BBC Sport football

Queen of the South 2-3 Rangers

Match report

MY SPORT: DEBATE Your thoughts on the action

By David Sharp

1720: Well that's all folks! Stick a fork in the 2007/08 Scottish football season - it's done. We've reached the end of another scintillating carnival of football and it's certainly not been short of incident. In fact, this season has been more action-packed than a vintage Tom & Jerry cartoon.

Congratulations to all the worthy winners and commiserations to all the gallant losers. Thanks for your company and your madcap chat. Have a good summer! Catch you all next season for more thrills and spills...

1715: No surprise that Kris Boyd is your top dog on the Player Rater today with an impressive score of 8.73. Remember you can still cast your vote here even though the dust has settled at Hampden:

1713: "You would not have seen it from up in the stand. I was six inches away from his face and could hardly see it."
BBC Scotand's Chick Young gets up-close-and-personal with Kris Boyd's upper lip.

Who's a cheeky monkey then Chick? Well, I can't talk really...

1712: There's lot of funny chat going on about the inspiration behind goal-hero Kris Boyd's bum-fluff moustache. The ever-intrepid Chick Young discovers it was done for a bet. Apparently Lee McCulloch put Boyd up to it. What a wheeze! That's verging into Rio Ferdinand-style practical joke territory.

1709: "Queens showed a lot of belief, we had a go, but I'm disappointed at the goals that we lost. However, overall, I thought they were immense in the second half."
Queens despondent asisstant coach Billy Dodds

1707: "First half was the worst I'd seen my team play all season, second half was more like my team. Four weeks without a game showed."
Queens manager Gordon Chisholm

1704: Complete neutral here but think Rangers deserve their cup double. If the Scottish FA had been a bit kinder they might have won more but after a remarkable season this is the least they deserve. Well done, lads." Matt_Utd_FC on 606
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1702: Barry Ferguson leads his knackered troops up to collect the gleaming Scottish Cup. He is the first Rangers captain since Richard Gough to lift the trophy three times.

1701: "Kris Boyd is almost a new player for Rangers. He has improved his game in every way and it's not just down to the silly 'tache!"
BBC Scotand's Pat Nevin

1700: Meanwhile, the Queen of the South players climb the Hampden staircase to collect their runners-up medals.

1658: The Rangers players look mightily relieved, as do their fans. It's a strangely subdued celebration from the Ibrox faithful.

1657: Check this out folks - it's a comedy pilot for a brand-spanking new BBC Scotland football show, with the cunning title The Game:

1655: "Kris Boyd has yet again won Rangers a cup singlehandedly. Hang your head in shame Walter at the way youve treated him!!!"
illustriousArabScot on 606
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Strong words from yon Arab Scot there! It's hard to argue with though - that's four goals Boyd has notched in two domestic Cup finals this season. You have to wonder with that kind of record why Smith doesn't play him more often?

1653: FULL-TIME. Too late for Queens. Rangers have done it. What a thrilling game of football. You've got to feel for unlucky Queens but what a barnstorming comeback from them. Rangers just about deserved to nick it over the piece. Does that make any sense? What is a 'piece'? When I was a lad, it was a sandwich.

1652: Last minute of injury time. Queens have a free-kick on the edge of the box. Tosh lines the ball up but his strike hits the wall.

1648: Kris Boyd takes out a linesman! He clatters into the unfortunate flag-waver. Did the the referee's assistant mumble something derogatory under his breath about Boyd's moustache? Even so, no need for that kind of retort Kris!

1646: "Both teams are on their knees, there's a lot of very tired legs out there."
BBC Scotand's David Begg

Ally McCoist is still going nuts on the touchline. The Gers coach has taken a benny. He is demanding a final effort from his exhausted players.

1644: Baby-faced striker John Fleck is primed to replace the fading Darcheville. Fleck is the youngest player to appear in a Scottish Cup final. He is 16 years, 274 days old to be exact.

