Blue Grit

[ian1964 10,415]

By Andrew Dickson

 

KYLE LAFFERTY hailed Rangers' character after they bounced back from Wednesday's loss to Inverness in style with a 5-1 thrashing of Hamilton.

 

Ally McCoist said in midweek that the heart his team had after it famously lost 1-0 to Accies in 1987 was clear as it scored a quintet of goals the next week at Hearts.

 

Kyle Lafferty celebrates with Kenny MillerToday the same thing happened as Gers mustered a perfect response to the shock defeat against Caley Jags with a similar performance.

 

Lafferty scored twice, taking his goals tally for the season to seven, as the hosts clinched a Scottish Cup semi-final place against St Mirren.

 

And he was a happy man afterwards as he relived a performance which made Rangers'; critics step back a little.

 

Lafferty said: "I think everyone knew that what happened in midweek was a one-off. We didn't really perform on Wednesday and had to improve.

 

"We went out today in the right manner, passed the ball about really well and worked our socks off when we weren't in possession.

 

"We got the rewards we deserved for that. Football is about character and how much heart you have and we showed we have plenty of it.

 

"This is a big club and everyone here wants to go out and do well so if we keep delivering the football we can, we'll go out there and win games."

 

Lafferty has been on the receiving end of stinging criticism as some fail to take the fact he's still just 21 and relatively inexperienced into account.

 

Kyle Lafferty scores his second in the 5-1 win over HamiltonBut he insists all he is concentrating on is football and he hopes his double this afternoon is enough to earn him a place in the starting line-up for the League Cup final.

 

Rangers play Celtic for that trophy next weekend at Hampden and the former Burnley man must be in with a shout of playing after a decent performance.

 

Lafferty added: "I just ignore everything that is said about me because all I want to do is go out there, play football and do well for the team.

 

"I'd like to think that I did that today. I thought I did all right and I got two goals so I'm delighted about that.

 

"Hopefully I've done enough to keep my place for the cup final. Strikers are judged on goals so it would be good if mine have been enough to get me a game next Sunday."