
Queen's Park & Davidson stand tall amid Ibrox bedlam
He had to do it all away from the dugout due to a touchline ban, too. Instead he was giving fevered instructions on his phone at half-time, at one point standing up and gesturing to his staff furiously, all while sitting a couple of seats along from the BBC commentary team.The odds could hardly have been more stacked against Queen's Park given all those obstacles in their way."I couldn't believe it at the end to be honest," Davidson told BBC Scotland"Our captain [Ferrie] pulled us out of trouble. It's actually a good penalty, it's just a wonderful save. Calum performed at a top level."Davidson's suffering through the drama was the perfect reflection of his team, who emptied everything they had, but emerged still standing and triumphant.
Unlikely heroes become Scottish Cup legends
The names of Ferrie and match-winner Seb Drozd will now go down in the annals of the Scottish Cup, one of sport's oldest competitions.Ferrie was a colossus, making eight other brilliant saves as well as the critical penalty to keep Rangers at bay.Tavernier - who has scored 69 penalties for Rangers - will have hit worse and scored. But Ferrie simply would not be beaten.He and the Queen's Park coaches had analysed where the Rangers captain likes to hit them, but in the end it came down to raw gut instinct."I changed my mind at the last minute," Ferrie told BBC Scotland. "It was a good penalty and I've just got lucky that I've gone the right way.
"I'm ecstatic. You'd struggle to write a script like that. The boys in there, the whole squad, boys who were even injured today, have been fantastic all week."We've prepared right, we've believed we can get a result out of this game. Nobody's invincible, we've said that all week. It's worked well for us."Ferrie's modesty matched the modest reputation of Drozd, who arrived after his release by Milwall in October.Before that he had been playing for Uxbridge in the Isthmian League. He had scored one goal all season.Now, he is immortal in Scottish football history after selling a dummy to Jefte, opening his body up, and slotting into the bottom corner like prime Thierry Henry. But there were so many heroes in black and white.Centre-backs Nikola Ujdur and Will Tizzard were towering presences in the middle of the box, with six of their fellow defenders unavailable for Queen's Park.Sean Welsh and Louis Longridge could barely move by stoppage time after running themselves into the ground in midfield.To a man, they were magnificent. All of them found their legs at the end, though, as they sprinted towards the corner of Ibrox housing the delirious Queen's Park fans.
Can Davidson do it again?
Davidson has already performed cup heroics in his short career as a manager. He won the Scottish Cup and League Cup in the same campaign at St Johnstone, four years ago, knocking Rangers out in the quarter-finals in the former.Doing it again with Queen's Park would be of a whole other order. The Glasgow side are currently fifth in the Championship, closer to the bottom than the top.He will want to improve on that position as well as continue their dream Scottish Cup run. With fellow second-tier side Livingston the only non top-flight side in the draw for the next round, it is a tough ask.But after becoming the first Scottish side to win at Ibrox since March, not much else should faze them.Asked if he can now kick back and enjoy Monday's draw, Davidson cracked a smile."I'll be playing squash," said the hugely accomplished golfer and tennis player.

