The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Rangers won the match 3-2.
Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St Johnstone 4–3 on penalties after the match had ended 1–1 after extra time.
First Division Queen of the South were contesting a Scottish Cup final for the first time in their history. The final was four weeks after the end of Queens' league season meaning the First Division side had not played a competitive game in that time. This was Rangers' 50th appearance in the final, winning 31 times and losing 17, with one final (1909) resulting in the cup being withheld It was Rangers' third cup final of the season, having won in the League Cup Final and lost in the UEFA Cup Final.
Route to the final
Match
Team news
Queen of the South started with the same team which had beaten Aberdeen in the semi-final with Stephen Dobbie and Sean O'Connor up-front as part of a 4-4-2 formation. The midfield was composed of Paul Burns, Neil MacFarlane, Steve Tosh and Jamie McQuilken. The defence was made up of Ryan McCann (the quarter-final hero with a goal against Dundee from 84 yards meriting an application to the Guinness Book of Records as the longest distance goal from an outfield player) Jim Thomson, Andy Aitken and Robert Harris. Jamie MacDonald started in goal. Sean O'Connor was the only player not from Scotland in the team. The only player to drop out of the squad from the semi-final victory was former Rangers youth Brian Gilmour, with Scott Robertson taking his place on the bench.
Rangers also used a 4–4–2 formation, making four changes from the side who were beaten 2–0 in Aberdeen, with Kris Boyd and Jean-Claude Darcheville up-front. Rangers were without Nacho Novo who was suspended and without Chris Burke and Steven Naismith who were both injured, DaMarcus Beasley had recently returned from injury and was a surprise inclusion and started in midfield with Kevin Thomson, Barry Ferguson and Lee McCulloch. Steven Whittaker, Carlos Cuéllar, David Weir and Saša Papac made up the defence. Neil Alexander was making only his 12th start in goal for rangers. Carlos Cuéllar, Saša Papac, DaMarcus Beasley and Jean-Claude Darcheville were the non-Scots to start, meaning that 17 out of the 22 players that started the match were from Scotland, this was 5 more than the previous year.
Match summary
Queen of the South were the more dangerous team in the early stages, with problems being caused by Stephen Dobbie and Sean O'Connor. Rangers' best chance came when Boyd passed to Beasley in a good position but his shot went into the side-netting, minutes later and the roles were reversed when Boyd met a Beasley cross eight yards with his head, he could only nod over the net, although should have done better. A disputed foul was awarded against Tosh for a challenge on Beasley 25 yards out. Barry Ferguson tapped the free kick to Boyd who hit the ball into the top left corner, Rangers were 1–0 up after 33 minutes. Queen of the South felt they should have had a penalty when Steven Whittaker pushed Sean O'Connor but the referee did not agree. Rangers doubled their lead three minutes before half time when Carlos Cuellar's header was missed by Jim Thomson and Ryan McCann who collided which allowed Cuellar's header to reach the back post to fall for Beasley, whose shot from 12 yards went under goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.
Both teams started the second half unchanged. Four minutes after the restart, O'Connor broke clear of Cuellar in the Rangers box and then cut the ball back for Tosh to score using his pelvis. Queens were back in the match. Rangers briefly threatened to restore their advantage, but a Boyd header was held by MacDonald. Papac then fouled McCann 10 yards from the Rangers box. Thomson rose to firmly head home from the Bob Harris free-kick. After 53 minutes the sides were tied at 2–2. Rangers could have restored their lead when Jean-Claude Darcheville passed to Beasley and he then passed to the feet of Ferguson but the skipper shot straight at the keeper. Boyd scored after he rose highest from Beasley's corner to head the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net with 18 minutes to go. Queens never seemed likely to score after that despite making three changes.