Rangers' eyes on Parma Minds elsewhere but Haka are easily beaten to set up showdown with Italians

Rangers appeared to have their minds already on Parma as they moved comfortably through to that much more formidable barrier to their progress towards the European Champions' League last night against FC Haka of Finland.

This victory was expected and those who thought that the Scottish champions would score even more goals than they did in the first leg last week were not listening to the words of warning from coach Dick Advocaat beforehand. The shrewd Dutchman had recognised that Haka would come to Ibrox and look for respectability and even an avoidance of embarrassment - and he was right.

That was all the Finns looked for last night with the tie already beyond them after Rangers' 4-1 victory last week.

Even Haka's English coach, Keith Armstrong, had not been able to put up a viable case for the Finnish champions before the game. This was always going to be a damage limitation exercise for Haka and they achieved that as Rangers scored three goals - had three more disallowed for offside, all correctly so - and had a clutch of other goal efforts saved or cleared by desperate Finnish defending.

Rangers took few chances. They looked nervous on occasions at the back and these moments of hesitation must be eliminated before they face Parma next week. However, in general, there was an innate professionalism about the Ibrox play that was shown last week and then repeated last night.

A 7-1 aggregate score is impressive in any European language and there were individual performances that must have delighted Advocaat.

Barry Ferguson seems to grow game by game and last night he was able to control the midfield area, tackling, passing, and running with the ball as if he could vary his game to whatever task was placed before him. It was impressive to see the sole Scot in the starting line-up match up against his higher-priced and higher-rated foreign team-mates.

There is hope, after all, for our own native-bred game when you watch this young man.

There was an unusually nervous start from Rangers considering they were 4-1 ahead from the first leg of this second qualifying round match for the European Champions' League. That first match in Finland had given the Scottish champions an unassailable lead, but their own fans had turned out in numbers to see them finish off the opposition from FC Haka in style.

That was never going to be as simple as it appeared, as Advocaat had indicated 24 hours earlier, although they quickly had the ball in the net after having an obviously offside Michael Mols strike disallowed.

Yet it took only 14 minutes before Rangers did score. The move began deep in their own half in the right-back position when Craig Moore had been fouled but recovered to play the ball forward as the Polish referee waved play on. The Ibrox players reacted in the right way, thrusting deep into the Haka half of the field, where played the ball to Ferguson.

The young Scot opened things up for Rod Wallace, who scored with a shot that left the Finnish goalkeeper with no chance of reaching the ball.

From then on, with a few lapses, it was Rangers who dictated play, as had been expected. In 27 minutes, Jorg Albertz sent Mols clear and the striker's shot was stopped by Vilnrotter's feet.

Then, just a minute later, Rangers scored a second goal. Giovanni van Bronckhorst swung in a corner, Moore headed the ball on into the goalmouth, and Jonatan Johansson was at the far post to head the ball over the line.

Before half-time, Mols set up Albertz, who drilled a shot wide from 10 yards when he might have scored, and then Wallace had the ball in the net only to be given offside - correctly - by the referee.

Tony Vidmar replaced Arthur Numan in 39 minutes and then, at the start of the second half, Gabriel Amato replaced Mols.

Oleg Ivanov struck the post with a long-range drive just to remind Rangers that Haka remained in the game to some extent. However, soon Rangers were back dictating the flow of the game.

In 56 minutes, a cross from Vidmar caused danger that was stopped only when Karjalainen cleared an Amato effort from the line. Soon afterwards, it was the Argentinian's turn again and this time Vilnrotter stopped his try with his outstretched legs.

Even so, the striker was not to be denied. In the sixty-sixth minute, a cross from Dariusz Adamczuk on the right had the Haka defence in bother and Amato rose to power a header into goal.

Barry Nicholson appeared in place of Barry Ferguson following that as Rangers coasted towards the victory that had always been predicted.

Rangers - Klos, Adamczuk, Amoruso, Moore, Numan, B Ferguson, Van Bronckhorst, Albertz, Mols, Wallace, Johansson. Substitutes - Amato, Niemi, Nicholson, Vidmar, Wilson.

FC Haka - Vilnrotter, Pentilla, Karjalainen, Rasanen, Ivanov, Reynders, Rantala, Wilson, Okkonen, Popvitch, Niemi. Substitutes - Toivonen, Salli, Nyysonen, Torkkeli, Savolainen, Pasanten.

Referee - Lubomir Pucek (Poland).

qPaulo Wanchope's lone first-half strike - his second on the trot for his new club - propelled West Ham United into an InterToto Cup final showdown with French club Metz after a 2-0 aggregate victory over Heerenveen.

Harry Redknapp's men now face Metz in the first leg of their final on Tuesday at Upton Park with the UEFA Cup berth on the line, the French club drawing last night 1-1 with Polonia Warsaw to clinch a 6-2 win on aggregate and earn a place in the next stage.