Compared to the rest of the pensioners on show, Fleck will be haring about like the Roadrunner or the Tasmanian Devil. David Weir is 22 years older than the spritely Gers' forward.

1643: Ten minutes to go - the Doonhamers must pull out the stops here and hit Rangers with all they've got else the Cup is heading to Ibrox. Is there another twist in this intoxicating tale?

1641: Christian Dailly is coming on for Rangers. Dobbie is off for Queens with John O'Neill taking his place.

1639: "Smith and McCoist were going bananas in their technical area after the third goal - don't know why but they were not celebrating."
BBC Scotland pundit Chick Young

Strange one that. Some people are never happy!

1638: Steve 'Interesting' Davis has replaced the ailing DaMarcus Beasley. The little Northern Irishman makes an immediate impact when his teasing cross finds Boyd in the box but MacDonald clutches the ball to his chest and Queens breathe again.

1634: It could be time for Sandra to ditch her lucky thermals!

1631: GOAL. Queen of the South 2-3 Rangers The moustachioed Kris Boyd scores again. A bullet header from Beasley's inswinging corner.

1630: "I've just spotted BBC Scotland's resident Queens fanatic Sandra Brown. She's dressed for arctic conditions but explains she has worn the same clobber for each cup match and could not risk changing now... Will the thermals stay lucky?"
BBC Scotland's Colin Moffat at Hampden

1630: John Stewart is poised to come on for Queens. He's a striker - they're going for it.

1629: "This would be surely the biggest upset in Scottish Cup history if Queens were to go on and triumph. Remember Queens won 4-3 against Aberdeen in the semi? Stevie Tosh desperately wants a winners medal, especially at the veterans age of 35.. It's going to be a cliffhanger."
BBC Scotland commentator David Begg

1627: O'Connor glides through the heart of the Rangers midfield with the unstoppable force of an elephant on motorised roller boots. But he runs out of steam and a grateful Gers' rearguard hoof the ball clear.

1625: The harem-scarem goalrush has receded and the game is now ebbing and flowing like an, erm, ebbing and flowing thing.

1622: "I put £2 on Queen of the South to win the Cup at 11/2, with 92p of loose change on an extra-time win at 25/1... I'd resigned myself to losing it but now I wish I'd bet more! I knew Rangers didn't have the energy or frankly the heart for this... to be honest, I can't see Queen of the South failing to win this now.
ShinyDavidHowell on 606
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I think you could be right, Shiny David. Queens are gamboling around like new-born lambs while Rangers have the demeanour of tortoises on rhino-tranquilisers. What was in those half-time oranges?

1620: "What did I say about it being all over? The Queens fans are going bananas! 'You're not singing any more' is the gleeful cry - and they're right..."
BBC Scotland's Colin Moffat at Hampden

1619: Barry Ferguson squanders a golden opportunity to put Rangers back in front. The ball gets stuck in the long savannah grass and the Gers skipper fluffs his shot.

1617: " I can't explain that, they didn't look capable of that in the first half. Gordon's obviously told them to go out and really go for it, and they have."
BBC Scotland's Willie Miller

1615: Queens are on fire. They are playing like men possessed and their more illustrious opponents are well and truly rattled.

1612: Another GOAL. Queen of the South 2-2 Rangers Veteran defenderJim Thomson nods Bob Harriss' dangling cross past Alexander. Incredible stuff. Gordon Chisholm's half-time team-talk must have been of Winston Churchill proportions.

1609: GOAL. Queen of the South 1-2 Rangers Queens have pulled one back. Chick spoke too soon. According to BBC Scotland's match commentary, Steve Tosh "punched the ball home with his pelvis bone" from point-blank range. I thought it was turned in off another part of his anatomy. Is that some kind of strange euphemism? Never mind! It's game on!

1606: ""I'm looking forward to the next big do at Hampden, the Neil Diamond concert, I think the party's done here."
BBC Scotland's Chick Young

Unless Queens grab a quick goal here Chick could be right. Gordon Chisholm will be listening to 'Love on the Rocks'. My personal favourite is 'Sweet Caroline' - an absolute barnstormer of a tune.

