2019 Scottish Challenge Cup final
{{Infobox football match
| title = 2019 Scottish Challenge Cup final
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| event = 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup
| team2 = Ross County
| team2association = {{flagicon|SCO|size=30px}}
| team2score = 3
| team1 = Connah's Quay Nomads
| team1association = {{flagicon|WAL|size=30px}}
| team1score = 1
| details =
| date = 23 March 2019
| stadium = Caledonian Stadium
| city = Inverness{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47339086 |title=Scottish Challenge Cup: Inverness to host final between Ross County and Connah's Quay |publisher=BBC Sport |date=22 February 2019 |access-date=22 February 2019}}
| man_of_the_match1a =
| man_of_the_match1atitle =
| man_of_the_match1b =
| man_of_the_match1btitle =
| referee = Alan Muir{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/alan-muir-appointed-irn-bru-cup-final-referee/?rid=13929 |title=Alan Muir appointed IRN-BRU Cup final referee |publisher=Scottish Football Association |date=13 March 2019 |access-date=13 March 2019}}
| attendance =
| weather =
| previous = 2018
| next = 2020
}}
The 2019 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the IRN-BRU Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was a football match that took place on 23 March 2019, between Ross County and Connah's Quay Nomads.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47254752 |title=Connah's Quay Nomads 1–1 Edinburgh City |publisher=BBC Sport |date=16 February 2019 |access-date=17 February 2019}} It was the 28th final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the now defunct Scottish Football League, and the sixth since the SPFL was formed. Connah's Quay became the first club from outside Scotland to reach the final since the competition was first expanded to include guest teams from other countries in 2016–17.
Route to the final
{{See also|2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup}}
The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 58 teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2018–19.{{cite web |url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/article/irn-bru-cup-expanded-for-201718/ |title=IRN-BRU Cup expanded for 2017/18 |work=www.spfl.co.uk |publisher=Scottish Professional Football League |date=7 June 2017 |access-date=22 February 2018}} Two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added to the competition in 2018–19,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44412402 |title=Sutton United & Boreham Wood to enter Irn Bru Scottish Challenge Cup |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2018 |access-date=17 February 2019}} following the addition of teams from Wales and Northern Ireland in 2016–17{{cite web |url=http://stv.tv/sport/football/1356801-northern-irish-and-welsh-sides-to-join-top-flight-u20s-in-challenge-cup/ |title=Northern Irish and Welsh sides to join top flight U20s in Challenge Cup |work=www.stv.tv/sport |publisher=STV |date=8 June 2016 |access-date=22 February 2017}} and the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18.
=Ross County=
| class="wikitable" |
| width=100|Round
! width=220|Opposition ! width=80|Score |
|---|
| First round
| Heart of Midlothian U21s (a) | align=center|2–1 |
| Second round
| Raith Rovers (h) | align=center|5–0 |
| Third round
| align=center|3–1 |
| Quarter-final
| Motherwell U21s (a) | align=center|2–1 |
| Semi-final
| align=center|2–1 |
=Connah's Quay Nomads=
As one of the guest teams from Wales, Connah's Quay Nomads received a bye to the second round.
| class="wikitable" |
| width=100|Round
! width=160|Opposition ! width=80|Score |
|---|
| Second round
| align=center|1–0 |
| Third round
| {{flagicon|NIR}} Coleraine (h) | align=center|2–0 |
| Quarter-final
| Queen's Park (a) | align=center|2–1 |
| Semi-final
| Edinburgh City (h) |
The choice of Inverness as the venue for the final caused some controversy, with the Highland city being only {{convert|15|miles}} from Ross County's home in Dingwall but a distance of {{convert|400|miles}} for Connah's Quay Nomads;{{cite web|url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/sport/football/17455872.connahs-quay-nomads-will-play-scottish-challenge-cup-final-with-ross-county-in-inverness/|title=Connah's Quay Nomads will play Scottish Challenge Cup final with Ross County in Inverness|work=The Leader |date=24 February 2018|access-date=25 February 2019 }} previous finals had typically been held further south in Scotland's Central Belt.
