2004 Scottish Challenge Cup final
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{ infobox football match
| title = 2004 Scottish Challenge Cup final
| image = 170px
| caption = The match programme cover
| event = 2004–05 Scottish Challenge Cup
| team1 = Falkirk
| team1score = 2
| team2 = Ross County
| team2score = 1
| details =
| date = 7 November 2004
| stadium = McDiarmid Park
| city = Perth
| man_of_the_match1a =
| man_of_the_match1atitle =
| man_of_the_match1b =
| man_of_the_match1btitle =
| referee = K. Clark (Paisley)
| attendance = 7,471
| weather =
| previous = 2003
| next = 2005
}}
The 2004 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the Bell's Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football match between Falkirk and Ross County on 7 November 2004 at McDiarmid Park in Perth.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/scotchcuphist.html |title=Scottish League Challenge Cup Finals |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |accessdate=16 June 2013}} It was the 14th final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the Scottish Football League.
Falkirk emerged winners after defeating Ross County 2–1 with goals from Neil Scally and Darryl Duffy[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/3984441.stm Falkirk 2-1 Ross County], BBC Sport. 2004-11-07. Retrieved 2009-12-31. to win the tournament for a third time after winning the 1993 and 1997 finals.
Route to the final
{{See also|2004–05 Scottish Challenge Cup}}
= Falkirk =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;margin-left:1em;float:right" |
| width=80|Round
! width=160|Opposition ! width=80|Score |
|---|
| First round
| Ayr United (a) | align=center|3–0 |
| Second round
| Stirling Albion (h) | align=center|5–3 |
| Quarter-final
| align=center|3–0 |
| Semi-final
| St Johnstone (a) | align=center|2–1 |
The first round draw paired The Bairns with Ayr United at Somerset Park with the home team emerging 3–0 victors.[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/1/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 Scottish League Challenge Cup round 1 Results – 2004/05] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026010532/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/1/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 |date=26 October 2012 }}, ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 2011-06-13. The second round was a home game against neighbours Stirling Albion for Falkirk at Ochilview Park producing a high scoring 5–3 win[http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/2/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 Scottish League Challenge Cup round 2 Results – 2004/05] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026010713/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/2/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 |date=26 October 2012 }}, ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 2011-06-13. to progress to the quarter-finals. The opponents drawn were Gretna at home in the quarter-finals and Falkirk won with their second 3–0 victory of the tournament.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026072147/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/3/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 Scottish League Challenge Cup round 3 Results – 2004/05], ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 2011-06-13. The reward for reaching the semi-final was an away game at St. Johnstone with Falkirk edging out the opponents to win 2–1 to book a place in the final.[https://archive.today/20130102212830/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/round/_/season/2004/league/sco.challenge/seasonType/4/scottish-league-challenge-cup?cc=5739 Scottish League Challenge Cup Semi-finals Results – 2004/05], ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 2011-06-13. Falkirk reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the third time, since winning the 1993 final against St Mirren and defeating Queen of the South in the 1997 final.
= Ross County =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;margin-left:1em;float:right" |
| width=80|Round
! width=160|Opposition ! width=80|Score |
|---|
| First round
| align=center|2–1 |
| Second round
| align=center|2–1 |
| Quarter-final
| Partick Thistle (h) |
| Semi-final
| Forfar Athletic (h) | align=center|5–2 |
Ross County were drawn against St. Mirren at home in the first round and County produced a 2–1 victory over the club. The second round draw saw The Staggies drawn against Peterhead away from home with Ross County emerging 2–1 winners for the second consecutive game. The quarter-final draw brought with Partick Thistle all the way to Victoria Park which saw Ross County edging out a 5–3 win on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra time to progress to the semi-finals. The opposition provided in the semi-final draw was Forfar Athletic and another home game which saw the Dingwall outfit triumph with a 5–2 victory to proceed to the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time in the club's history.
