Andrew Dickson reports from Firhill

RANGERS' dream of an eighth treble is alive and well after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Partick Thistle took them into the Scottish Cup semi-finals.

First-half goals from Nacho Novo and Chris Burke gave the Light Blues a lead in their replay with the First Division outfit.

Although Walter Smith's men never increased it in the second period, they eased themselves into the next round without too much trouble.

Gers now go on to face St Johnstone in the last four at Hampden next Sunday, with another lower-league side - Queen of the South - awaiting the winners in the final.

With the CIS Cup already secured and the team holding a good lead in the SPL, hopes of a first clean sweep domestically since 2003 are high.

As more big matches against the likes of Celtic and Fiorentina are coming up, manager Smith was expected to rotate his squad for this game.

Such enough, he made seven changes to the side which started Thursday's superb 2-0 UEFA Cup win over Sporting at the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon.

The most notable alteration involved Stevie Smith, who was included in the first XI for the first time in almost 16 months after a long-term pelvic injury.

Steven Whittaker, David Weir, Burke, Kris Boyd, Novo and Stevie Naismith also come in with Barry Ferguson and Lee McCulloch dropping to the bench.

Sasa Papac, Steven Davis, Brahim Hemdani and Jean-Claude Darcheville were also rested while Kirk Broadfoot missed out through suspension.

On a truly awful playing surface, Rangers enjoyed most of the early possession and they looked determined to make up for last month's initial 1-1 draw with Thistle.

But having played on the pitch all season, the hosts adapted to it well and Allan McGregor blocked David Rowson before Marc Twaddle steered past the post.

Back came Gers and Kevin Thomson had a great free kick tipped away after Boyd was fouled by Willie Kinniburgh then Christian Dailly's header was saved on the line.

Carlos Cuellar also went close when Burke swung in a set-piece but he nodded a foot over Partick goalkeeper Jonathan Tuffey's crossbar.

Boyd found the target with a smart snap-shot but although they were having the better chances, the Light Blues couldn't make any of them count at first.

They were getting closer to breaking the deadlock, though, and when Burke came forward on the right after 26 minutes, he set up the opener.

His low, teasing cross was the type teams hate trying to defend and sure enough, Novo met it first to tap in the opener from close range.

Armed with the initiative, Gers set about trying to extend their lead and Naismith put a good Novo cross two yards wide.

But Simon Donnelly almost drew Ian McCall's men level with a good effort, only to find McGregor equal to the task with a great reaction stop.

Within seconds, the visitors made their opponents pay for that miss as they went 2-0 up through Burke.

Novo's deep cross from the left was nodded back into the danger zone by Boyd on the touchline beyond the back post.

And winger Burke was there to put in his fourth goal of the season with an intelligently-placed looping header over the keeper.

Boyd nearly added a third before the break but Tuffey saved well and Naismith sliced high and wide moments prior to the half-time whistle.

Partick had a chance to pull one back three minutes after the restart when linesman Steve Pullar flagged for a foul by Weir on Mark Roberts.

But when Donnelly stepped up to take the kick, he pulled it wide of McGregor's right-hand post with the keeper diving the right way.

Rangers tried to put the result beyond any doubt, with Boyd almost latching on to Thomson's raking ball to the back post and Burke lifting over the upright.

Boyd then had a fierce shot charged down and saw a penalty claim of his own waved away by referee Iain Brines before Cuellar nodded over again.

Donnelly, who had never scored against Rangers before, clearly wasn't destined to start as he clipped the bar with a shot on its way behind.

The Firhill men were trying to make a game of it and Scott Chaplain drove across goal and just wide with time starting to get the better of his team.

They never came close to breaching the away defence and it was Rangers who had the final chance of the game.

Brines gave another penalty when Kinniburgh fouled Burke but when substitute Daniel Cousin stepped up to take it, Tuffey held the ball under his body on the line.

PARTICK: Tuffey, Storey (Murray 84), Twaddle, Donnelly (McKinlay 64), Robertson, Kinniburgh, Chaplain, Rowson, Gray, Roberts (Keegan 87), Harkins.

Subs not used: Hinchcliffe, McStay.

RANGERS: McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Cuellar, Smith; Burke, Dailly, Thomson, Naismith; Novo (McCulloch 76), Boyd (Cousin 84).

Subs not used: Alexander, Ferguson, Furman,

Referee: Iain Brines.