RANGERS sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Partick Thistle at Ibrox this afternoon.
The Light Blues fell behind in the first half when Kevin Holt dispatched from the penalty spot for Ian McCall’s men, before the Gers quickly levelled minutes into the second period when Antonio Colak headed past Jamie Sneddon.
There was drama midway through the second half when the two sides traded goals after Malik Tillman was accused of acting unsportsmanlike when putting Rangers in front.
However, the home side showed their resolve to find the winning goal in the dying embers of the match as Connor McAvoy headed into his own net to confirm the Gers’ place in tomorrow’s draw for the last eight.
Michael Beale named seven changes to his Rangers side for the visit of the Jags, which included a first start for Nicolas Raskin since joining the club and a first start for Ianis Hagi in his return from injury.
Rangers took to the pitch sporting black armbands in memory of those who have died in the tragic earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria. We also remembered Billy Thomson and John Macmillan who passed away last week.
There was early encouragement for the Light Blues in the contest as they monopolised possession in the opening exchanges. A neat move on the edge of the penalty area allowed Borna Barisic to overlap down the left, driving a dangerous cross to the front post that required Aaron Muirhead to turn the ball away for a corner.
Malik Tillman displayed tremendous footwork to get himself to the byline on 16 minutes, but his resulting cut-back could not be steered towards goal by Hagi who had done well to manufacture space inside the danger area.
The home side went close from a corner just moments later as Ben Davies headed over from an outswinging James Tavernier delivery.
Crosses looked Rangers’ most likely route to goal in the opening exchanges, with Hagi going close from directing Todd Cantwell’s floated delivery towards goal but he could only steer his header wide from 15 yards out.
However, the visitors threatened with a sequence of chances on the half-hour mark. Allan McGregor was forced to turn away Kyle Turner’s clever free-kick before reacting superbly to deny Scott Tiffoney after Brian Graham was allowed to take the ball down inside the penalty area and tee up the Jags winger.
In the meantime, the Light Blues were dealt a blow when Thistle were awarded a penalty following a VAR intervention. Kevin Holt – whose header was adjudged to have struck Antonio Colak’s arm from a deep corner – stepped up and dispatched his spot-kick into the bottom corner to give the away side the lead.
Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe were summoned from the substitutes bench at the interval as Beale looked to inject energy into his side in the second half.
The latter was immediately involved in the action, rising highest in the penalty area as he aimed to meet Barisic’s corner, but he could not gain purchase on the ball.
The duo almost engineered the equaliser for Rangers less than a minute later. Kent controlled the ball impeccably in midfield before driving menacingly towards the Thistle rearguard, slipping Roofe in-behind before the forward lashed narrowly wide on his left side.
The Light Blues’ early endeavour was rewarded within four minutes of the restart as they drew level through Colak. Nicolas Raskin showed terrific strength to fend off Lee Hodson after Tavernier slipped a neat pass inside for the Belgian. The midfielder lifted his head in the penalty area and, after picking out the Croatian at the far post, he powered his header beyond Jamie Sneddon to restore parity.
The Gers were purring early in the second period and Colak was presented with an opportunity to double his tally when he was released beyond the Jags backline by the energetic Roofe, but Sneddon was equal to the forward’s effort on this occasion as he struck powerfully on target.
Raskin was again the architect on 56 minutes, curling an unerring cross towards Kent at the far post but, with Colak lurking in the centre of the goal for a tap-in, the winger could not cushion the ball back across goal.
The Ibrox side were presented with an opportunity to complete the turnaround that their ferocious start to the second half warranted when Stuart Bannigan was penalised for hauling down Tillman after the 20-year-old jinked his way past the Thistle midfielder on the edge of the penalty area. Tavernier assumed control of penalty duties, but Sneddon stood his ground to deny the captain’s effort as the game remained level heading into the final 20 minutes.
What followed was a bizarre turn of events inside a five-minute period.
With the American midfielder down injured, Thistle put the ball out of play to allow for treatment. However, Tillman wasn’t aware of the ball having been put out of play and got up to dispossess Holt, before racing through and finishing beyond Sneddon with Thistle protesting.
The away side were then allowed to walk the ball in for an equaliser unopposed to bring the game back on level terms and cancel out Tillman’s go-ahead goal.
Eight minutes remained when Beale turned to his bench once more, introducing Alfredo Morelos for Colak as the Light Blues searched for the winning goal in normal time.
They didn’t have to wait too long to find that very goal and bring progression into the next round within their grasp. An outswinging corner from the left wreaked havoc in the penalty area as Connor McAvoy headed into his own net to edge Rangers in front for the second time in the game.
Thistle were offered a glimmer of hope in stoppage time when Harry Milne looked set to walk onto a cut-back, but Tavernier was alert to clear the danger and rubber stamp Rangers’ place in the last eight of the Scottish Cup.
RANGERS: McGregor, Tavernier, Sands, Davies, Barisic, Raskin (Jack, 88), Kamara, Cantwell (Kent, 45), Hagi (Roofe, 45), Tillman, Colak (Morelos, 82)
Subs not used: McLaughlin, Goldson, Wright, King, Devine
PARTICK THISTLE: Sneddon, McMillan, Milne, Holt, Turner, Tiffoney (Docherty, 73), Bannigan (Fitzpatrick, 73), Graham (Dowds, 65), Hodson (MacKenzie, 88), McAvoy, Muirhead
Subs not used: Mitchell, Brownlie, Lawless, Smith, Mullen
REFEREE: David Munro