GLASGOW (AFP) - Rangers destroyed Dundee United's trophy dreams by twice coming from behind before winning the Scottish League Cup 3-2 on penalties at Hampden on Sunday.

Spotkicks were required after the sides were locked together at 2-2 after extra time.

Kris Boyd was the Ibrox side's hero, coming off the substitute's bench to twice level and then score the winning penalty to give them their 25th victory in the tournament.

However, there were only tears for United.

The Tannadice team had led first through Irish forward Noel Hunt in the first half and then from Surinam-born Dutch striker Mark De Vries' goal in the first period of extra time.

But their dreams of winning a major trophy for the first time since they beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final in 1994 - and for terminally ill chairman Eddie Thomson - were left in tatters.

Rangers manager Walter Smith was delighted the Ibrox club had lifted their first trophy since their Scottish Premier League success in May 2005.

He said: "It was an excellent final and United contributed to that. They were the better side in the first half, we were the better in the second, and extra time just went in so quickly.

"Losing on penalties is a hard way to lose but it was a great way to win and it's a relief to lift a trophy after a bit of a gap."

Dundee United's manager Craig Levein was shell-shocked by the result but proud of his players' efforts.

He said: "I feel as if I've went 15 rounds with Muhammed Ali and it's hard to believe we've put in such a good performance and still lost the match.

"I thought we were in the ascendancy before we lost both goals.

"It was our best performance of the season, we never stopped running and all the players are devastated."

Dundee United had shocked the Glasgow giants by taking the lead in the 34th minute.

A flick by De Vries found Hunt on the edge of the penalty area and he smashed a right-foot shot towards goal which required Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor to palm back out.

The rebound fell to United's Ghanaian midfielder Prince Buaben and he squared for Hunt at the back post who knocked the ball past McGregor before bundling it over the line under pressure from Steven Davis.

It looked as if United would hold on to lift the trophy but a moment of madness gifted Rangers the equaliser in the 85th minute.

Mark Kerr inexplicably tried to play the ball back to his goalkeeper and instead rolled it into the path of Boyd, who had came off the substitute's bench in the 61st minute to replace Bosnian defender Papac, and he gratefully slotted it past helpless Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska.

Dundee United restored their lead in the sixth minute of extra time.

Substitute Craig Conway crossed for Prince Buaben who controlled the ball before sliding it into the path of De Vries and he took a touch before rifling an unstoppable shot beyond McGregor from 16-yards.

But poor defending from United handed Rangers a second leveller in the 112th minute.

A long throw in from Kirk Broadfoot was fumbled by goalkeeper Zaluska, and when the ball landed at the feet of Davis he chipped the ball to the back post where Boyd rose to nod over the line.

Willo Flood and De Vries scored from the spot for United but misses from Conway, David Robertson and Lee Wilkie meant Rangers lifted the trophy - despite misses from Darcheville and Lee McCulloch - with Steven Whittaker, Davis and Boyd converting from 12-yards.