Naderi’s late goal sends Rangers past Aberdeen into cup final

Rangers secured a place in the Premier Sports Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Saturday, October 31. Ryan Naderi scored in the 83rd minute, turning James Penrice's effort into the net to decide a semi-final that remained goalless until its closing stages, according to STV News.

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The result leaves Rangers waiting for the outcome of the other semi-final between Hearts and Hibernian on Sunday. STV reported that the final will take place on December 13. Naderi's decisive contribution was his eighth goal of the season, giving Derek McInnes's team the breakthrough after Aberdeen had kept them out for most of the evening.

Aberdeen limited Rangers to a single shot on target before the interval, STV reported. Neither side established a lead during that opening period. Read Rangers' match report noted that Minsu Kim and Naderi both had opportunities without scoring, leaving the teams to begin the second half with the tie still level and a final place undecided.

Rangers' pressure increased during the second half, with Badredine Bouanani prominent in their attacking play. Read Rangers reported that he twice came close after moving in from the right. He also supplied a cross for Kevin Kelsy shortly after the hour, but the striker headed wide rather than converting the chance to put Rangers in front.

The winning move followed another Rangers attack. The ball reached Penrice after the initial attempt had broken down, and Naderi met his delivery across the area to score, Read Rangers reported. Aberdeen had resisted the sustained pressure, but that close-range intervention provided the only goal. Rangers held their advantage through the remaining minutes to complete the win.

The victory extended Rangers' unbeaten run to 11 matches, according to Read Rangers. McInnes won this competition with Aberdeen in 2014, according to the Press Association report in the Guardian. For this season's final, the opposition will be settled by the Edinburgh derby at the same national stadium.