UPDATE 2-Soccer-Boyd double gives Rangers Scottish Cup triumph

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By Kenny MacDonald

GLASGOW, May 24 (Reuters) - A double from striker Kris Boyd helped Rangers beat second division Queen of the South 3-2 in a pulsating Scottish FA Cup final on Saturday.

Boyd grabbed the winner in the 72nd minute with a powerful close range header for Rangers, who had already won the League Cup, after Queens fought back from 2-0 down at halftime.

The victory was a relief for Walter Smith's side, who lost out to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League title race and were beaten by Zenit St Petersburg in this month's UEFA Cup final.

"It has been an excellent season, " Smith told the BBC, "but it doesn't take away the disappointment that you will always feel when you get to a European final (and lose).

"We lost the UEFA final then credit to Celtic, they had a graat run at the end of the season to keep the Championship.

"But it shows a lot of our boys how hard they will have to work to attempt to win it next season."

TENSE AFFAIR

The first half at Hampden Park was a tense affair with few chances in the opening half hour and it took a ferocious strike from Boyd to break the deadlock 11 minutes from the interval.

Skipper Barry Ferguson nudged a freekick sideways into his path 25 metres out and Boyd crashed a fierce, rising shot from the left into the top corner for a spectacular opener.

The final seemed over as a contest when American midfielder Beasley scored Rangers's second goal after 43 minutes.

Queens, in their first Scottish Cup final since they were formed 89 years ago, failed to clear and the ball broke for Beasley to slot a low shot under goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.

"We didn't have a competitive game for four weeks (after the league season finished) and that showed today," Queens manager Gordon Chisholm told the BBC. "The first half was probably the worst we have played all season."

However, the heavy underdogs managed to bounce back with two goals inside two minutes to reignite the final.

Stevie Tosh drove home a low shot five minutes into the second half after Sean O'Connor tore down the right and burst into the area before pulling the ball back across goal.

Queens then equalised through captain Jim Thomson who launched himself at a freekick from Robert Harris to power a header past keeper Neil Alexander from 12 metres.

But Rangers, who had hoped to secure a quadruple just over a week ago, at least finished the season with a domestic cup double when Boyd headed home Beasley's swirling corner.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)