1605: Rangers appear at last and we're away again!

1604: Queens are back on the pitch but no sign of Rangers. Do their players think it's all over too? Well they'd better be careful because all the Doonhamers need is one goal and it will be game on!

1601: "Queens will come back to make it 2-2 - I have a dream, this is destiny...Rangers are running on empty!"
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1600: "Got a bet on Kris Boyd being first scorer in a 3-0 Gers win. Still on but Rangers need to calm down a wee bit! Can't be having another two goals in the second half!"
OMadeirense on 606
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1558: There's a lively discussion going on between our two pundits below regarding the contentious penalty claim by Queens. Did Whitaker play the ball or the man? That is the basic arguement. Ball or man? Man or mouse? Man or Superman? Seriously though folks - was it a penalty?

1556: "Rangers looked tentative at the start and there were a few misplaced passes. But they are passing the ball about and Queens are standing off too much. They need to press more to have a chance of getting back into this match."
BBC Scotland pundit Craig Levein

And Dundee's very own Harry Potter look-a-likey.

1555: "I thought Queens started really well for the first 20 minutes.Queen of the South just needed a bit more composure and, when Rangers settled, they took their chances and it's a long way back now."
BBC Scotland pundit Ian McCall

I concur with McCall of the Wild.

1550: "The jubilant Gers fans have started 'the bouncy'. They think it's all over. I suspect they're right..."
BBC Scotland's Colin Moffat at Hampden

1548: HALF-TIME The ref toots his whistle and the teams troop off for oranges and a cup of tea. I've just noticed that Kris Boyd is sporting a rather dodgy-looking moustache. It's barely visible and appears to be of the bum-fluff variety. The Gers' hot-shot resembles Norman "Gripper" Stebson from Grange Hill.

1545: "2-0!! EASY EASY EASY!! can see this being 4 or 5 I think!!"
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1543: GOAL. Queen of the South 0-2 Rangers Shoddy defending from Queens allowsDaMarcus Beasley to double Rangers' lead. What a time to get a second goal. Beasley was all alone at the back post and slotted the ball under MacDonald.

1541: "No penalty."
BBC Scotland pundit Willie Miller

A man of few words. But he tells it like it is. No mincing about. His words that is. Moving on swiftly...

1540: Steve Tosh bursts into the Rangers box but Alexander rushes out and dives at his feet. The ball is sent high into the box again and Whittaker appears to nudge O'Connor with both players jousting for tha ball in the air. Was that a penalty? The ref is Sphinx-like in his refusal to give it. Huge disappointment for Queens. Giant let-off for Rangers.

1538: You can watch that one again on the telly tonight (although if you're a Queens fans you might want to bury your face in a cushion!) - BBC1 Scotland have extended highlights of today's final at 11.35pm.

1538: "Boyd's screamer has brought the previously subdued Rangers supporters to life. The noise has been cranked up significantly. Still a bit to go to reach Tartan Army levels though..."
BBC Scotland's Colin Moffat at Hampden

1537: That was Boyd's 24th goal of the season. And he hardly seems to have played any games...

1534: GOAL. Queen of the South 0-1 Rangers. Prolific striker Kris Boyd breaks the stalemate with a screamer of a free-kick. That was a real Bobby Charlton-style humdinger. One of those shots that appears to be uniformly accelerating as it hurtles into the top of the bulging net. Queens keeper Jamie MacDonald didn't even see it.

1533: "No chance QoS will be able to continue at this pace. Rangers to win 2-0 in what will be a scrappy encounter. Bears players really need a break. Despite the last 10 days, its been some effort. kennytheger1 on 606
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1529: Our resident statto says Rangers have had 63% of the possession. But there's still no goals.

1528: It's all Rangers now but Queens hold firm. Solid defending from 'Whispering' Bob Harris. Not the Radio 2 disc-jockey and erstwhile 'Old Grey Whistle Test' presenter but the hard-as-nails Queens defender.