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Belfast Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Kai Rooney's Manchester United defeat Rangers in front of bumper SuperCupNI crowd at Coleraine Showgrounds
Kai Rooney did swagger and sway past the Rangers defence, often at will, with some of his trickery and skills very reminiscent of his famous father Wayne. As Manchester United beat Rangers 2-0 to move to the cusp of topping Group C of the Premier section, Kai was outshone by one of his Red Devils team-mates. If this performance is anything to go by, the name Abdoulaye Douka Nkoto is one to watch out for in the future; his two second-half goals being just as spectacular as his acrobatic celebrations after he broke the deadlock early in the second-half. Those who packed into the stand and filled the terraces will be keeping an eye out for him in the future. The Rangers performance was again lit up by the lively Kyle Glasgow in midfield, but the best he could do on the night was a shot that was well-saved by the Manchester United goalkeeper. Rooney did have a chance to add to the goal he scored on opening night against West Cork Academy, but when he stepped up to take the penalty that his initial shot helped win, Rangers stopper Sam Reid dived to his right to save. Reid had conceded the penalty when he initially saved a low shot from Rooney, who had cut in from the right, with his dive towards the ball as it spilt from his grasp bringing down a United attacker as he tried to pounce on it. Rooney's first involvement saw him pick up the ball on the right and jink inside, just like his father did many times at Old Trafford, then making robust challenges of the type that Wayne was known for as well. It wasn't until the second-half of the match, though, that fans really got excited thanks to Nkoto. Rangers Luca Rankin had just clipped the bar with a free-kick at one end when United's No.7 unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the box and then celebrated in style with a couple of backflips more reminiscent of another United old boy, Portuguese winger Nani. Rooney did fire an effort over the bar from close range after a low cross was driven in from the left — he had just a split second to take the shot — before that missed penalty midway through the second-half. As it was, Nkoto still had more class to show when, just a couple of minutes from the end, he weaved his way through on the left before arrowing a shot just inside the far post from a tight angle. The fans might have come hoping for a Rooney show, but it was Nkoto who provided the thrills and spills. County Tyrone are next up for Manchester United, and they will go into that game with renewed confidence after beating West Cork Academy 1-0. A 3-0 victory over 2024 winner Brighton has put County Down on course for the SuperCup Semi-Finals. They face a derby against County Armagh, who had an exciting 2-2 draw with Intercontinental. Hamilton Academical have put themselves into top spot in Group B thanks to a 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, and they now go up against County Fermanagh, who got their first point when drawing 3-3 with Tigres. Southampton are likely to emerge as Group D winners after they defeated County Londonderry 2-0, and in the same group, County Antrim lost 3-0 to UAE visitors Ichifuna. Junior Blackburn Rovers Junior coach Daniel Stubberfield is using the famous names from the SuperCup NI's past to inspire his team as they seek to win this year's tournament. In the future, it could be Ty Livesey who is doing that to the next generation after he scored his second hat-trick of the week when Rovers defeated County Tyrone 5-0. The striker showed that there is much to his all-round game with three different types of finish, the best being a stunning free-kick that arrowed into the top corner. The talented Charlie Taulty had put Blackburn into an early lead with a beautiful curling shot and the powerful Darnell Williams had added the third before Livesey netted his two late strikes to secure the match ball. 'We're really pleased with the start. I came last year and we really underperformed in the group,' said Stubberfield. 'We are here to win it. We have high hopes for this group of players. We think we've got a really strong group this year. 'We've got a lot of goals; the two games that we've played, you can see that. We've got a lad who's got two hat-tricks and must have a fighting chance of competing for the leading goalscorer trophy. 'We're very blessed as coaches, we've got a really good mix of players that should give them a chance of doing well in every game. 'You've only got to look at Facebook and see pictures or videos of David Beckham, Marcus Rashford and all these guys who have been here and had the experience that our boys are getting this week. 'For us to do that, that would be incredible for the club. 'We've won a tournament in Portugal previously that the club were really proud of and made a big deal of. 