Steven Gerrard is set to finish his first season as Rangers boss empty-handed as his side crashed out of the Scottish Cup after a 2-0 quarter-final replay defeat to Aberdeen at Ibrox.
With Rangers eight points adrift of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race, Gerrard’s realistic hopes of lifting a trophy at the end of his rookie campaign rested on steering his side through their last eight clash with Derek McInnes’s men.
But goals in either half from Niall McGinn and Connor McLennan gave Aberdeen their third win over the Gers in Glasgow this season and set up a semi-final with Celtic next month.
Rangers have now beaten the Dons just once in six meetings this season.
Aberdeen got off to a perfect start after three minutes when Glen Kamara tried a risky square ball across his defence to James Tavernier and watched with horror as it went wrong as McGinn nicked possession before calmly beating Allan McGregor.
Rangers’ top scorer Alfredo Morelos had been sent off three times in five of the previous meetings between the sides this season.
