|
Queen Of The South
2 - 2
|
18/09/2012
|
Queen of the South were victorious at Ibrox for the first time since 1948 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win saw them defeat Rangers in the Third Round of the Ramsdens Cup.
The Doonhamers won out 4-3 on penalties after a hard-fought and at times frenetic 2-2 draw. Nicky Clark opened the scoring after half-time and Barrie McKay equalised before Lee McCulloch converted a penalty.
Queens left it late to equalise as Gavin Reilly pounced in injury-time to score his sixth goal in three matches. There were also two dismissals as Rangers? Kevin Kyle and Queens? Willie Gibson saw red.
The match began with the home side dominating possession and Queens pressing hard. The first chance of note fell to Rangers? Barrie McKay stealing onto a short Kevin Holt backpass but Lee Robinson was equal to the tame effort.
After weathering the early storm the away side began to grow in confidence and began to test Neil Alexander in the Rangers goal. First Chris Mitchell had a fierce half-volley from range tipped over and then Dan Carmichael also had his long-range effort touched over the crossbar.
With the half wearing on neither side were able to create any real goalscoring chances and the home support were starting to get restless. Boos rang out as the referee blew for half-time as the fans showed their displeasure at the Rangers performance.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Nicky Clark headed the opener just minutes into the second half. Willie Gibson was the architect as he turned inside Anestis Argyriou and delivered a fine cross to allow Clark to find the bottom corner and send the Doonhamers fans crazy with delight.
Nicky Clark opens the scoring
Celebration time for Nicky
The goal seemed to spur on both sets of players as Clark had another effort saved by Neil Alexander and Lee McCulloch had an effort deflected into the side-netting from inside the area.
The equaliser came from the resulting corner as Queens struggled to clear from inside the six-yard- box and Barrie McKay bundled home from under the crossbar.
Rangers began to really test the away defence with Dean Shiels bringing a save out of Lee Robinson before substitute Kevin Kyle powered a header just wide of the post.
The big man from Stranraer was putting his weight about as he gave Higgins and Durnan something else to think about after Francisco Sandaza?s anonymous performance. However, his night only lasted ten minutes as the referee gave him two yellow cards in the space of four minutes to send Rangers down to ten men with twenty-five minutes left on the clock.
Rangers were still posing a threat up-front as Lewis McLeod brought a good stop out of Robinson before Chris Higgins gave away a penalty. Lee McCulloch stepped up and sent Robinson the wrong way to give Rangers the lead.
The ten-men looked to try and hang on to their lead from that point as they setup with two banks of four and McKay up front on his own. Queens started to get a hold of the ball and put the Rangers defence under much more pressure.
The pressure began to tell as Mark Durnan?s header smacked off the top of the post. Chris Mitchell swung in a free-kick from a wide position and Durnan rose above his marker but the woodwork denied him. With time running out it looked like it wasn?t to be Queen of the South?s night as Willie Gibson was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge in stoppage time.
Queens? unbeaten start to the season was coming to an end but there was still a couple of minutes to play and Gavin Reilly had other ideas. The Rangers defence went to sleep as Chris Mitchell played the ball to Nicky Clark who was free inside the Rangers box. Instead of shooting himself he decided to play the ball on a plate for his strike partner Reilly to slide in at the back post. There must only have been seconds left but Allan Johnston?s boys were level and the game headed into extra-time.
Gavin gets on the end of Nicky Clark`s ball and slips it home to equalise
Celebrations in the corner again
Despite the lateness of the goal Rangers came out punching after the restart and Lee Robinson was in action twice within the first few minutes of extra-time. The Queens ?keeper was beaten five minutes later though as Lee McCulloch leapt above everyone else to send a header towards the bottom corner where Derek Young was waiting to save a certain goal.
Dean Shiels then missed a huge chance for the Glasgow side as he pounced onto a rebound following a Lee Wallace shot. Robinson did well to stop the first effort from Wallace but he couldn?t hold it and Shiels had the opportunity to put his side back in front as the goal gaped but he blazed wide from an angle and Queens could breathe again.
The second half of extra time saw both teams visibly tire after over 105 minutes of play and neither side could put much together in an attacking sense. Both teams were settling for penalties although there was still time for a final Queens chance.
Nicky Clark kept the ball in play and knocked it over the Rangers defence as Dan Orsi chased it down. He beat the defender to the ball and raced clear but Alexander was equal to Orsi?s effort and saved with his feet. Durnan headed the resulting corner wide and the referee blew for full-time and the prospect of a penalty shoot-out.
Rangers? McCulloch was first up and the ex-Scotland international made no mistake as he found the top corner. Derek Lyle was first up for the away side. He decided to go for power and lost some of the direction as the ball rattled the crossbar. Queens would have been up against it if not for Lee Robinson taking his tally of penalty saves this season to three as he stopped Dean Shiels spot-kick.
Robinson makes the crucial save
Nicky Clark proceeded to score his as did Kal Naismith, Derek Young, Ian Black and Gavin Reilly to bring the score to 3-3 after four penalties each. Anestis Argyriou stepped up to take Rangers? fifth spot-kick and the Greek couldn?t keep his composure as the ball rebounded of the post to give Ryan McGuffie the chance to send Queens through. The big defender smashed it home and sent the travelling fans delirious.
Ryan scores the decisive penalty
And the fans celebrate a memorable victory