In a back-and-forth contest where the young Gers fought back from two goals down in normal time through a Zebedee Lawson strike and a Kyle Glasgow penalty, it was the Spiders who converted all four of their spot-kicks in the shootout to seal their passage to the quarter-finals.
Assistant coach, Liam Ross, named two changes to his young side for the visit of the Spiders as Glasgow and Luca Rankin replaced Cameron Fernie and Chris Condy from the victory over Darvel in the previous round.
Rangers were quick out the traps in the contest and rattled the woodwork through Max Cameron when the speedy winger raced down the outside of full-back Luca Breeds and unleashed at goal.
The visitors then struck the opener inside ten minutes when a deep outswinging free-kick was hooked goalwards in acrobatic fashion and beyond a stranded Rydnn McGuire.
The hosts sought an immediate riposte when Cameron, again, shimmied dangerously down the left and stood up a delivery for Alexander Smith in the six-yard area, but the midfielder scooped his header over the crossbar from close-range.
Such was the cold snap in Glasgow that the match was moved onto the artificial surface at the training facility, making for a scrappy contest that prompted cautions for both Lawson and Ben Hutton inside the opening half hour.
That meant the game was being played entirely on the terms Queen’s Park wanted as another dead ball situation developed moments later when a corner was lifted into a congested penalty area and lashed home from close-range.
It left Rangers with a mountain to climb on the scoreboard, with Luca Rankin lashing goalwards from a pull-back which was nodded off the goalline.
And four minutes before the interval the hosts hauled themselves back into the contest when Lawson pounced on a Queen’s Park mistake and drove an effort goalbound which deflected wickedly off a black-and-white jersey and beyond Archie Aitchison in goal.
It was exactly what the doctor ordered on the cusp of half-time as the second half began with a driving run from Cameron that ended in a nasty collision with the railings behind the goal.
Ross turned to his substitutes bench on the hour-mark and introduced Condy and Coben Fergusson in place of Smith and Cameron who was unable to continue.
Ten minutes later, Rangers completed the comeback.
The dangerous Lawson drove dangerously into the penalty area off the right-hand side and had his heels clipped en route, allowing Glasgow to step up from 12 yards and draw the side level with a confident spot-kick.
Advantage Rangers, then, in the pursuit of a winning goal, with Aiden Crilly combining smartly with Fergusson before the midfielder was denied by a sprawling save from Aitchison who sprung quickly from his goalline.
Queen’s Park retained a threat on the break, thwarted on one occasion by a brilliant intervention from Hutton, but the final opportunity of normal time belonged to Glasgow when he received the ball on the edge of the penalty area from a short corner routine and lashed wide of the target after setting his sights on goal.
The young Gers were victorious in a penalty shootout in this competition at the last four stage in March 2024 and they would require a similar feat when the referee blew for full-time in rainy Milngavie.
The visitors were first up and dispatched through Sam Maclachan, before they earned the advantage when Lawson was denied by Aitchison.
Cole Goldie then stroked home, and the Spiders couldn’t believe their fortune when Glasgow spurned for Rangers after converting in normal time.
A third was plundered for the away side when Kai Williamson converted but, despite a confident penalty from Luca Rankin to reduce the arrears, they were hapless to prevent Lennox Quail knocking home the winning spot-kick to condemn Rangers to defeat in the competition.
RANGERS: McGuire, Hutton, Hynd, J. Reid, Scally, Rankin, Crilly, Glasgow, Lawson, Cameron (Fergusson, 60), Smith (Condy, 60)
Subs not used: S. Reid, Owen, Caldwell, Young, Fernie
QUEEN’S PARK: Aitchison, Breeds, Quall, Burke (Browne, 77), Smith, Wright (Lafferty, 90), Kerr, Goldie, Duffy (Moore, 48), Maclachlan, Williamson
Subs not used: Stevenson, Divers, Edzil
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