RANGERS 8 QUEEN’S PARK 0: Now it’s Spiders’ turn to suffer that haunted feeling as Tavernier and Co banish ghosts of 12 months ago with goal feast
Rangers 8 Queen’s Park 0
What a difference a year makes. The contrast between the dog days of Philippe Clement’s tenure at Rangers and the fresh optimism instilled by Danny Rohl in recent months could hardly have been placed in sharper focus as Queen’s Park were swatted aside.
This reprise of this fifth-round Scottish Cup tie was never likely to see the Championship outfit repeat the 1-0 triumph which made headlines way beyond these shores 12 months ago.
They would, however, have hoped to at least avoid the kind of morale-sapping drubbing they suffered this time around.
For James Tavernier, it was a day for exorcising ghosts. His stoppage-time failure to beat Calum Ferrie from the penalty spot was the decisive moment of arguably the biggest Scottish Cup shock in the tournament’s history.
This time, Tavernier grabbed a hat-trick as Rangers romped their way into the quarter-finals. A double for new striker Ryan Naderi, an own goal from Matthew Shiels and late strikes from Bojan Miovski and the outstanding Tochi Chukwuani maintained the upbeat mood under Rohl.
They now face a critical phase of their bid to cement a Premiership title challenge which belonged in the realms of fantasy earlier in the season. Their trip to Motherwell on Wednesday night and the Ibrox showdown with leaders Hearts on Sunday will tell us much about whether Rangers can go the distance.
james Tavernier celebrates the hat-trick that exorcised his nightmare from last year
Ryan Naderi runs in delight to the fans after scoring his first goal for the Ibrox club
Skipper Tavernier fires home from penalty spot to make it 4-0 to Rangers over Queen’s Park
Liam Kelly, retaining his status as Scottish Cup keeper, captain Tavernier, and midfielder Mohamed Diomande were the only players in Rohl’s selection who also started last year’s tie between the sides.
The presence of goalkeeper Ferrie and 2025 match winner Seb Drozd in Queen’s Park’s line-up would have provoked a few chilling flashbacks in the minds of the home supporters.
Ferrie delivered a bravura display for the Spiders when they stunned Clement’s team, but this wasn’t to be as memorable an afternoon for the 28-year-old.
Initially, Ferrie looked in the mood to repeat those heroics when he reacted brilliantly to turn behind a powerful shot from Tuur Rommens in the fourth minute.
It soon became clear, however, that this was a Rangers outfit with far greater zeal, purpose and efficiency than the one he previously defied.
Ferrie had to pick the ball out of his net for the first time just four minutes later as Naderi marked his first start for Rangers with his first goal for the club.
It was a simple and well worked set piece as Tavernier flighted a corner from the left towards the far post. Queen’s Park defenders found themselves blocked off around the six-yard box, allowing Naderi all the freedom he could wish for to guide home a header.
Aside from a rare counter attack which saw Aidan Connolly tap the ball home from a clearly offside position, which was immediately picked up by the linesman, it was pretty relentless one-way traffic towards Ferrie.
Bojan Miovski got in on the act as he scored Rangers’ seventh goal with a header
Tochi Chukwuani sets the seal on satisfying day for Rangers with goal No8 at Ibrox
Chukwuani leaps with delight after getting himself on the scoresheet in cup rout
Rangers doubled their lead in the 18th minute. Nice link-up play between Rommens and Diomande on the left saw the latter swing in a cross which Tavernier won in the air before stabbing the loose ball in from around eight yards out.
Ferrie made another decent save to keep out a Miovski header. He suffered a nightmare moment, however, when he conceded the third goal in the 26th minute.
Tavernier’s corner from the left had plenty of pace and swerve but should have been meat and drink for the keeper. Instead, he made a complete hash of trying to punch the ball clear and simply helped it on its way into the net.
As the set piece was on target, Tavernier was credited with the goal. That did nothing to spare the blushes of Ferrie.
It had turned into a turkey shoot for Rangers. The visitors’ misery continued when they conceded a penalty in the 39th minute, Roddy MacGregor’s outstretched hand blocking Andreas Skov Olsen’s shot to give referee Ross Hardie an easy decision to make.
Tavernier emphatically banished the ghosts of last year, this time sending the goalkeeper the wrong way as he completed his hat-trick.
The tie had long since lost any competitive edge, yet Rangers were in no mood to step off the gas. Two minutes before the interval, another Tavernier corner from the left was flicked on by Chukwuani at the near post/ Queen’s Park defender Shiels unwittingly applied the final touch to knock the ball into the net.
James Tavernier makes off with the match ball after his hat-trick against the Spiders
New Rangers striker Naderi scores his side’s sixth goal as Rangers take ultimate revenge
Naderi is clearly delighted to get his Rangers career of the mark in such emphatic fashion
The second half resembled an attack versus defence training session for long periods, with the visitors hemmed in and desperately seeking to limit further damage as much as possible. It was a forlorn task for Sean Crighton’s team.
Rangers grabbed their sixth just four minutes after the restart. Naderi, who looks to possess the natural centre-forward instincts the Ibrox men have lacked for so long, leapt to nod home Oliver Antman’s cross from the right.
Ferrie made a good save to deny Skov Olsen and it looked as if the tie might peter out without further pain for the goalkeeper.
Instead, Rangers finished with a flourish. With 10 minutes remaining, substitute Jayden Meghoma’s cross was headed home by Miovski.
Rohl’s team saved their best for last. A fluent and precise passing move ended with midfielder Chukwuani, who looks like a genuinely top-drawer acquisition, ramming number eight beyond the helpless Ferrie in the 90th minute.
Referee Hardie blew the final whistle immediately after play restarted, the lack of any stoppage time akin to an act of mercy towards Queen’s Park.
Last year, Scotland’s oldest club experienced a day which they and their supporters will remember for as long as they live. This time, the Queen’s Park players trudged from the pitch and their fans headed for the exits hoping to forget this match as quickly as possible.
Rangers (4-4-2): Kelly 6, Tavernier 7, Djiga 6, Sterling 6 (Bajrami 46 6), Rommens 7 (Meghoma 61 6); Skov Olsen 6 (Moore 71 4), Chukwuani 8, Diomande 6 (Matondo 61 4), Antman 7; Naderi 7 (Aasgaard 61 4), Miovski 7.
Booked: Antman
Manager – Danny Rohl 8
Queen’s Park (4-2-3-1): Ferrie 4, Pignatiello 5, Murray 5, Shiels 4, Fieldson 5; MacGregor 5 (Bradley 76), Longridge 5; Connolly 5 (McLean 76), Savoury 5 (McLeish 76), McDonnell 5 (Waugh 46 5); Drozd 5 (Sowa 89).
Booked: McLeish
Manager – Sean Crighton 5
Referee: Ross Hardie 6
Attendance: 36,190
