JAMES TAVERNIER rued the 'criminal' defending that played a part in Rangers' Scottish Cup downfall as St Johnstone earned a shock Ibrox win on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard's side saw their dreams of a double this term end in a nightmare finale as the Saints scored a last-minute equaliser and then emerge victorious on penalties.

Tavernier looked to have earned the champions a semi-final spot four minutes from the end of extra time but Chris Kane scored after keeper Zander Clark got his head to a corner.

 

 

Clark saved from Tavernier and Kemar Roofe in the shoot-out as Rangers' silverware ambitions were brought to a premature and unexpected end.

Tavernier told RangersTV: "Just really disappointed. You know, it is hard to take.

"A game like that, we create really good chances, probably about five or six, and didn’t put them in and then go 1-0 up and concede in the last minute.

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"Not seeing out the game can bite you back and it did. Disappointed a bit in myself that I didn’t put my pen away, but during the game we have got to see the game out.

"Throughout the season, a lot of the success has been seeing out the games when we have been to places and only been up a goal.

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"We have seen out the games and built the season off that. The past two games against St Johnstone we haven’t done that and it is something we have to learn and get back to winning games.

 

 

"We put ourselves in a great position to get into the semi-final. It is not just from the corner, it is how it started up the pitch losing it and then allowing them to get all that way, allowing them to get the corner and then the keeper gets a free header.

"He is six foot odd and it is criminal from ourselves to allow that. We have to really look at ourselves and analyse it.

"But we have got to pick ourselves up now for the Old Firm next weekend and finish the season strong."