1996 Scottish Challenge Cup final

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1996 Scottish Challenge Cup final
Event 1996–97 Scottish Challenge Cup
Date3 November 1996
Venue Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld
Referee K. W. Clark (Paisley) [1]
Attendance5,522 [1]
1995
1997

The 1996 Scottish Challenge Cup final was an association football match between Stranraer and St Johnstone on 3 November 1996 at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. [2] It was the seventh final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the Scottish Football League.

Contents

The match was Stranraer's first national cup final in its 126-year history, whilst it was St Johnstone's first in 27 years since losing the Scottish League Cup Final in October 1969. The tournament was contested by clubs below the Scottish Premier Division, with St Johnstone from the First Division and Stranraer from the Second Division. The only goal of the game was from Tommy Sloan, which was enough for Stranraer to win the match 1–0. [1]

Route to the final

Stranraer

Round Opposition Score
First round Berwick Rangers (a) 2–0
Second round Clyde (h) 2–1
Quarter-final East Fife (a) 1–0
Semi-final Greenock Morton (h) 3–0

Stranraer faced Berwick Rangers away from home at Shielfield Park, producing a 2–0 [3] win and clean sheet. The second round draw saw Clyde travel to Stair Park with the home team winning 2–1. [3] The reward for reaching the quarter-final was an away game against East Fife in Methil with Stranraer edging out the opposition in a 1–0 victory [3] and second clean sheet of the tournament to progress to the semi-finals. The opposition was a home game against Greenock Morton, and Stranraer produced a third clean sheet in a 3–0 win [3] against the club, sending The Blues into their first ever Scottish Challenge Cup final. [3]

St. Johnstone

Round Opposition Score
First round Albion Rovers (a) 2–1
Second round Ayr United (a) 3–0
Quarter-final Dundee (a) 5–1
Semi-final Montrose (h) 4–2

St Johnstone faced a trip to Albion Rovers' home of Cliftonhill in Coatbridge in the first round which saw the team emerge 2–1 winners. [3] The second round was another game on the road against Ayr United for St Johnstone with the visitors producing a 3–0 victory [3] to progress to the quarter-finals. A trip to Tayside neighbours Dundee was the reward for reaching the quarter-finals with The Saints triumphing 5–1 winners. [3] The semi-final draw paired the club with Montrose and St Johnstone's only home game of the tournament with the club winning 4–2 [3] at McDiarmid Park. St Johnstone reached the Scottish Challenge Cup final for the first time. [3]

Pre-match

Analysis

Stranraer had played two home games and two away games in the matches preceding the final, whereas, St Johnstone played only one game at their home of McDiarmid Park and played the other three games away from home. Stranraer scored a total of eight goal and conceded only one goal before the final, in the process keeping three clean sheets. St Johnstone amassed a total of fourteen goals scored and conceded only four, but kept only one clean sheet. This was the first appearance for both Stranraer and St Johnstone in the Scottish Challenge Cup final since its inauguration in 1990. [3]

Final

Stranraer 1–0 St Johnstone
Griffin Soccerball shade.svg(o.g.) Report
Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld
Attendance: 5,522
Referee: Kenny Clark

Teams

Stranraer:
GK1 Flag of Scotland.svg Barney Duffy
MF2 Flag of Scotland.svg Graham Duncan
DF3 Flag of Scotland.svg Tom Black Sub off.svg
DF4 Flag of Scotland.svg Jim Hughes
DF5 Flag of Scotland.svg Tony Gallagher Sub off.svg
DF6 Flag of Scotland.svg John McCaffrey
FW7 Flag of Scotland.svg Tommy Sloan
MF8 Flag of Scotland.svg Alan Lansdowne
FW9 Flag of Scotland.svg Gordon Young Sub off.svg
MF10 Flag of Scotland.svg Ian McAuley
MF11 Flag of Scotland.svg Robert Docherty
Substitutes:
DF12 Flag of Scotland.svg Derek Crawford Sub on.svg
FW14 Flag of Scotland.svg John McMillan Sub on.svg
DF15 Flag of Scotland.svg John Robertson Sub on.svg
Manager:
Flag of Scotland.svg Campbell Money
St Johnstone:
GK1 Flag of Scotland.svg Alan Main
DF2 Flag of Scotland.svg John McQuillan
DF3 Flag of Scotland.svg Allan Preston
MF4 Flag of Austria.svg Attila Sekerlioglu Sub off.svg
DF5 Flag of Scotland.svg Jim Weir
DF6 Ulster Banner.svg Danny Griffin
MF7 Flag of Scotland.svg Steve Tosh
MF8 Flag of Scotland.svg John O'Neil
FW9 Flag of Scotland.svg Roddy Grant
FW10 Flag of Scotland.svg Ian Ferguson Sub off.svg
MF11 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Leigh Jenkinson
Substitutes:
DF12 Flag of Scotland.svg Andy Whiteford
MF14 Flag of Scotland.svg Gary Farquhar Sub on.svg
FW15 Flag of Sweden.svg Peter Fyhr Sub on.svg
Manager:
Flag of Scotland.svg Paul Sturrock

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bell's Cup, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. 2 November 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  2. "Scottish League Challenge Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Scottish Challenge Cup, statto.com. Retrieved 16 June 2011.