1997 Scottish Challenge Cup final

{{See also|1997–98 Scottish Challenge Cup}}

Falkirk were drawn against Dumbarton away from home in the first round and produced a 2–0 victory over The Sons. The second round saw Forfar Athletic travel to Brockville Park and be beaten 3–1. Another home game for Falkirk was drawn in the quarter-finals against Stranraer which saw The Bairns triumph 3–0 winners to progress to the semi-finals. The opposition provided was Hamilton Academical which saw Falkirk win with a 2–1 victory and send the club to a Scottish Challenge Cup final for the second time in its history.

Queen of the South faced a long trip to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the first round which saw the team emerge 2–0 winners. The second round was a home game with the visitors in the form of Stirling Albion with The Doonhamers producing a second consecutive 2–0 victory. A trip to Airdrieonians was the reward for reaching the quarter-finals with Queen of the South edging the opposition out to win 3–2. Morton provided the opposition for the Dumfries club in the semi-finals with the team producing their third 2–0 victory of the tournament. Queen of the South reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time.

Before the final, after four games played each, both Falkirk and Queen of the South had only conceded four goals between them. Queen of the South earned three clean sheets bettering Falkirk's two. At the other end Falkirk had scored ten goals to Queen of the South's nine.

Queens performed creditably against the Falkirk side who at the time were playing in a higher division of the Scottish football set up, cheered on noisily by the QoS supporters witnessing their team in their first national cup final since the Scottish Qualifying Cup win of 1923/24.[http://qosfc.com/history "Club History" www.qosfc.com] The decisive moment of the game was when Falkirk's David Hagen scored in the sixty fifth minute. Queens' had a late opportunity to equalise when Tommy Bryce teed up Derek Townsley in a good shooting position just outside the Falkirk penalty area. Townsley's shot however failed to trouble Paul Mathers in the Falkirk goal as the ball went over the cross bar. Hagen's goal was enough to separate the sides with Bryce taking the man of the match award.{{Cite web |url=http://qosfc.com/new_legendsview.aspx?playerid=1045 |title="Tommy Bryce" on Queens Legends on www.qosfc.com |access-date=25 December 2011 |archive-date=2 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402033832/http://qosfc.com/new_legendsview.aspx?playerid=1045 |url-status=dead }}

{{football box |

|date = 2 November 1997

|time = 15:00

|team1 = Falkirk

|score = 1–0

|report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1997-11-02 Report]

|team2 = Queen of the South

|goals1 = Hagen {{goal|65}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = Fir Park, Motherwell

|referee = R Tait

|attendance = 9,735 }}

|valign="top" width="50%"|

|}

{{Reflist}}

{{Scottish Challenge Cup Finals}}

{{1997–98 in Scottish football}}

{{Falkirk F.C. matches}}

{{Queen of the South F.C. matches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scottish Challenge Cup Final 1997}}

1997

Category:Falkirk F.C. matches

Category:Queen of the South F.C. matches

Final

Category:November 1997 sports events in the United Kingdom

Category:Sport in Motherwell

Category:Football in North Lanarkshire