1526: Neat interplay between Darcheville and Beasley but Boyd's header from the resultant cross floats harmlessly over the bar.

1524: Boyd races clear and tees it up beautifully for Beasley but the darting American skews his shot high into the side-netting. That was clearly the best chance of the game so far.

1521: "There's a distinctly shrill tone to the noisy Queens support as the youngsters in the crowd squeal their approval after a bright start."
BBC Scotland's Colin Moffat at Hampden

Some of the Queens' fans voices have still to break, eh? It must be like listening to a 5,000-strong choir of Aled Jones's.

1518: Here's a crazy stat for you to chew on: Sandra Brown, who works in the BBC Scotland sport department, today completes 20 years of not missing a competitive Queen of the South game home or away. She did once miss a friendly in Ireland. But she had a good excuse - it was her sister's wedding day. That's rubbish - call yourself a true fan Sandra? Anyway, is that some kind of world record? Is anyone a bigger Queens fan than Sandra?

1517: Where are all your comments? It's eerily quiet out there in My Sport land? Get gibbering here:
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1514: "I think Queen of the South will win. There are four or five top players in the Rangers team who are dead on their feet while Queens will have enthusiasm in their legs." - more expert punditry, this time from former Doonhamers boss Ian McCall

Queens certainly are full of beans.

1512: Now Rangers wake up and break at speed. The electric Beasley hares down the left. The move breaks down. Then it starts up again and Harris does well to clear from Darcheville.

1511: The Doonhamers seem to have benefited from their long lay-off. They are buzzing about like a swarm of blue bees. Stephen Dobbie breaks forward on the edge of the box but is dispossessed easily by Carlos Cuellar.

1510: Queens get the first corner of the match but it comes to nowt.

1509: Rangers have started slowly. Walter Smith's assistant, Ally McCoist, howls at his trance-like team from the sidelines. The former Question of Sport captain is not happy. Would he have spoken to Sue Barker like that? I very much doubt it.

1508: McCann has been patched up and returns to the field of play.

1504: McCulloch scythes Harris. That was a nasty one. Referee Stuart Dougal brandishes a yellow card at the clumsy Rangers midfielder. Queens now have two players off the pitch. Funnily enough, both of their full-backs.

1502: Ryan McCann has been in the wars already. He has left the pitch to get stitches in a head wound.

1501: The last time Rangers were in a Scottish Cup final was 2003. They defeated Dundee 1-0 in the final at Hampden. Lorenzo Amoruso grabbed the winner. Remember him? An even more emotional Italian than Luciano Pavarotti.

1500: And we're off! Rangers are in their white change strip. Queens in a dashing Royal blue kit.

1458: A round of applause for Celtic legend Tommy Burns, who died last Thursday. A lovely tribute from both teams and sets of fans.

1453: Moody blue Daniel Cousin isn't even on the bench for Rangers today.

It is a very young bench - so says BBC Radio Scotland football expert Jim Traynor. He is just pointing out that there is very little experience there. John Fleck is only 16 years young.

1452: "I think Rangers will win and win comfortably. They have the better players."
BBC Scotland pundit and Dundee United boss Craig Levein

1450: Ten minutes to go until the big kick-off! Vote for your star performer using our fabulous Player Rater:

1435: "I'm from Dumfries and it's a ghost town now, it was a sea of blue this morning. I'm trying to convince my boss to let me leave work early to go watch the game!! It's amazing what this run in the cup has done for the town." laughingbluegirl on 606
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It sounds like you're the only person still working in the ghost town today. Good luck twisting your boss' arm! C'mon man, let the girl go watch her team! It's like Christmas Day for Queens fans - don't be some Scrooge-like figure!

1430: Will tired legs and minds be a factor for Rangers today? This will be their 68th game of a hectic season.

While the Ibrox men were competing on all fronts at home and in Europe, Queen of the South were relaxing at a Spanish holiday retreat. They will be uber-relaxed but a tad ring-rusty after three-and-a-half weeks out of action. What do you reckon?

