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James Tavernier scored a first-half hat-trick as rampant Rangers thrashed Queen’s Park 8-0, avenging last season’s Scottish Cup humiliation in style.
Queen’s Park famously beat their illustrious neighbours 1-0 at Ibrox in last year’s fifth-round tie, but they suffered badly on their return against a Rangers side that has changed dramatically in the last 12 months. The Championship side only got through after Stranraer were expelled for fielding an ineligible player in the previous round.
Deadline-day signing Ryan Naderi scored his first Rangers goal with a header in the eighth minute, before Tavernier fired in a second 10 minutes later. The captain then added a third from a corner when visiting keeper Calum Ferrie, who saved Tavernier’s late penalty in last year’s shock win, punched the ball into his own net.
Tavernier completed his treble from the spot in the 39th minute before Matthew Shiels scored a second Queen’s Park own goal just before the break. The second half continued in the same vein with Naderi grabbing his second in the 49th minute with a close-range header to make it 6-0.
Bojan Miovski got his goal in the 80th minute, also with a header, before Tochi Chukwuani completed the romp with his first Rangers goal as Danny Röhl’s side powered into the quarter-finals.
On Saturday, Celtic left it to the last possible moment to keep Scottish Cup hopes alive before going on to beat spirited Dundee 2-1 after extra time at Parkhead.
The Taysiders have never won at Celtic Park in the competition and their last league victory in the east end of Glasgow was in 2001, but looked to be on their way to a historic success when midfielder Ethan Hamilton thundered in his first Dundee goal in the 49th minute.
The home side toiled thereafter but with effectively the last touch of the game – which went beyond the five added minutes on the board – debutant Junior Adamu flicked in a dramatic leveller.
Substitute Sebastian Tounekti, who set up the goal, fired Celtic in front early in extra time and it was enough to take Martin O’Neill’s men into the quarter-final draw, bringing some much needed positivity to the club.
“Naturally we’re delighted to be in the hat for the next round,” said O’Neill. “It seemed a long, long way away, when what was it, the 97th minute? We showed a determination to go to the very, very end, and try to create something.”
Partick Thistle reached the quarter-finals with an eventful 3-2 win over Elgin at Borough Briggs. Robbie Crawford opened the scoring for the visitors after 17 minutes only for Ryan Sargent to level from close range for the League Two side with six minutes of the first half remaining.
A minute before the break, former Celtic striker Tony Watt restored the Championship promotion chasers’ lead but Sargent drew the fourth-tier side level once again in the 74th minute. The Jags responded with Ben Stanway scoring the winner in the 80th minute.
A second-half double from Chris Kane took Championship side Dunfermline past League One bottom club Kelty Hearts with a 2-0 win at East End Park.
Dundee United’s tie against Spartans at Tannadice on Saturday was called off because of a waterlogged pitch, as was the scheduled late game between Aberdeen and Motherwell, which was called off on Friday. It is the second game Aberdeen have had to call off a match this week.
On Friday, St Mirren needed extra time to beat Airdrieonians 2-1 away from home and book their place in the quarter-final draw, which will take place after third-tier Stenhousemuir host Falkirk this evening.
