Shiels treble sends Rangers into last eight

Dean Shiels grabbed a hat-trick as Rangers booked their place in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a 4-0 thrashing of Dunfermline at Ibrox on Friday.

The fallen Glasgow giants were far too strong for their League One rivals and can now look forward to a first appearance in the last eight of the competition since 2010.

Shiels took just eight minutes to break the deadlock as he capitalised on some poor defending to fire past Ryan Scully.

The Northern Ireland international added a second in the 24th minute before a superb solo goal from David Templeton made it 3-0 eight minutes before the break.

Shiels, who has had a torrid time with injuries this season, claimed his hat-trick two minutes into the second half for his seventh goal of the season.

With the Gers languishing in League One as they continue their journey back to the top of Scottish football, the Scottish Cup represents the only chance for Ally McCoist`s side to shine at the highest level this season as they attempt to win their first major trophy since 2011.

They could be joined in the draw for the quarter-finals by Glasgow rivals Celtic, who take on Aberdeen at Parkhead on Saturday.

"I thought it was a great 90 minutes and we were solid throughout the match," McCoist said. "There were some terrific individual performances but overall we were really delighted with the team."

Shiels had already tested Scully with an early long range effort before he opened the scoring in the eighth minute following a defensive mistake.

Ryan Williamson dithered as he attempted to clear Templeton`s clever back-heel pass into the box and Shiels nicked the ball off his foot to rifle a low shot past Scully.

The Northern Irishman then had a penalty appeal turned down before he grabbed his, and Rangers`, second of the night.

Fraser Aird dinked a cross into the box with the outside of his foot for Jon Daly to bullet a header towards goal.

Scully saved it but could push into the path of Shiels, who fired it beyond the `keeper.

Rangers are 23 points clear of Dunfermline at the top of League One and their superiority showed when Templeton scored a superb solo goal to make it 3-0 in the 37th minute.

The Scottish winger slalomed around a couple of defenders before sending an angled shot past Scully from just inside the box

Any hope Dunfermline had of a comeback was killed off just two minutes after the break when Shiels grabbed his hat-trick.

Lee Wallace saw his shot blocked by Scully but the rebound fell to Shiels who had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball into the empty net.