1427: TEAMS IN FULL:

Queen of the South: MacDonald, McCann, Thomson, Aitken, Harris, Burns, Tosh, MacFarlane, McQuilken, O'Connor, Dobbie.

Rangers: Alexander, Whittaker, Cuellar, Weir, Papac, Beasley, Thomson, Ferguson, McCulloch, Boyd, Darcheville.

1424: Queens midfielder Ryan McCann - the man who scored a Pele-esque 70-yard goal against Dundee in the quarter-finals - is nicknamed Tourettes by his team-mates.

Or so BBC Scotland pundit Billy Dodds - who also moonlights as Queens asisstant coach - says. Apparently Ryan is a bad loser and is always mumping and moaning at training - in rather colourful language!

And if you couldn't pick him out of an identity parade you'll be able to recognise him today by his black eye. It's a corker. He got walloped by a golf club. Or that's his story anyway...and he's sticking to it.

1417: This is how you discuss the big game: text me on 80295 and get involved via 606. There was some top-drawer chat for the SPL title-race finale on Thursday, I'm expecting the same today.
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1416: Queens team news to come. The First Division outfit are expected to stick with the same 11 that triumphed 4-3 in their scintillating semi-final against Aberdeen.

1414 Some exclusive Rangers team news: the influential Steve Davis has been dropped to the bench. Lee McCulloch takes his place in the starting line-up. DaMarcus Beasley starts in midfield and the prolific Kris Boyd gets the nod too. Jean-Claude Darcheville is his strike partner. Sasa Papac also returns to the side at left-back.

1404: Rangers bustling striker Jean-Claude Darcheville came off the team bus wearing a set of massive headphones. Is he blasting some motivational music ('Eye of the Tiger' perhaps?), or is even a Scottish summer too cold for the Frenchman's ears? Maybe he is anticipating some harsh words from Walter Smith ahead of the final?

Both teams are on the pitch at the moment. Gers' skipper Barry Ferguson is having a blether with Queens Jim Lauchlan, and the Doonhamers' assistant Billy Dodds is appearing to lecture Christian Dailly about where he thought it went wrong for Rangers in the Uefa Cup and the league...

1403: "The buzz is here and you can sense the excitement and anticipation at the club," Queens manager Gordon Chisholm told BBC Sport.

"Everything has went well and there's a good tempo about things. We're looking forward to the game and just want to get started."

Meanwhile Gers gaffer Walter Smith says: "This gives us the chance to finish on a high note after the disappointment of the past 10 days.

"There'll have to be something left there we're going to do well in the final.

"It's the Scottish Cup final, it's a big game. There'll have to be something left there if we're going to do well in it."

1402: My colleague has just informed me that the word pinned above the Queen of the South dressing-room door at Palmerston Park is "Believe". The Doonhamers will need to have that etched in their minds and repeat it like a mantra when they trot out at Hampden today.

1401: You know how in so-called football parlance all must-win games are referred to as cup finals? Managers threatened by relegation, haunted by the axe, declare: "Every game from now until the end of the season is a cup final."

Well, they're talking rubbish - THIS is an actual cup final. And not just any old one - it's the Scottish Cup final. The biggie. The mother of all Cup finals north of the border and the 123rd time it's been played.

Here 's the first stat of the day: only one team outside the Scottish top flight has ever prevailed - East Fife in 1938. Can the mighty minnows the Doonhamers join them in the history books or will Glasgow giants Rangers lift their 32nd Scottish Cup? Who knows? We'll find out very soon...there's an hour to go until kick-off...it's all very exciting.

1400: Welcome to our live text coverage of this season's grand finale - the Scottish Cup final. The action at Hampden Park gets under way at 1500 GMT.

We would like to hear your views during the game, so, if you are a fan in exile or simply can't make it to the south side of Glasgow, send us your messages of support and thoughts on the game.

BBC Sport will provide live coverage on BBC1 Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland 810 MW and online (UK only).