ANDY Halliday, the Rangers midfielder, believes beating Hibs to win the William Hill Scottish Cup next month and qualifying for Europe for the first time in four years will cap a "perfect" season for the Ibrox club.
Halliday was outstanding on his Old Firm debut against Celtic at Hampden on Sunday as Rangers ran out 5-4 winners in the first penalty shoot-out ever between the Glasgow rivals in a major competition.
The dramatic victory set up a meeting with fellow Championship outfit Hibs at the National Stadium on May 21. Victory over the Easter Road club will complete an unprecedented treble and secure a place in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
Read more: Rangers' Halliday enjoys last laugh in Old Firm face off with Celtic skipper Brown
“When we won the league we said it was a good season,” said Halliday “Going into the Petrofac game we said it is the difference between a good season and a great season. Going into the Celtic game we said it was the difference between a great season and a magnificent season.
“If we win the Scottish Cup and get into Europe, it is a perfect season. It can’t get much better than that. It just shows how far the squad, the staff, the fans have come. People say the journey is ending, but really it is just beginning and it shows how far the club has come in the last twelve months.”
Meanwhile, Halliday has insisted the outcome of the final Rangers league game against Hibs of the 2015/16 campaign at Easter Road this evening will have no bearing on their meeting in the cup final next month.
Alan Stubbs' charges clinched a place in the final on Saturday when they defeated Dundee United in a penalty shoot-out after they had finished tied 0-0 with their Premiership rivals after 120 minutes.
“We have pipped Hibs to the league and managed to win it with a few games to spare, but I don’t think the season and game is a marker going into the Scottish Cup final,” said Halliday.
“It is a one off cup game, it is a massive occasion and you see cup shocks all over the world. We are going to go in as favourites, and rightly so after winning the league, but Hibs are a very good team and anything can happen on the day. There is a massive prize at stake.
“It just shows you the standard of the Championship this year. People have said whatever they like about it, but we know Hibs are a good team.
Read more: Dave King says he didn't expect Rangers to beat Celtic
“They got to the League Cup final, they are going for promotion and they have got to the Scottish Cup final. Hibs haven’t got anywhere near enough credit as they should have this year. They have had a fantastic season.”
Elsewhere, Halliday has expressed hope that having a three week break between their final Championship game against St. Mirren and the Scottish Cup final with Hibs, who will be involved in the Premiership play-off matches, will work to their advantage.
“Look at the play-off final last year,” he said. “Motherwell had a break before playing Rangers and they looked the fresher team (in the play-off final which they won 6-1 on aggregate). It can work both ways and we will need to see how it goes.”
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