'There's a long way to go, but it would be a huge moment for the club if it was to happen. It's a very famous competition and we're really privileged to be here.' County Armagh set up a Group A decider with Blackburn thanks to a fantastic 5-0 win of their own over Crewe Alexandra. Alfie Davidson, Ryan Savage, Eoghan Mallon and Carter Walker all scored in the first 30 minutes of a superb performance. County Antrim are on course to top Group B after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 thanks to goals from Michael Mulholland and Noah Stewart, while County Londonderry drew 3-3 with Charlton Athletic. Celtic are well-placed to take first place in Group C following a 4-1 win over Bohemians and they now face County Fermanagh, who were 4-0 winners against Chicago City. A 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle keeps County Down's hopes of topping Group D alive, although they will have to beat West Ham United, who were 3-1 winners against St Patrick's Athletic. Minor Kieran O'Connor was beaming with pride after his Cliftonville Minor team booked their place in the Semi-Finals of the SuperCup NI, hailing their performance as one of the best he has seen from any team at Irish League level. His praise was fully justified, too, as the Reds responded within two minutes of going behind against Surf Select before completing an impressive 6-2 win. Keegan O'Connor, Rylan Perry, Aidan Green and Shea McCarthy to put Cliftonville in a comfortable position after Giovanni Reilly had opened the scoring. Even after Moses Moshkovsky had given the American side some hope, McCarthy added a second before Ronan Smith completed the six-hit. 'Two wins out of two and mathematically in the draw for the Semi-Final, we have to be delighted and we're really looking forward to tomorrow now against Leeds,' said O'Connor. 'We have to be quietly confident. We have quality, we have heart and desire and you just don't know in tournament football.' 'Particularly the first-half, that's as good as I've seen from a local team in terms of the quality of the ball, their positioning and quality off the ball and moving the ball on a very sticky, slow pitch was fantastic.' Loughgall Youth grabbed a last-minute 1-1 draw against English giants Leeds thanks to Daniel Farrell. Shamrock Rovers moved to the brink of securing their passage to the Semi-Finals from Group A when they defeated Ballmena United 5-2, and Crusaders kept their hopes alive with a 3-0 success against Ross County. Linfield will go head-to-head with Al Jazira Club for top spot in Group B after the Blues emerged 3-2 winners over Kilmarnock while Al Jazira won 3-1 against Glenavon. Blackburn Rovers are favourites to win Group D after a 2-0 win against Coleraine and the Bannsiders will face IDA Bermuda, who beat Shankill Juniors 3-0, in a battle for second spot. In the Girls Premier Section, Northern Ireland suffered a 2-1 defeat to Shamrock Rovers, while Manchester United defeated Northeast Rush 4-1. Brighton and Aston Villa are joint top of their group after a 2-2 draw. In the Girls Junior Section, Manchester United claimed a resounding 7-1 win over FC United, Larne and Surf Select drew 2-2, and Crusaders had a 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock. Girls It was another eventful day in the Girls' Sections of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, with plenty of footballing talent on display. After easing to a victory yesterday, hopes were high in the Premier section that Northern Ireland could have claimed a second win on the trot against Irish side Shamrock Rovers, but the League of Ireland outfit had other plans. After an open start to the game at Monkstown where both sides tested the other in defence, it was Northern Ireland who opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Ruby Adair was the girl who broke down the right wing before firing an effort across the keeper from an acute angle that found its way into the net. However, on 24 minutes the scores were back level. Kassie McLoughlin raced onto a long ball, running into the Northern Ireland box before tucking a superb finish into the bottom right-hand corner. Just as the home team pushed for a winner 16 minutes into the second period, they were dealt a blow at the other end as Rovers grabbed a winner. Matylda Stemaszlek drilled home from 10 yards after the Northern Ireland defence had cleared off the line from Lara Dallaghan to send the visiting support into widespread cheers around the ground. Elsewhere in the Premier section Manchester United crushed Northeast Rush 4-1, while American side Surf Select ran out 2-0 winners against Irish team Finn Harps. In the evening kick-off at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, Brighton and Aston Villa played out an enjoyable 2-2 draw in front of a crowd that enjoyed another dose of summer night football. In the Junior section, there were more goals at Monkstown in the early kick-off with Manchester United sinking FC United 7-1. There were draws for two of the local sides, with Larne finishing 2-2 against Northeast Rush and Crusaders managing a 1-1 draw with Scottish side.


BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Tour de France Scot Oscar Onley hailed a hero in Kelso
The cyclist who equalled the best ever Tour de France finish by a Scot at the weekend has been hailed as a hero in his Onley - who grew up in Kelso in the Borders - finished fourth overall in the gruelling three-week chairman of the Kelso Wheelers Cycling Club, where Oscar first showed his prowess, said they had been watching him every pedal of the Ure said they had been "shocked and surprised" by how well he had performed but also knew the talent the 22-year-old possessed. "I think from 10 years old, when that young lad first jumped on a bike, you could see that if ever there was natural talent Oscar was brimming with it," he said."We do 100 mile rides at the start of the season and at the end of the season and Oscar was always there and wanted to take part in them."He would sit on that wheel for 100 miles and then try to jump me for the sprint." However, Rob said the top four finish had exceeded their wildest expectations for the local talent."Even finishing the Tour de France is a massive achievement," he he hopes the "Onley effect" could inspire the next generation."I am really hoping that the young kids are seeing this and going - well, if it can happen to him, it can happen to me and jump on their bikes again," he said."We definitely have seen a downturn in kids participating and I am hoping this gives us that massive push again for kids to get back out on their bikes." 'Started his journey' Scottish Borders Council's deputy leader Scott Hamilton said he had no doubt Onley's performance could help the next generation of riders from the region."The Tour de France starts in Edinburgh in 2027, so this is an amazing time for Scottish cycling, and Oscar coming to the fore will undoubtedly inspire many young people to take up cycling," he said."With a number of cycling clubs around the Borders, including Kelso Wheelers where Oscar started his journey - and the support of our sports development team - there are lots of opportunities to get into cycling in the Scottish Borders."


Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Scotsman
'Different class': Hearts boss in 'secret admirer' admission amid Aberdeen starting XI dilemma
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes has a selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener vs Aberdeen. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts head coach Derek McInnes admits his team's form is leaving him with a huge selection dilemma ahead of next week's Scottish Premiership opener against Aberdeen at Tynecastle. The Jambos have enjoyed a strong start to life under their new head coach, beating English Premier League side Sunderland 3-0 in Craig Gordon's testimonial at the weekend on the back of winning all four of their Premier Sports Cup group games. However, their focus will now switch to a difficult league opener against Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen on Monday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Expected to be two of the sides vying for a European position this season, the early season clash is a chance for both teams to put down an early marker, with Hearts in particular hoping for a vast improvement on their seventh place finish in 2024/25. Cammy Devlin has been highly praised by Hearts' new head coach Derek McInnes for his pre-season performances at Tynecastle. | SNS Group The 54-year-old boss was mightily impressed with his players in Saturday's win over the Black Cats, but admits their impressive early form is making it difficult for him to pick his starting XI. Regardless of who does start though, McInnes is confident they can get the desired result. 'I think when everybody puts their best foot forward, and there's a lot of people putting their hands up to play, that's great for a manager,' said McInnes. 'Obviously, I can only pick XI. I think I could pick so many different XIs, and I'd feel confident we could compete and get results. 'So I've got an idea about how I want to play and some of the players within that, but we've still got nine days or so. Training's important. We've got a bounce game on Wednesday, a closed-door game, to try and top up the minutes for others.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One player who looks almost certain to start the game is Australian midfielder Cammy Devlin, who was lavished with praise by the ex-Kilmarnock boss. 'I'm absolutely delighted with him,' beamed McInnes. 'He's been first class. Even from our first conversation with Cammy, when we were on holiday. I've always been an admirer from a distance. 'Now that I'm his manager, I'm really enjoying working with him. I think he gives you a bit of everything. I just want him to be at midfield. He doesn't need to overthink his game too much. The game will come naturally to Cammy if he keeps getting about his work. He's been different class.' Hearts' Oisin McEntee (R) may have played his way into Derek McInnes' starting XI. | SNS Group New signing Oisin McEntee also looks to have played himself into McInnes' thinking after a monstrous display in the weekend win in Gorgie. The versatile Irishman claimed his preferred position is in midfield, and the Hearts boss has hinted that fans may see him in that role more often than not this season.