Cyriel Dessers scored a landmark 50th Rangers goal as the Light Blues beat Dundee United 3-1 in their final home Premiership game of the season.

Amid thousands of empty Ibrox seats, defender Sam Cleall-Harding headed the Taysiders in front after 21 minutes before Dessers equalised with a header five minutes later.

Dessers slotted in a penalty in the 73rd minute for his 28th goal of the season, taking his tally to the half-century since signing for Rangers from Cremonese two seasons ago, before midfielder Nicolas Raskin soon added a third.

The defeat left United still in fifth spot and looking to clinch a European spot in their last game at home to fourth-placed Aberdeen on Saturday.

It could have also been the final home match for Barry Ferguson, the former Rangers captain who took over as boss in February until the end of the season.

Back-to-back Ibrox wins

Despite reaching the Europa League quarter-finals where they lost to Athletic Bilbao, it has been another wretched and trophyless domestic season for Rangers, who are in the midst of an impending takeover bid from an American consortium of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises.

Speculation about 35-year-old Davide Ancelotti – assistant to and son of Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has recently agreed to leave Real Madrid for Brazil – being appointed as the next Rangers boss has been gathering pace over the past 48 hours.

Second-placed Rangers finish the season away to Hibernian on Saturday and thereafter another rebuilding programme will take place as the club look to close the gap behind champions Celtic who are chasing their sixth domestic treble in nine years.

There was a real end-of-season feel to the game.

Jack Butland’s return in goal could have been interpreted as a goodbye appearance, having lost his place to Liam Kelly last month, while striker Hamza Igamane took over from Nedim Bajrami.

United boss Jim Goodwin made four changes with goalkeeper David Richards making his first league start and Cleall-Harding, Allan Campbell and Kai Fotheringham also coming in.

In the 14th minute of a low-key start, Igamane directed a header from 14 yards wide of the far post, the first real attempt on goal.

Butland then made a decent save from Glenn Middleton’s drive from the same distance before a better stop from striker Sam Dalby prevented the opener.

However, United’s breakthrough was delayed only a matter of seconds as 19-year-old Cleall-Harding leapt alone in the six-yard box to head in a Ryan Strain corner.

Dessers then headed in from a Jefte cross to level.

In the 55th minute the striker nicked the ball off hesitant Richards inside the box but was unable to finish, with Will Ferry clearing the danger.

Dessers went down in the box under pressure from United defender Declan Gallagher but referee Calum Scott ignored weak penalty claims, as he did when Vicko Sevelj challenged midfielder Mohamed Diomande inside the box.

However, the VAR sent Scott to the pitchside monitor and he pointed to the spot and Dessers, taking over penalty duties from skipper James Tavernier, sent Richards the wrong way.

Two minutes later winger Vaclav Cerny slipped in Raskin and he slammed a drive high past Richards to clinch the points.

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