Queen’s Park and Davidson stand tall amid Ibrox bedlam

Callum Davidson, the manager of Queen’s Park, rocked back in his chair in the Ibrox press box, pulled his jacket over his face, and cried in agony.

He had just received a new message from Ibrox flicker’s big screen.

James Tavernier saved a penalty in the 97th minute by moving goalkeeper Calum Ferrie off his line, according to the officials.

He was able to celebrate moments later when his team delivered one of the Scottish Cup’s most seismic shocks.

Due to a touchline ban, he also had to leave the dugout.

Instead, he was sitting a few seats along from the BBC commentary team as he fevered instructions on his phone at half-time and at one point standing up and gesturing to his staff furiously.

Given all the obstacles in their path, Queen’s Park’s chances were hardly more likely to be higher.

“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”.

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 the crucial penalty to keep Rangers at bay as well as eight other brilliant saves.

Tavernier, who has scored 69 penalties for Rangers, will have hit worse and scored. However, Ferrie would never be defeated.

He and the Queen’s Park coaches had analyzed the Rangers captain’s preference for hitting them, but ultimately it was a matter of gut feeling.

” 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.

Prior to that, he had played in the Isthmian League for Uxbridge. He had scored one goal all season.

After selling a dummy to Jefte, opening his body up, and slotting him into the bottom corner like prime Thierry Henry, he is now immortal in Scottish football history.

But in black and white, there were so many heroes.

Six of their fellow defenders, including centre-backs Nikola Ujdur and Will Tizzard, were unavailable for Queen’s Park, but they were strong presences in the middle of the box.

After running themselves into the ground in midfield, Sean Welsh and Louis Longridge struggled to make contact before the end of the match.

In his brief managerial career, Davidson has already performed cup heroics.

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.

It would be completely different to do it with Queen’s Park. The Glasgow side is currently fifth in the Championship, or less than the bottom.

He will want to strengthen that position and help them continue their ideal Scottish Cup campaign.

It’s a difficult decision because second-tier rival Livingston is the only non-top-flight side in the draw for the following round.

However, nothing else should faze them besides winning for the first time since March at Ibrox.

Asked if he can now kick back and enjoy Monday’s draw, Davidson cracked a smile.