Keeper Smith Rangers’ hero in penalty shoot-out

Rangers 0 Feyenoord 0 (Rangers win 8-7 on penalties)

Smith saved from Gianni Zuiverloon to give Stephen Hughes the chance to win the game, an opportunity the Scotland U-21 international accepted.

Rangers only got as far as the shoot-out thanks to poor finishing from Feyenoord - Salomon Kalou was the worst offender - and excellent work from Smith, who is behind captain Stefan Klos and Allan McGregor in the Ibrox pecking order.

Meanwhile, Alex McLeish responded to Bobby Robson’s criticisms of the Rangers supporters by describing the thousands of Ibrox fans who made the journey to Tyneside this weekend as “phenomenal”. Robson took Alan Shearer off during Saturday’s 4-2 win for Newcastle over Rangers because he was unhappy with the “filthy” chants the former England captain was subjected to after his challenge on Jean-Alain Boumsong.

However, McLeish leapt to the defence of the Rangers fans. : “I think the Rangers fans have been phenomenal. They’ve made this tournament. I think Shearer will get taken off a lot this season. The Rangers fans have been a credit to the club this weekend.”

McLeish would not be drawn into commenting on allegations that Feyenoord’s Sebastian Pardo had spat on Rangers striker Ross McCormack.

But the Rotterdammers manager Ruud Gullit said “I haven’t seen this, but if that happened I apologise on behalf of Feyenoord.”

Rangers director of football business Martin Bain believes Robson will find himself at odds with the Newcastle boardroom again over his comments about Ibrox fans.