Beasley bags late goal to see assured Rangers safely through

Champions League/Zeta 0 Rangers1 (Rangers win 3-0 on aggregate):DaMarcus Beasley's late goal capped an assured performance from Rangers in Podgorica which carried them through to the third qualifying round of the Champions League last night.

The American lashed a 20-yard shot past FK Zeta goalkeeper Sasa Ivanovic in the 81st minute to extend Rangers' aggregate lead to 3-0. Beasley and team-mate Jean-Claude Darcheville had earlier experienced some racist taunting from the home crowd on a night which was otherwise apparently trouble-free for Rangers.

Kris Boyd started on the bench for Rangers as they looked to protect a 2-0 first-leg lead. The striker was struggling with an ankle injury ahead of the game, with Darcheville fielded as the only striker, with Lee McCulloch and Beasley for support.

Zeta approached the match at the Gradski Stadium - not their regular home, but chosen to accommodate the largest crowd - with the conviction that Rangers' lead could be overturned. After a quiet start, the first threat came from Slaven Stjepanovic down the left, but Kirk Broadfoot dealt well with the danger. McCulloch shot well wide from 25 yards in the ninth minute, before Beasley shot just wide from 20 yards.

Miroslav Kaludjerovic made a last-ditch challenge to deny Darcheville as the Frenchman threatened just before the break.

Zarko Korac wasted a decent chance to halve Rangers' lead when he headed over the bar from eight yards. Allan McGregor then punched a clearance after Ivanovic threatened to get on the end of a long pass over the top. Ivanovic went down and the crowd briefly demanded a penalty, but Italian referee Paolo Dondarini saw nothing wrong.

Zeta might have had a penalty in the 75th minute when Stjepanovic went down under the challenge of Broadfoot. He looked to have been caught but he protested too vigorously for the referee, and was booked.

Beasley netted the only goal in the 81st minute, darting in off the left flank and drilling a low right-footed shot inside the left post. Zeta's flapping goalkeeper Ivanovic dropped a Barry Ferguson cross as Rangers pushed for another goal, before Nacho Novo sliced a shot wide. Substitute Charlie Adam slashed another shot off target, but Rangers cruised to the final whistle.

ZETA:Sasa Ivanovic, Igumanovic, Radulovic,Miroslav Kaludjerovic, Bojan Ivanovic (Boljevic 70), Markovic,Cetkovic, Tumbasovic (Vuckovic 84), Djurovic (Knezevic 56), Stjepanovic, Korac.Subs Not Used:Mustur, Marinkovic, Vladen Pelicic,Zarija Pelicic. Booked:Igumanovic, Djurovic, Stjepanovic.

RANGERS:McGregor, Broadfoot, Weir, Papac, Cuellar, Ferguson,Hemdani, Thomson (Adam 87), Beasley, McCulloch, Darcheville (Novo 61). Subs Not Used:Carroll, Boyd, Gow, Murray, Sebo. Booked:Broadfoot. Goal: Beasley 81.

Referee: Paolo Dondarini(Italy).