IT was, in the end, a comfortable two goal win which booked their place in another cup semi-final at Hampden next month.

But, boy, did Rangers have to work for this Betfred Cup quarter-final victory over a Partick Thistle side which has made a disappointing start to the new season and is still searching for a win in the league after six games.

The Ibrox club, who play their first game of the 2017/18 campaign against Celtic at home this Saturday, certainly showed great strength of character to recover from losing an equaliser to their hosts in the final minute.

Goals for Carlos Pena, Daniel Candeias and Eduardo Herrera, three of the new signings who manager Pedro Caixinha brought in to the club during the summer, will also have boosted that trio’s confidence no end ahead of such an important game.

But can Caixinha’s charges take something, even a draw, from their meeting with Brendan Rodgers’s men at the weekend? On this evidence it is doubtful.

Only some fine goalkeeping from Jak Alnwick kept them at first level and then in front. They will have to lift their performance level some to get a result against their city rivals and ease the pressure on Caixinha which has been growing in recent weeks.

Caixinha was without three of the players who he refers to as his “five captains” – Niko Kranjcar and Lee Wallace, who are out injured, and Kenny Miller, who was rested - in this game. Bruno Alves and Graham Dorrans, though, took their places in the starting his line-up at centre half and midfield and the former donned the armband.

The changes meant a first start in a competitive fixture for Pena. The Mexican had done precious little to justify the substantial outlay which was required to lure him to Scotland from North America during the summer before last night. There was no better time for him to show why he has been signed.

Rangers had failed to match the physicality of Thistle four days earlier - something which had prompted some very unfortunate murmurings from Caixinha about how aggressively rival teams played against his side – and once again found their wholehearted opponents a handful.

But Alnwick, who is preferred to Wes Foderingham in goals by Rangers in the Betfred Cup, coped with everything that was thrown at him in the first half. He dealt with a Niall Keown header at a Blair Spittal corner, a tame Conor Sammon shot and a Spittal cut back to the edge of his six yard box easily in the first half.

His opposite number Ryan Scully, who kept his place due to Tomas Cerny failing to recover from injury, had significantly less to do. He was certainly at full stretch when he got his hands to a powerful shot from Alfredo Morelos clear in the 24th minute. But his defenders snuffed out their opponents’ attacks effectively.

Caixinha switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation with Ryan Jack sitting in as a holding midfielder and Morelos the lone striker. But the latter looked isolated in the new system and received limited service from his team mates. He certainly posed less of a threat than he had in previous matches.

The visitors’ top scorer, who had netted eight goals in nine appearances going into this match, was dispossessed by Keown as he bore down on goal in the 16th minutes and cut a frustrated figure during his time on the park.

Alan Archibald once again positioned five players in from of Scully and it worked well. But his team also posed a threat going forward

Thistle cut open Rangers down the left flank after half an hour had elapsed – something which has been a weakness in their opponents in the past season and will have sent a chill down the spines of their supporters ahead of the derby match this weekend – when Spittal and Christie Elliott combined well.

There were three Thistle players waiting in the penalty box to receive the ball. However, Elliott failed to find any of them and Rangers cleared the danger. It was, though, a taste of what was to come.

Alnwick had to produce two fine saves from Sammon in the space of four minutes before half-time to keep Rangers on level terms. The second of those, a one handed block from a header, was outstanding. The large travelling support was noticeably subdued as the teams left the field at half-time.

But Rangers were, having no doubt been on the receiving end of a few choice words from their manager at half-time, vastly improved in the second half.

Declan John, standing in for Wallace at left back, used his pace to great effect down the left and forced his way into the Thistle penalty box early on and Morelos fired narrowly wide after being sent clear by Candeias with just the goalkeeper to beat and the goal beckoning invitingly.

But a moment of magic from Pena broke the deadlock in the 55th minute. He met a short Candeais corner with a delightful glancing header which arched over Scully and ended up in the net.

Candeias had an opportunity to build on his side’s tally in the 65th minute when he pounced on an error by Paul McGinn and burst upfield. But he squandered his chance by shooting over the crossbar.

Caixinha put on Jason Holt for Pena, Ross McCrorie for Bruno Alves and Lee Hodson for John. But the replacements were unable to net another and kill off the game. They paid for being unable to take their chances in the last minute when Sammon headed an Adam Barton cross down to Kris Doolan who rifled into the roof of the net.

Caixinha threw on Eduardo Herrera for Morelos at the start of the first period of extra-time and the replacement made a significant impact. He set up Candeias for a strike which put his side back in front and then slotted home the third himself.