Pre-match
= Analysis =
Falkirk had played two games at their shared home of Ochilview Park and two away in the games preceding the final with Ross County playing a total of three games at Victoria Park and one away from home. In the process Falkirk amassed a total of thirteen goals scored and a mere four goals conceded whilst keeping two clean sheets. Ross County scored ten goals before the final and conceded a total of five, managing to keep no clean sheets. Falkirk progressed winners through all four games in 90 minutes of play, whereas it took penalties before Ross County emerged as winners over Partick Thistle in the quarter-final. This was Falkirk's third time competing in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, whilst holding a 100% record after winning both the 1993 and 1997 finals. Ross County were appearing in the final for the first time in the club's history.
Match
{{football box |
|date = 7 November 2004
|time = 15:00 GMT
|team1 = Falkirk
|score = 2–1
|report = [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/3984441.stm Report]
|team2 = Ross County
|goals1 = Scally {{goal|70}}
Duffy {{goal|75}}
|goals2 = Winters {{goal|56}}
|stadium = McDiarmid Park, Perth
|referee = Kenny Clark (Paisley)
}}
| width=92% | |
| {{Football kit
| pattern_la = _redborder | pattern_b = _red_piping_vneck | pattern_ra = _redborder | leftarm = 005090 | body = 005090 | rightarm = 005090 | shorts = FFFFFF | socks = 005090 | alt = | title = Falkirk }} |{{Football kit | pattern_la = _whiteshoulders | pattern_b = | pattern_ra = _whiteshoulders | leftarm = 000066 | body = FFFFFF | rightarm = 000066 | shorts = 000066 | socks = FFFFFF | alt = | title = Ross County }} |
= Teams =
| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="40%"| {| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" |colspan="4"|Falkirk: | ||||
| width=25| | width=25| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Allan Ferguson | ||
| RB | 2 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Andy Lawrie | ||
| LB | 3 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Craig McPherson | ||
| CM | 4 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Scott MacKenzie | ||
| CB | 5 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Mark Campbell | {{yel}} | |
| CB | 6 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Kevin James (c) | ||
| RM | 7 | {{flagicon|SCO}} John O'Neil | {{suboff|25}} | |
| LM | 8 | {{flagicon|SCO}} David Nicholls | {{suboff|50}} | |
| CF | 9 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Andy Thomson | {{suboff|72}} | |
| CM | 10 | {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} Russell Latapy | ||
| CF | 11 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Darryl Duffy | ||
| colspan=3|Substitutes: | ||||
| FW | 12 | {{flagicon|POR}} Pedro Moutinho | {{subon|50}} | |
| MF | 14 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Neil Scally | {{subon|25}} | |
| FW | 15 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Daniel McBreen | {{subon|72}} | |
| MF | 16 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Kieran McAnespie | ||
| GK | 17 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Darren Hill | ||
| colspan=3|Manager: | ||||
| colspan="4"|{{flagicon|SCO}} John Hughes |
|valign="top"|
|valign="top" width="50%"|
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
|colspan="4"|Ross County: | ||||
| width=25| | width=25| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Stuart Garden | ||
| RB | 2 | {{flagicon|SCO}} John Robertson | ||
| LB | 3 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Mark McCulloch | ||
| CM | 4 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Jamie McCunnie | ||
| CB | 5 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Martin Canning | ||
| CB | 6 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Jim Lauchlan (c) | ||
| CM | 7 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Don Cowie | ||
| LM | 8 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Charlie Adam | {{suboff|60}} | |
| CF | 9 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Sean Higgins | {{suboff|66}} | |
| RM | 10 | {{flagicon|SCO}} John Rankin | ||
| CF | 11 | {{flagicon|SCO}} David Winters | {{suboff|80}} | |
| colspan=3|Substitutes: | ||||
| DF | 12 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Stuart Malcolm | {{subon|80}} | |
| MF | 14 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Sean Kilgannon | {{subon|60}} | |
| FW | 15 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Steven McGarry | {{subon|66}} | |
| FW | 16 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Gary McSwegan | ||
| GK | 17 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Colin Stewart | ||
| colspan=3|Manager: | ||||
| colspan="4"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Alex Smith |
|}
| width=100% style="font-size: 90%"
| width=50% valign=top| MATCH RULES
|
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Scottish Challenge Cup seasons}}
{{2004-05 in Scottish football}}
{{Falkirk F.C. matches}}
{{Ross County F.C. matches}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scottish Challenge Cup Final 2004}}
Category:Ross County F.C. matches
Category:Sport in Perth, Scotland