GLASGOW (AFP) - Rangers booked their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory away to Partick Thistle in a quarter-final replay on Sunday.

Goals from Nacho Novo and Chris Burke ensured the Jags were unable to repeat their success in the first tie when they held Rangers to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox.

And Rangers will now be massive favourites to win the competition with two First Division sides standing in their way.

St Johnstone will be their opponents in next Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final and the winner of that match will face Queen of the South in the final on May 24.

After booking a place in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, with a 2-0 win away to Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, Rangers manager Walter Smith had made seven changes.

And his assistant, Ally McCoist, was delighted the club's fringe players at the club had secured another semi-final appearance.

He said: "In these kind of games the result is everything and the performance is secondary. You are always worried coming to places like Firhill but I think over the piece we deserved to win.

"It's great that we have a big squad of good players to choose from. Gone are the days when you win leagues and cups with a squad of 12 or 13 players.

"You need a big squad and today was an opportunity for some of the lads to come in and prove what they can do and I thought they did very well.

"We've given ourselves a chance of winning the Scottish Cup as we're still in the competition but we'll have a hard game in the semi finals against St Johnstone."

It was two of Rangers fringe players handed rare starts that put them in the driving seat by half time.

In the 27th minute Burke's cross from the right wing found Spanish striker Novo at the front post and he side-footed the ball home from six-yards.

The roles were reversed in the 40th minute for Rangers to double their advantage.

This time it was Novo who crossed and Kris Boyd nodded the ball back across goal for Burke - the smallest man on the pitch - to score with a rare header.

Boyd almost got on the scoresheet with a header which forced Partick goalkeeper Jonathan Tuffey to make a fine save.

Partick Thistle were handed a golden opportunity to bring themselves back into the game early in the second half.

Referee Iain Brines adjudged Rangers defender David Weir had fouled Mark Roberts in the penalty area and pointed to the spot.

Former Celtic striker Simon Donnelly stepped up but his right-foot effort flew wide of the post in the 48th minute.

Donnelly again wasted a glorious chance in the 60th minute when his shot from close range beat Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor only to rebound off the crossbar.

Rangers missed a spot-kick of their own in the closing stages with Gabon international striker Daniel Cousin's effort saved by Tuffey.

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall thought his side had played well enough to at least take the game to extra time.

He said: "We had six or seven clear opportunities to score and didn't take them. When we missed the penalty I thought it wasn't going to be our day but I'm proud of the way the team played.

"On the day Rangers took their chances and we didn't. We needed a bit of luck but we should have been able to take the match to extra-time with the chances we had."