Rangers have booked their place in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup after a 2-0 victory over St Johnstone. Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring just before the hour mark and Ross McCausland netted late on as Philippe Clement’s side got back to winning ways at Hampden.

Clement handed a start to Danilo as he got 45 minutes under his belt. There was blow before the break, though, as Robin Propper hobbled off with a muscle injury.

Hampden was far from full for this one on the back of the Champions League defeat to Dynamo Kyiv. The Rangers Review looks at the key issues after a deserved cup win.

Read more: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours throughout the transfer window

Dessers the hero after VAR delay

Rangers had to wait some time to make the breakthrough. Even after Dessers blasted the ball into the net, their lead was not confirmed swiftly. A quick look at a replay ruled out Dessers being offside. It took several minutes for Matthew MacDermid to confirm the goal, though. Eventually it was determined that Dessers had not fouled Jack Sanders after a coming together on the edge of the box.

It was a lead that Rangers deserved. St Johnstone had come close twice in the first half as Andre Raymond got the better of James Tavernier and saw his strike blocked by John Souttar, while Adama Sidibeh clipped the woodwork with a neat near post effort.

Rangers were wasteful. Vaclav Cerny spurned a chance by firing high over the bar and was then denied from close range. After the break, Rabbi Matondo’s effort was straight at Joshua Rae. After the opener, Matondo should have doubled the lead after linking with Dessers.

The finish from McCausland that secured the win was neat. Dessers knocked it into his path inside the area and the winger showed composure to dink the ball over Rae. It was job done for Rangers.

Low crowd for a low key encounter

The reaction to events on Tuesday night has been understandable amongst a furious fanbase. There were suggestions online in recent days that a protest could be staged against the board ahead of this fixture. As it turned out, no such demonstration materialised.

Predictions of what the crowd could be here did not involve big numbers. Large swathes of Hampden – including the entire curve in the East Stand – were left empty. At the other end, the Union Bears were there in person and voice but there were few moments where the noise travelled around the stands.

The low turnout was not unexpected. Anger is one thing, but apathy is quite another. Clement has many objectives over the next few fixtures and in the last days of the window. He must find a way to reengage the support with his side. Those that stayed until the end were appreciative of the efforts of Clement and his players.

Danilo gets important minutes

The subject of Danilo has been raised on several occasions already this season. On Friday, Clement confirmed that the striker would get some minutes at Hampden. Few would have expected him to lead the line from the off, but Clement put his faith in Danilo as he was given the chance to start for the first time since that night at Tynecastle back in December.

The partnership with Jefte looked promising. One move down the left resulted in Danilo firing wide as the offside flag was raised. A few minutes later, Danilo should have had the target from 12 yards after Jefte again advanced forward and picked him out in the area.

His next chance came after Rae failed to gather a Mohamed Diomande strike. Danilo reacted quickly but his effort was straight at the keeper. He should have scored. A header in the closing seconds was a more difficult one to convert and ended up wide of target.

It was his last chance and last action as Dessers replaced him at the break. It was a small step for Danilo. He may not have scored, but the minutes will give him a reason to be positive.

Jefte shows promise on left

Supporters didn’t know what to expect when Jefte completed his move to Ibrox earlier this summer. The 20-year-old was always going to be a raw talent and he still has much to learn and improve on. The first impressions have been positive overall, despite the doubts over his defensive capabilities. This was not the toughest test his own third.

In an attacking sense, there is much to like. He covers the ground quickly and is direct, whether he is starting from left-back or playing higher up on the flank. He came close with an effort from distance after 36 minutes as Rae saw the ball curl just over his bar.

The left side is already a problem for Clement. Oscar Cortes remains out of action after being crocked against Hearts and the news that Ridvan Yilmaz will be sidelined for up to six weeks confirmed fears after the Kyiv defeat.

Jefte will have to stand up and be counted. There is already a weight on his shoulders. His supporters and his manager will learn a lot about him during this spell.

Squad depleted once again

The Ibrox injury curse has moved across the city to Hampden. Clement confirmed pre-match that Scott Wright and Yilmaz had been added to the walking wounded list. Just 44 minutes into this one, Propper became the latest Rangers casualty.

Nicolas Raskin sustained an ankle injury during the pre-season fixture with Ajax before Cortes was ruled out after the Hearts draw. Leon Balogun missed Tuesday night with a muscle problem and Wright has a ‘small issue’. There was no Tom Lawrence here after he succumbed to a sickness bug. Once again, Clement does not have his problems to seek on the fitness front.

The sight of Propper hobbling off – sharing a quick embrace with Ben Davies before heading up the tunnel – gave Clement another headache. He can only hope that the Dutchman is not a long-term absentee.