Super Novo destroys Red Star

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Rangers struggled to keep possession all night and did not get a single effort on goal in the first half.

Red Star continued to frustrate the Gers but Novo latched on to an Allan McGregor kick to slot home an unlikely last-minute winner.

Walter Smith's men will now be hopeful of finishing the job at Belgrade's imposing Marakana stadium in a fortnight's time with those 90 minutes in Serbia all that stands between them and a £10million jackpot.

Red Star provided a far stiffer challenge than the statistics suggested they would. Apparently in turmoil following the sacking of coach Bosko Djurovski last week - he was promptly replaced by former boss Milorad Kosanovic - they had scraped past Estonians Levadia Tallinn on away goals in the last round.

Rangers' Kris Boyd eventually paid for his profligacy in front of goal with his place in the team. The striker - who has failed to hit the target this season - watched from the bench as the responsibility of sole striker went to Jean-Claude Darcheville.

It was a role the burly striker relished early on and he embarked on a powerful run down the left flank, swatting aside defenders like flies, but was denied the sight of the net bulging when his angled drive cannoned off the body of Dorde Tutoric.

The crowd of 35, 364 were growing increasingly restless but perked up at the sight of Novo and Daniel Cousin limbering up on the sidelines with 25 minutes to go. DaMarcus Beasley and Darcheville were sacrificed for the duo, who had already bagged a goal apiece in the SPL this season.

Cousin, signed from Lens last week, proved to be an instant handful and Gueye Ibrahim was called into action to guide his opportunistic effort from the edge of the box out of play with his head, before the striker rifled inches over moments later.

Instead it was Novo who proved to be Rangers' savour, grabbing the only goal of the game in the final minute. A long ball from McGregor was knocked into the path of the Spanish hitman by McCulloch and Novo rattled into the net with relish to send Ibrox into raptures.