Rangers survived a second-half Queen of the South comeback to win 3-2 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park.

The Glasgow giants had taken a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead in the first-half thanks to goals from Kris Boyd and DaMarcus Beasley. But two goals in four second-half minutes by Stevie Tosh and Jim Thomson brought the underdogs from Dumfries back on to level terms before Boyd struck again to ensure the Gers' season ended on a high.

Appearing in their first Scottish Cup final in their 89-year history, Queen of the South started brightly as they looked to take advantage of Rangers' tired legs - the Ibrox outfit having suffered title heartbreak on the final day of the league season just 48 hours earlier.

But after a shaky start, Rangers began to take control midway through the half. The first clear opening fell to Beasley, preferred to Steven Davis in Walter Smith's line-up, who curled a shot on to the top of the crossbar after being fed in the area by Boyd with 23 minutes gone.

That duo of Rangers players combined again minutes later, as Boyd headed a teasing Beasley cross from the left over the Queen of the South crossbar.

But Boyd wasn't to be denied for long, as he scored with a screaming strike from a free-kick on the edge of the Queens area after 33 minutes.

The goal was fully deserved, and Lee McCulloch almost scored a second for Rangers a minute later after getting to a Steven Whittaker cross from the right.

Rangers doubled the lead before the break though, as Beasley was rewarded for an enterprising first-half performance with a goal two minutes before the break. The goal came from a corner taken by Beasley himself on the left.

His delivery caused confusion inside the Queens box, and after some kamikaze defending the ball fell to Beasley on the left of the six-yard box, from where the American slid the ball under Queens' keeper Jamie MacDonald, who probably should have saved, to make it 2-0.

Jean-Claude Darcheville missed a glorious opportunity to make it three in first-half injury time - lobbing a shot over the bar from 25 yards when he was clean through on goal - but at that stage it appeared not to matter as Rangers threatened to run away with it.

Whatever Queen of the South boss Gordon Chisholm said at half-time, it obviously fired up his players, as they ran out for the second period like men possessed. It took just three minutes for their enthusiasm to pay off, as Sean O'Connor crossed from the right byline for midfielder Tosh, who scored with his midriff.

Boyd could have restored Rangers' two-goal advantage from a corner just a minute later, but he failed to get enough on his header to beat MacDonald.

Queen of the South's centre-back Jim Thomson then showed Boyd how it's done with a plunging header into the roof of the Rangers net from a free-kick pumped high into the penalty area.

That goal sent the Doonhamers' fans into delirium, and for a few minutes after levelling at 2-2, it looked like Queens might sneak a winner. Stephen Dobbie had a decent shout for a penalty turned down and Thomson almost connected with a corner to score an unlikely double.

But the Queen of the South players seemed to lose energy as the second period wore on, and Rangers re-established control of the game. Chances came and went for Beasley, skipper Barry Ferguson and Sasa Papac before Boyd scored his second with a header from a Beasley corner from the right with 17 minutes remaining.

Queen of the South could taken the game to extra-time after being a free-kick right on the edge of the Rangers' area in injury time, but left-back Ryan McCann failed to match Boyd's first-half efforts from the set piece, sending his shot into the defensive wall.

The victory ensures a cup double for Rangers, which should provide some solace after their recent defeats in the Scottish Premier League title race and the UEFA Cup final.

Ben Phillips / Eurosport