Rangers will not be latest giants to crash out of cup, warns Chris Burke

Apr 13 2008 By Gavin Berry

CHRIS BURKE has seen plenty of giant killings on both sides of the border this season and he's desperate for Rangers to avoid becoming the next trophy scalp.

Some of England's big guns have crashed at the hands of lower-league teams in this year's FA Cup.

And in Scotland two First Division sides made it to cup semi-finals - with Queen of the South booking their place in the Scottish Cup final after a 4-3 win over Aberdeen yesterday.

Partick Thistle can become the third team outside the SPL to make the last four if they dump Gers at Firhill today.

The Jags face Rangers in a quarterfinal replay after a 1-1 draw at Ibrox.

But Burke wants to prove Thistle blew their chance by helping Gers to a win that would keep them on course for four trophies this term.

He said: "We must ensure we're not another statistic because there have been shocks in Scotland and England.

"You've seen the amount of teams knocked out of the FA Cup and the final is Portsmouth against Cardiff.

"Barnsley beat Liverpool and Chelsea, Middlesbrough went out to Cardiff and Oldham beat Everton. It's the same up here and we don't want to find ourselves on that list today.

"We have to approach the game in the right manner and give Thistle respect. They showed they're tough to beat so we won't take them lightly.

"Ian McCall said the draw was the best they'd played all season and their passing and movement surprised us.

"They played well and all credit to them but we have to make sure we win. The only way we'll do that is by playing to our potential.

"I don't know why we found it tough in the first match but Thistle were up for it."

Firhill's bumpy surface will seem like a different world from Sporting Lisbon's Jose Alvalade Stadium which was like a bowling green.

But Burke insists Rangers are a team for any occasion and reckons they'll cope.

He said: "Going from Lisbon to Firhill shows the contrast.

That surface was the best we've played on all season.

"Going there after a rugby match means it'll be one of the worst but you have to be ready regardless of conditions."