RORY RELISHES RANGERS REMATCH
QUEEN’S PARK should have known better. When Rory McAllister went to ground on the edge of the box, there was only one player going to take the free-kick. The Peterhead striker, unsurprisingly, did the business. His goal at Hampden helped the Blue Toon create history by sealing their first ever cup final spot. McAllister’s useful ability to find the net has been crucial to Peterhead’s run, the 28-year-old scoring in each round of Petrofac Training Cup — including all five in a win at Falkirk in round two. Peterhead now must wait to see if Rangers or St Mirren will join them in the Final on April 10. While McAllister fancies his chances against Saints, the prospect of facing the Glasgow giants brings back great memories. He scored for Peterhead in a famous 2-1 win at Ibrox in April 2013 when Rangers were in the Third Division. ‘It’s difficult to pick because we’ve got a better chance of beating St Mirren, but everyone wants to play the best teams and, obviously, I think we’ll all want Rangers in the Final,’ said McAllister. ‘We’ve beaten them before but they are a different team now. It will be a tougher prospect but it’s a one-off, so we’ll see how it goes.’ A small group of Peterhead fans made the long trip to Hampden to watch Jim McInally and his players seal the famous victory. McAllister is, naturally, excited about the Final but admitted it will be a special occasion for the club. ‘A lot of people behind the scenes do a lot of work and put hours in,’ he said. ‘People don’t see that but it’s a family club and there are a lot of nice people. It’s good for them to have a day out at the Final.’ Queen’s Park were looking to reach their first national cup final in 115 years and kept their dream alive when a Paul Woods penalty cancelled out McAllister’s free-kick opener. But the visitors were back in front before the break when Leighton McIntosh scored. Spiders midfielder Jamie McKernon was shown a late red card for dissent. Reaching the semi-final was an achievement in itself and for Queen’s Park defender Anthony Ralston, it was an experience he hopes will benefit him in the long run. The 16-year-old — on loan from Celtic — said: ‘The experience of playing against men every Saturday is only going to help you in your career going forward.’