Buddies land another Old Firm tie

08 March 2009 17:23
The Paisley side clinched a place in the semi-final with a shock home 1-0 win over Celtic on Saturday but were paired with the holders who beat Hamilton 5-1 at Ibrox on Sunday. Falkirk will meet either Aberdeen or First Division side Dunfermline, who will replay after a 1-1 draw at East End Park. The Scottish Premier League's bottom side made history by winning at fellow SPL strugglers Inverness thanks to a Carl Finnigan penalty on Saturday. The Bairns have reached the semi-finals of both major domestic cups for the first time in their history. Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist, who now turns his attention to the CIS Cup final against Celtic at Hampden next Sunday, was pleased with the chance to make another final. "It's a great draw and I'm sure they will say the same," McCoist told BBC Scotland. "The most important thing is that we got there and it's an opportunity to go back to the national stadium. "St Mirren are there on merit and it was a wonderful performance yesterday, it really was. "They were very unlucky to lose a late goal against Aberdeen in midweek. "There has been a massive improvement this season under Gus MacPherson who has got them working well and they will be a real handful." Former St Mirren captain and manager Tony Fitzpatrick, who was in the Buddies team which won the cup in 1987 when they beat Dundee United at Hampden, believes his old club will deserve to win the competition if they beat the other half of the Old Firm. He said: "In a cup competition you have to beat the best. "But if I'm being honest, I would have loved St Mirren versus Rangers to be the final. "No disrespect to the other teams but that would have been a fantastic final. "But it's an exciting draw and it will be a big occasion and after Saturday's result against Celtic, St Mirren do have a chance. "And let's be honest, if they beat Rangers then they deserve to win the trophy." St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson admitted his team had forecast they would be drawn against Rangers. He said: "We predicted that we would get Rangers. "Of course at the semi-final stages then there is a fair chance that will happen. "But we can't be disappointed, we are in the semi-final and we will get on with it. "When we have been favourites this season we have let ourselves down. "We were massive underdogs against Celtic and we will be underdogs against Rangers at Hampden. "They are familiar with the place and if we are to get to the final we will have to play well against them. "We have had a tough passage so far and there is no pressure on us in this game." Falkirk manager John Hughes was delighted to avoid the cup holders, who beat them in the CIS Cup semi-final, but stressed staying in the Scottish Premier League was much more important than cup success. "First and foremost I'm delighted to be in the semi-finals," he said. "But, if I'm being honest, I was delighted to avoid Rangers, especially after the CIS Cup semi-final against them, when I didn't think we did ourselves justice. "I think the other teams would have felt the same so it's a good draw in that respect, although I have great respect for both Aberdeen and Dunfermline. "Hopefully, the win at Inverness will be a springboard to kick on in the SPL. "There will be competition for places for the semi but, in saying that, we have to put it on the back burner. "I hope it's not a distraction. "I would definitely swap a place in the Scottish Cup final for us to retain our place in the SPL, that is our remit at this club." Scottish Cup semi-final draw: Rangers v St Mirren; Falkirk v Aberdeen or Dunfermline. Ties to be played on weekend of April 25/26.

Source: Team_Talk