THIS is the remarkable moment Rangers let Partick Thistle walk the ball down the pitch to score an equaliser in an incredible Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox.
Light Blues boss Michael Beale ordered his players to let Scott Tiffoney make it 2-2 after Thistle were left enraged by Malik Tillman’s goal that put the Gers in front.
PATillman’s goal led to chaos[/caption]
VIAPLAYAll hell broke loose after Tillman scored[/caption]
VIAPLAYThistle boss McCall acknowledged Beale’s act of sportsmanship[/caption]
Willie VassTiffoney walked the ball into the net after the drama[/caption]
The chaos unfolded in the 70th minute of an incredible cup clash when Rangers knocked the ball out of play so Malik Tillman could get treatment on an injury knock.
Partick then resumed with the throw-in, with Kevin Holt preparing to launch the ball down-field to return possession to Rangers.
However – Tillman himself didn’t seem to get the memo and he dramatically nicked the ball off of Holt, ran clean through on goal and scored.
All hell then broke loose.
Tillman was bundled to the ground as tempers boiled over, with Thistle absolutely enraged with what had gone on.
Referee David Munro was powerless to intervene – but Light Blues gaffer Beale certainly wasn’t!
Once things began to calm down, Beale instructed his players to allow Thistle to level things up.
Scott Tiffoney ran the entire half of the pitch completely uncontested – that was until he got to Allan McGregor.
Appearing none too pleased with the decision to let Partick score, McGregor made things tricky for Tiffoney before eventually allowing him to knock the ball into the net.
The Rangers fans weren’t impressed, with huge boos greeting the goal.
Beale and Ian McCall shook hands on the touchline, with the Thistle boss acknowledging his opposite number’s act of sportsmanship.
It was an absolutely incredible, unprecedented moment in a game that was full of absolute drama from start to finish.
Holt had given Thistle a shock first-half lead from the penalty spot after a controversial VAR intervention.
Antonio Colak, penalised for handball, levelled the game up early in the second-half.
James Tavernier then saw a penalty saved by Sneddon, before the incredible goal drama unfolded.
And then four minutes from time, there was an own goal to add to the bedlam.
James Sands then headed-in a late winner – that may eventually go down as a Connor McAvoy own goal – as the Gers won an incredible match.
After the game, Gers skipper Tavernier said: “We are high on standards as Rangers, it was the right thing to do to let them score the goal.
“It was about carrying on after that.”
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