RANGERS RESILLIENCE RULES !!!!!

Dundee Utd 2-2 Rangers
Rangers win 3-2 on penalties

The sign of a championship quality team are those who despite playing below par can still show enough resilience to grind out the results when it matters.

If that is the case, the Rangers SPL title prospects look very encouraging having come from behind to end a three year trophy drought and capture the CIS Insurance Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot out.

However with United having taken the lead through a from Noel Hunt in 33 minutes and being denied a strong penalty claim early in the second half, it looked as if the Silverware was heading North to Tayside with United having turned in once of their best performances of the season.

Watched by their Cancer stricken Chairman, Eddie Thompson, every one of United's players were pushing their bodies to the limit and deliver a memorable victory and an emotional tribute to their Chairman.

However with six minutes remaining, Mark Kerr, who had played a terrific game all afternoon, endured a moment of madness that put Rangers back in contention with an inexplicable pass back to his goal keeper, not noticing the in form Chris Boyd, nipping in on the blind side, to drill the ball home.

Even though Rangers were without Nacho Novo and Charlie Adam, there was still plenty of power upfront in the shape of Boyd, Lee McCulloch, and Jean Claude Darcheville to suggest that the momentum was going to change in the Ibrox side's favour.

However Walter Smiths men were stunned when Mark De Vries put the Arabs back in front during the first period of extra time.

But when Boyd punished United for falling to clear their penalty box and tie the scoring at the death, with the Scotland star slamming home the decisive goal in a dramatic penalty shoot out, ensuring his side's first trophy win in three years.

Following their heroics against Werder Bremen in the Uefa Cup, Walter Smith was forced to make changes to his line up with Lee McCulloch and Chris Burke coming in for the suspended Nacho Novo and Charlie Adam.

Meanwhile Craig Levein, leading a team out at a Hampden final for the first time, made four changes after his side's midweek goalless draw at Celtic.

Noel Hunt was back in the starting line-up along with Christian Kalvenes, Willo Flood and Morgaro Gomis, with David Robertson and Craig Conway, dropping to the bench and was without cup-tied duo Danny Grainger and Jim O'Brien.

With a possible four trophies to play for this season, Rangers were determined to cap off a momentous week for the club and grab their first piece of silverware for the first time since the hammered Motherwell back in 2005.

However they were up against a United side, hell bent on capturing the trophy for their seriously ill Chairman.

Judging by the first half display, United's cause was the stronger, with the Taysiders controlling the battle in the middle of the park.

And they got their deserved lead in 33 minutes when Noel Hunt's initial shot was saved by Alan McGregor, but Rangers failed to clear their area and the Irishman managed to force the ball over the line at the second attempt.

Rangers formed a more attacking minded formation at the start of the second half when Darcheville came on for Brahim Hemdani.

The Glasgow side then had a lucky escape when Carlos Cuellar appeared to pull down Christian Kalvenes, but referee Kenny Clark dismissed what was a strong penalty claim.

But when Boyd came on in 61 minutes, United made the mistake of sitting back and allowing Rangers to come at them.

Having sustained some intense pressure, it looked as if the United rear guard, who were playing the game of their lives, looked as if they were going to reap the rewards and cap off a dramatic win.

However the rook caved in for the Tayside following when Mark Kerr attempted a pass back to the Lukas Zaluska, but Boyd pounced to drill the ball into the net, taking the game into extra time.

The United Fans were out of their seats when Mark De Vries displayed some clinical finishing slamming the ball past McGregor from the right-hand at the start of extra time.

But their joy was short lived when Boyd came to the rescue again heading home at the back post.

It was finally down to penalties to decide the outcome.

And with Rangers possessing some of the best finishers in the league at the moment, backed with safe hands of MacGregor, there was no surprise to see Boyd coming to spot and shooting for the cup minutes later, which he delivered in style.

One down - three to go?

With the resilience shown by Rangers these past seven days at home and in Europe , it would foollish to rule out more trophies heading to West End of Glasgow.