Rangers survived a Scottish Cup scare to beat Partick Thistle 3-2 but the fifth-round tie threw up a hugely controversial incident which saw both sides grab a goal each.

Jags captain Kevin Holt gave the Championship side the interval lead with a penalty after 35 minutes after a VAR check and Croatia striker Antonio Colak, who had been penalised for handball for the spot-kick, levelled with a header five minutes after the restart.

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Jags goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon saved a poor James Tavernier penalty before the real drama came.

After Rangers had put the ball out for Malik Tillman to receive treatment, Holt looked to launch a long ball from a throw-in back into the Gers half but Tillman robbed him and ran through to round the goalkeeper and put the ball in the net, sparking a melee with players from both sides and the on-loan Bayern Munich player on the ground.

Amid the confusion, Rangers boss Michael Beale instructed his players to allow Scott Tiffoney to run up the pitch and equalise but with four minutes of normal time remaining Connor McAvoy looked like he headed into his own net under pressure from James Sands to book the Gers a place in the last eight but the debate will continue.

Partick sack boss McCall after defeat at Ibrox

Just hours after the final whistle, Thistle announced to widespread surprise that McCall and his management team had been sacked, with Under-18s coach Kris Doolan taking over on an interim basis.

The Jags sit fifth in the Championship, 10 points behind leaders Queen's Park.

McCall, 58, joined Thistle for a second spell as boss in September 2019 after leaving Ayr.

A statement on Thistle's website read: "Partick Thistle FC have this evening relieved Ian McCall, Alan Archibald and Neil Scally of their duties in relation to the first team with immediate effect.

"The club would like to place on record its sincere appreciation to all three for their contributions to Partick Thistle over many years.

"Under-18 coach Kris Doolan will take on the role of first-team manager on an interim basis, and will be assisted in this regard by academy director Paul McDonald.

"At this crucial juncture of the season, we ask all members of the Partick Thistle family to get behind Kris and the team as we strive for promotion to the Scottish Premiership."

How Rangers survived a Scottish Cup scare...

With Rangers in such good form, it had promised to be a relatively straightforward afternoon.

Aside from the return of Colak, midfielder Nicolas Raskin was handed his first start since signing from Standard Liege with Ianis Hagi starting for the first time in over a year after recovering from a knee injury, with veteran goalkeeper Allan McGregor, Sands, Glen Kamara and Tillman reinstated while Kemar Roofe had recovered from a shoulder injury to take his place on the bench.

Thistle had good experience in their side in the shape of Stuart Bannigan, Brian Graham, Aaron Muirhead and former Ger Lee Hodson and their 2,500 fans added greatly to the atmosphere.

The Maryhill men soon found themselves under pressure but for all their possession the Govan side could not fashion a clear-cut chance.

Hagi headed a Todd Cantwell cross past the post from 14 yards in the 26th minute before the match took an unexpected twist.

McGregor made two fine saves, one from a Kyle Turner free-kick from outside the penalty area and then from Tiffoney's powerful drive from 14 yards, before the visitors took a shock lead after a header from Holt inside the box struck the arm of nearby Colak.

Referee David Munro was asked to check the monitor by Steven Kirkland, in charge of VAR, and he pointed to the spot with Holt confidently sending McGregor the wrong way with his spot-kick.

As Jags fans celebrated, the Rangers supporters growled their frustration and Beale took action at the break.

Ryan Kent and Roofe replaced Hagi and Cantwell and within four minutes Roofe had raced clear of the Thistle defence only to fire wide of the target.

However, a minute later, Colak headed in a Raskin cross at the back post for his 15th goal of the season and waves of relief went around Ibrox outwith the yellow and red section.

Moments later, Sneddon parried a drive from Colak and it looked like Rangers had found their rhythm although Graham's speculative effort from 35 yards evaded McGregor but also the crossbar.

When Bannigan tangled legs with Tillman inside the box referee Munro pointed to the spot and after a VAR check, Sneddon blocked a poor effort from Gers skipper Tavernier and Thistle retained hope.

Then came the incredible controversy with Tillman putting Rangers ahead before Tiffoney levelled to the amazement and bemusement of many in the crowd.

The match looked like it could go to extra-time but from a Borna Barisic corner the ball ended in the Thistle net, helped in by McAvoy it seemed with Sands in attendance, a scrappy goal to settle a remarkable match.

Beale: Tillman 'completely unaware' of wrong-doing with cup goal

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Rangers boss Michael Beale claims Malik Tillman was "completely unaware" of any wrong-doing in his controversial goal.

Beale spoke about a "disjointed" first-half performance but was adamant that Tillman, on loan from Bayern Munich, was completely innocent.

He said: "Malik gets injured and we play the ball out, Malik is down on the floor, and he doesn't see that we have played the ball out.

"So, by the time Malik gets up, he sees they have a throw-in, and he puts his hand up to the referee as if to say, 'how have they got a throw?' and then he presses as he has been taught.

"He is completely unaware of the situation, of what has happened. I had to speak to my bench to make sure that is what they saw as well. Malik came over and I spoke to him, and he confirmed it.

"So, it (allowing Thistle to level) was the right thing to do. I will tell you why it was the right thing to do. Malik Tillman is a fantastic young player, and I don't want that hanging around his head. "He has never cheated anyone in his life and as a football club we have high standards.

"We don't need to do that to beat Partick Thistle at home. It is not an easy thing to ask footballers to do because they haven't seen it, but it was the right thing to do.

"For everything I want to stand for as a club and what I want to stand for and also for protecting a fantastic young player from having something thrown at him which I won't allow.

"Yes, it could have been risky, but we don't want to win like that. We don't want to earn anything we aren't due as a club or what we have earned on the park.

"That's my overriding feeling on the whole situation that it would have been unjust if we had gone through that way."

McCall on incident: 'It's a new one for me'

Before his departure, McCall admitted the incident was a new one to him, saying: "I've been in football since 1981 and I've never seen anything like it before."

But he believes Beale showed class with his action and added: "From my point of view Malik Tillman didn't really realise what was going on. I don't blame the referee because I'm not sure he can stop it. Maybe he can, I'm not sure what the rules are but I'm not sure he realised what was going on.

"We were just about to kick it back. Then Mick made the decision which I think reflects really well on him and this football club. Then it was game on after that. I hold no ill-feeling towards Malik Tillman whatsoever.

"I think I'd have done it if I'm being honest. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if we had won 3-2 but he made the decision and I think it was the right one. I think sometimes a bit of class is going out of football but that showed it."

What's next?

Rangers' attention turns back to the Scottish Premiership with their next game away to Livingston on 18 February. Kick-off 3pm.

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