It was a second shootout triumph in seven days for the young Gers after getting the better of Celtic at Lennoxtown last week, with Max Cameron dispatching the winning penalty for his side after they were unable to be separated in normal time.
The hosts fell behind inside 15 seconds as Queen’s Park raced out the traps, and they had to be patient until midway through the second half when Ruaridh Hall sprung from the substitutes bench to equalise and force a penalty shootout.
There were four changes to the side from last week’s Old Firm victory as Luke Ramage made his first Under-19s start in defence and Greig Thackray, Zebedee Lawson and Cormac Christie came into the starting lineup.
But it was the Spiders who struck in remarkably quick fashion when Rangers were slack in possession after kick-off and a slide rule pass between Ben Hutton and Conor Owen saw Thackray beaten in a one-on-one situation.
The concession of the goal seemed to rock Rangers, whose most threatening moment arrived ten minutes later when Cameron danced inside in typical fashion but could only fire his low effort straight down the throat of the Queen’s Park goalkeeper.
A deep corner delivery from Aiden McCallion was then met by Christie at the far post whose header back across goal was claimed by Milosz Sliwinski.
Indeed, Christie was making his first start since November after an injury lay-off and he will be all the better for the minutes he gained this evening.
A reset was required at half-time for the home side who were soon grateful to Ramage at the heart of defence when he produced a brilliant block after Magnus Mackenzie raced down the left and picked out a lovely pull-back.
Rangers perhaps ought to have levelled moments later when Kyle Glasgow flashed an effort towards goal that Hall, just on as a substitute, reacted first to but could only watch his instinctive finish be denied by the feet of Sliwinski between the posts.
However, the young forward wasn’t to be denied shortly after as he latched onto a lofted pass over the top by Conor Owen before knocking the ball past the onrushing Sliwinski and slotting into an unguarded net to haul Rangers level.
It was exactly what the doctor ordered for the hosts who passed up the opportunity to go in front when Lawson danced inside but elected not to shoot on his favoured left side and instead saw his effort blocked at the near post.
Penalties it was, then, as Rangers stepped up riding the confidence of last week’s 7-6 shootout triumph at Lennoxtown.
McCallion stepped up first for the home side and confidently slotted into the bottom corner, but Josiah Sowa quickly levelled for Queen’s Park.
A second spot-kick was dispatched by Lawson, cancelled out by Connor Falls’ conversion, before Glasgow slammed home to make it three out of three.
Greig Thackray, as his goalkeeping compatriot Rydnn McGuire did last week, then produced a superb stop to push the Gers ahead on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t to be plain-sailing as Hall was denied to give Queen’s Park a lifeline.
However, a ballooned spot-kick from the away side set the stage for Cameron to stride forward for Rangers, with the 17-year-old making no mistake from 12 yards to seal the bonus point for his side.
RANGERS: Thackray, Hutton, Owen, Ramage, Wark (Young, 86), McCallion, Crilly (Fernie, 90), Glasgow, Lawson, Cameron, Christie (Hall, 54)
Subs not used: Millarvie, Hynd, Reid, Fergusson
QUEEN’S PARK: Sliwinski, Rodger, Mackenzie, Fisher, Carrick, Collie (Fisher, 82), McGinlay (MacLachlan, 82), Waugh (Goldie, 70), McLeish (Falls, 70), McLean, McDonnell (Sowa, 45)
Subs not used: Stevenson, Afzal
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