Cup win celebrated as Queens' crowning glory but manager focuses on securing his reign

Thursday 20 September 2012

SUCH was the momentum which engulfed Queen of the South in the aftermath of their dramatic Ramsdens Cup penalty shoot-out win over Rangers at Ibrox, Allan Johnston found himself propelled towards their next league match.

Custom byline text:

Martin McMillan

The Queens manager allowed his players time to cavort in front of their supporters long after Ryan McGuffie's winning spot-kick was retrieved from the back of the net but his own mind was occupied by more prosaic matters.

The trip to face Brechin City in the league will not feel quite as pertinent to the second division leaders given what they achieved on Tuesday night but Johnston has not allowed it to interrupt his preparations. Not even yesterday's semi-final draw – where the Dumfries side were picked to face Arbroath at home – offered a sufficient distraction.The modesty with which he has treated the triumph is likely designed to ensure his young squad do not get carried away with it, as well as an awareness that his own reputation as a promising manager will be tarnished somewhat if Queens fall short of promotion this season. "The boys were flying after the game but I was more concerned about facing Brechin as that is a really tough game especially at their place," said Johnston, whose side have now gone 10 matches without defeat. "Don't get me wrong beating Rangers is massive but the league remains our priority and I went to sleep thinking more about the Glebe Park game than the Ibrox one. You just have to move on."We are far from the finished article as there were parts in the game where we could have done better. When they went down to 10 men it was probably our worst period of the game and there is something to be learned from that."He was similarly reticent when asked about the position of Ally McCoist. The result provoked an indignant response from Rangers fans but Johnston offered a simple message of support to the Rangers manager. "I am sure he will turn things around as he has done in the past," he said. "I have enough on my plate being the manager of Queen of the South without looking at Rangers results but their team is only gelling just now."Such diplomacy was echoed by David Longmuir, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, who played down the significance of Rangers absence from the semi-final draw. "The Challenge Cup over the years has always been about football and this season's competition is in good shape with or without Rangers," he said. "I would prefer to look at the result as showing the depth of quality in the SFL as opposed to sighing about Rangers being out." Still, the Ibrox side's failure to make it to the final four of a domestic competition is illustrative of the change in their circumstances. The days when clubs would arrive at Ibrox and shut their eyes as the likes of Ronald de Boer, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Claudio Caniggia paraded in front of them were shrouded by the impertinence of Queens' young players but they were still easily recalled by a more experienced member of the Dumfries side."I think I've had a couple of draws at Ibrox in my time but not a win," said Derek Young, who had failed to record a win from trips with Aberdeen and Dunfermline Athletic. "I can't believe it has taken me to play in the second division to get a win at Ibrox. I was speaking to some of the boys and saying that I remember going to Ibrox and playing against the likes De Boer, Claudio Caniggia, Van Bronckhorst, just incredible players."Most teams go to Ibrox and expect a bit of a doing because that seems to have happened this season. Thankfully, we went there and put on a decent show."DRAW

Contextual targeting label:

retail

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Cup win celebrated as Queens' crowning glory but manager focuses on securing his reign

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED