Fabio Silva shines for Rangers as Scott Brown can't derail Scottish Cup surge with battling Ayr - 3 talking points

Rangers booked their spot in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup as Oscar Cortes impressed on his first start and Fabio Silva notched his second goal in light blue.

But the Ibrox side were made to fight as Scott Brown’s fired-up Championship side produced a performance reflective of their boss and were well in the game until Silva’s 76th minute clincher. In the end the home side had too much quality with Ayr and Brown - who earned himself the third biggest cheer of the evening by picking up a second half booking - left to focus on their play-off ambitions.

Cortes was the brightest spark for Rangers and almost had his first Gers goal after just a minute and 15 seconds when he cut in off the left and sent a right footed shot flashing off the far post. After six minutes the Colombian stung Robbie Mutch’s hands with another 20 yarder off the same side. But Ayr’s resistance lasted only 10 minutes when Barisic struck his first goal of the season after more good work from Cortes.

The Honest Men failed to clear their lines and the new boy picked the ball up on the left, cut back for Barisic whose first time effort flew low into the net with a slight deflection. Anton Dowds could have pinched a leveller with Ayr’s first proper attack only to be foiled by a perfectly timed last ditch tackle from John Souttar.

Cortes was determined to get that first goal and dragged an effort just wide with his left peg five minutes before the break. Barisic was then denied a second goal by Robbie Mutch when his volley from James Tavernier’s deep cross deflected off George Stanger and required a stunning reaction save from the Ayr keeper.

Ayr’s best chance of a leveller fell to Ben Dempsey shortly after the break but the midfielder got his