HOLDERS GERS TO HOST ACCIES

Mendes celebrates Rangers' winner against Partick.

Co-Operative Insurance Cup holders Rangers will host Hamilton in this season's quarter-finals after edging out Partick Thistle in the third round.

Pedro Mendes' sublime finish with just four minutes of extra-time remaining on Wednesday gave Walter Smith's Gers a 2-1 win at Firhill against Thistle while Accies also needed an extra 30 minutes to see off Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell 2-1.

Celtic face a trip to Rugby Park to take on 2007 runners-up Kilmarnock after both sides hit four past Livingston and Aberdeen respectively in round three.

2006 finalists Dunfermline's reward for defeating SPL side St Mirren is a trip to Tannadice to take on Craig Levein's Dundee United while Falkirk will host Inverness after the pair defeated First Divison sides Queen of the South and Morton respectively.

Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies' response to drawing Celtic was unrepeatable, according to right-hand man Billy Brown.

After the draw, Jefferies' assistant of 20 years was straight on the mobile to relay the news to his manager - and it appears it did not go down too well.

"I can't really say what Jim said," Brown revealed.

"To be perfectly honest, it's not the draw we wanted."

"This nonsense that you've got to play the Old Firm sometime doesn't work for me. We didn't want to play either of the Old Firm.

"But we've got them now, so we've got to be positive about it."

Killie have a terrible record against Celtic, having not beaten them in Jefferies and Brown's six and a half years at the helm.

They met as recently as Sunday, with the Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions running out 3-1 winners.

Brown said: "On Sunday, we were really poor. We picked the wrong time to play our worst of the season.

"But, who knows? We learned a lot from last Sunday and we put one or two things right."

The aftermath of the match has witnessed a public slanging match between the clubs over Celtic's late penalty - controversially awarded after Shunsuke Nakamura went down - and the reaction of Killie defender Frazer Wright, who appeared to clip the Japan midfielder around the head.

Brown insisted the incident was "history" and that he could understand his player's reaction.

"I didn't think Nakamura dived. I think he just lost his footing and the referee gave the decision.

"Frazer Wright obviously was frustrated about what happened.

"I'm sure if it happened at the other end, Stephen McManus might have batted David Fernandez across the back of the head."

Brown is not expecting Sunday's incident - or the result - to have any bearing on next month's match and neither does he think his side will benefit if Celtic decide the competition is bottom of their list of priorities.

He said: "They want to win every game they take part in. They've got a powerful pool, they can change their team and bring in guys that are as good as the ones that are playing every week.

"I'm sure that Gordon Strachan wants to win the League Cup, SPL, Scottish Cup and Champions League."

And there is no chance of Killie taking the game lightly.

Brown said: "People say the League Cup's not a big tournament; it's certainly a big tournament to clubs like Kilmarnock.

"This is a chance to go on and a chance of winning a trophy.

"We've got a big barrier in our way now but we're not going to approach it with any negative thoughts.

"We'll go and have a go at them."

Inverness boss Craig Brewster was pleased to avoid the Old Firm.

He said: "Obviously we would have liked a home draw but I'm not too disappointed with it.

"I'm sure [Falkirk boss] John Hughes is happy with the draw too. There will be a lot at stake for both clubs with a place in the last four up for grabs."

Co-Operative Insurance Cup draw

Rangers v Hamilton

Kilmarnock v Celtic

Falkirk v Inverness

Dundee Utd v Dunfermline