Match details
{{football box
|date=23 March 2019
|time=16:30
|round=Final
|score=1–3
|report=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47622909
|team2=Ross County
|team1=Connah's Quay Nomads {{flagicon|WAL}}
|stadium=Caledonian Stadium
|location=Inverness
|goals2=
|goals1=
- Bakare {{goal|22}}
|attendance=3,057
|referee=Alan Muir
}}
| style="width:92%;" |
| {{Football kit
|pattern_b = _llanelli1819h |pattern_sh = _wrexham1819h2 |pattern_so = _wrexham1819h |leftarm = FF0000 |body = FF0000 |rightarm = FF0000 |shorts = FF0000 |socks = FF0000 | title = Connah's Quay Nomads |pattern_la=_llanelli1819h|pattern_ra=_llanelli1819h}} |{{Football kit | pattern_la = _rosscounty1819h | pattern_b = _rosscounty1819h | pattern_sh = _rosscounty1819h | pattern_ra = _rosscounty1819h | pattern_so = _rosscounty1819h | title = Ross County |socks=00003E}} |
| style="width:100%" | ||
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"|
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%" | ||
| width=25| | width=25| | |
|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|England}} John Danby |
| RB | 15 | {{flagicon|England}} Danny Holmes {{yel}} |
| CB | 18 | {{flagicon|England}} Priestly Farquharson (c) {{suboff|80}} |
| CB | 5 | {{flagicon|England}} George Horan |
| LB | 14 | {{flagicon|Ireland}} Adam Barton |
| CM | 8 | {{flagicon|England}} Callum Morris {{yel}} {{suboff|81}} |
| CM | 6 | {{flagicon|England}} Danny Harrison {{suboff|81}} |
| LM | 17 | {{flagicon|Wales}} Michael Parker |
| RM | 22 | {{flagicon|England}} Michael Bakare |
| FW | 9 | {{flagicon|Wales}} Michael Wilde |
| FW | 10 | {{flagicon|England}} Andy Owens |
| colspan=4|Substitutes: | ||
| GK | 20 | {{flagicon|England}} Lewis Brass |
| DF | 2 | {{flagicon|England}} John Disney |
| MF | 7 | {{flagicon|England}} Ryan Wignall {{subon|80}} |
| MF | 12 | {{flagicon|England}} Declan Poole {{subon|66}} |
| MF | 16 | {{flagicon|Wales}} James Owen |
| MF | 19 | {{flagicon|Wales}} Jake Phillips {{subon|88}} |
| MF | 21 | {{flagicon|Wales}} Robert Hughes |
| colspan=4|Manager: | ||
| colspan="4"|{{flagicon|Scotland}} Andy Morrison |
|style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"|
| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto" | ||
| width=25| | width=25| | |
|---|---|---|
| GK | 21 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Ross Munro |
| RB | 2 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Marcus Fraser (c) |
| CB | 15 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Keith Watson |
| CB | 12 | {{flagicon|Ireland}} Andy Boyle |
| LB | 28 | {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Kenny van der Weg |
| RM | 10 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Declan McManus {{suboff|66}} |
| CM | 8 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Jamie Lindsay |
| CM | 26 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Don Cowie {{suboff|90+2}} |
| LM | 7 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Michael Gardyne {{suboff|88}} |
| FW | 27 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Ross Stewart |
| FW | 19 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Brian Graham |
| colspan=4|Substitutes: | ||
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Scott Fox |
| DF | 3 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Sean Kelly |
| MF | 14 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Josh Mullin {{subon|66}} |
| MF | 16 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Lewis Spence {{subon|90+2}} |
| MF | 24 | {{flagicon|Canada}} Harry Paton |
| MF | 31 | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Daniel Armstrong {{subon|88}} |
| DF | 44 | {{flagicon|England}} Tom Grivosti |
| colspan=4|Manager: | ||
| colspan="4"|{{flagicon|Scotland}} Stuart Kettlewell and {{flagicon|Scotland}} Steve Ferguson |
|-
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; font-size: 90%;" |
- Man of the match: Josh Mullin
| style="width:50%; vertical-align:top; font-size: 90%;"|
Match rules
- 90 minutes.
- 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
- Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
- Seven named substitutes.
- Maximum of three substitutions.
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Scottish Challenge Cup seasons}}
{{Ross County F.C. matches}}
{{2018–19 in Scottish football}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
Category:Scottish Challenge Cup finals
Scottish Challenge Cup Final 2019
Category:Connah's Quay Nomads F.C.
Category:Football in Highland (council area)
{{Scotland-footy-competition-stub}}