a long hoof over the heads of the Ibrox side's defence. Jody Morris follows that up with a snap shot that flies well over.
1935: And we're off with a light covering of snow on the pitch. Hopefully it doesn't stop the game finishing.
1932: The snow is falling fast as St Johnstone and Rangers gather in the tunnel. Rangers are in an unfamiliar, all-white change strip. Perhaps they are looking for a camouflage in the wintry conditions. Saints are in their 125th anniversary attire and will be hoping that they are not the second losing semi-finalist in two evenings to lose in maroon.
1928: It looks like Hampden will not even be half full tonight, despite the presence of one of the country's two best supported clubs. It could be less than 20,000, or not much more than that, according to our BBC men on the ground.
Rangers have lost just one cup tie - the Co-operative Insurance Cup final against Celtic last year - since Walter Smith returned for a second spell as manager in January 2007. Smith's side have gone 12 games without defeat since losing to Sevilla in the Champions League and will be further buoyed by last night's defeat SPL title rivals Celtic.
The headline-grabbing signing of Robbie Keane - on top of seven other imports during January - had looked like it might significantly shift the balance between the Old Firm sides.
But Kilmarnock's surprise 1-0 win leaves Rangers 10 points clear and the cash-strapped club will be anxious to add a Co-operative Insurance Cup final appearance and keep alive their dreams of a domestic Treble.
St Mirren lie in wait for the winners after last night's 1-0 win over Hearts. But will the weight of history lie too heavily on the backs of the boys from Perth attempting to be the second Saints in two nights to go marching into the Co-operative Insurance Cup final? St Johnstone tonight take on 25-times League Cup winners Rangers at Hampden Park looking to avoid their third defeat of the season against the Glasgow giants.
A 3-0 reverse at Ibrox in December followed a 2-1loss at McDiarmid Park in October to leave Saints with just 13 wins - and 13 draws - in the 101 meetings between the clubs.
But former Rangers midfielder Derek McInnes's side can take heart from their own recent proud cup record.
Despite being a First Division side until this season, this is their fourth major cup semi-final in three seasons and they will be hoping to end their losing streak and reach their first League Cup final since 1998 - their other defeat in a final being in 1969.
The Perth side also won Challenge Cup in 2008, the same year that Rangers last won the League Cup.
And their last win over Rangers came by 2-0 in a League Cup quarter final in November 2006.
They also took the Ibrox men to penalties before losing in a Scottish Cup semi-final two years ago and also put up a decent fight before succumbing to a 2-0 defeat in the same tournament last season.
Now a Scottish Premier League side, they have already accounted for top flight opponents - third-top Hibernian and fourth-placed Dundee United - in this season's competition.
And they go into the game on a high after a weekend league win over Hearts.
"Kenny Deuchar has been feeling a back problem. We have other good strikers and other goalscoring options" St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes explains his change up front
"I think I am right in saying that Neil Alexander has been playing most of the League Cup games and we feel we have two top goalies. Sasa Papac was not feeling 100% fit, but Stevie Smith, when he came on at the weekend, did very very well" Rangers assistant Ally McCoist explains the two changes
1918: Rangers have made two changes, with Stevie Smith replacing Sasa Papac at left-back and Neil Alexander replacing Allan McGregor in goal. Striker Kenny Deuchar has been left on the St Johnstone bench as manager Derek McInnes looks likely to go for a conservative 4-1-4-1 formation with on-loan Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan on his own up front.
1916: Here's how the teams line up - Rangers: Alexander, Whittaker, Weir, Wilson, Smith, Davis, McCulloch, Thomson, Fleck, Novo, Lafferty. Subs: McGregor, Naismith, Broadfoot, Little, Wylde. St Johnstone: Smith, Irvine, MacKay, Gartland, Grainger, Millar, Morris, Davidson, Morais, Sheridan, Craig. Subs: Main, Anderson, Moon, MacDonald, Milne. The referee is Dougie McDonald.
1910: Welcome to the live text commentary for tonight's second Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final between Rangers and St Johnstone. As always, your thoughts are welcome as we await to find out who will join St Mirren in next month's final.
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