Stokes nets hat-trick as Celtic progress

Soccer: A hat-trick from Irish striker Anthony Stokes helped Celtic join Rangers in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup as they…

Soccer:A hat-trick from Irish striker Anthony Stokes helped Celtic join Rangers in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup as they overcame a stubborn Peterhead 3-0 at Balmoor. The Hoops had struggled to break down a well-organised Peterhead defence before the Stokes slotted the ball home eight minutes before the break.

The Irishman drilled home a second after 57 minutes after linking up with Emilio Izaguirre before netting a third in the closing stages to end any hopes of a Blue Toon comeback.

Meanwhile Salim Kerkar claimed his first competitive goal for Rangers as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Arbroath. An own-goal by Craig Wedderburn was sandwiched between strikes from David Healy and Nikica Jelavic before Kerkar sealed the win late on at Gayfield.

Rangers crashed to defeat to Falkirk in the League Cup earlier in the season but ensured there would be no shocks against their Second Division opponents on this occasion.