2018 Scottish Challenge Cup final

Last updated
2018 Scottish Challenge Cup final
Event 2017–18 Scottish Challenge Cup
Date24 March 2018
Venue McDiarmid Park, Perth
Referee Andrew Dallas
Attendance4,602
2017
2019

The 2018 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the IRN-BRU Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was a football match that took place on 24 March 2018 at McDiarmid Park, between Dumbarton and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. [1] It was the 27th 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 fifth since the SPFL was formed. The match was won by Inverness CT 10 with a stoppage time winner, marking their second win in the tournament since its inception and their first silverware since the 2014–15 Scottish Cup.

Contents

Route to the final

The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 56 teams from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 201718. [2] Two teams from the Republic of Ireland were added to the competition in 201718, [2] following the addition of teams from Wales and Northern Ireland in 201617. [3]

Those participating were the 30 clubs that played in the 2017–18 Championship, League One and League Two of the Scottish Professional Football League along with the top four teams from the 2016–17 Highland and Lowland Leagues. The top two teams from the 2016–17 Welsh Premier League and 2016–17 NIFL Premiership and the U20s squads of the teams competing in the 2016–17 Premiership were also invited to compete. [2] Bray Wanderers and Sligo Rovers, as the League of Ireland's highest-ranked non-European participants in 2016, were also invited. [2]

Dumbarton

Round Opposition Score
First round Rangers Under-20s (h) 2–1
Second round Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Connah's Quay Nomads (h) 2–1 ( a.e.t. )
Third round Stranraer (h) 2–1
Quarter-final Raith Rovers (h) 2–0
Semi-final Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg The New Saints (a) 2–1

Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Inverness received a bye to the second round, as the team that had finished 12th in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership.

Round Opposition Score
Second round Aberdeen Under-20s (a) 4–2
Third round Peterhead (h) 3–0
Quarter-final Falkirk (h) 1–0
Semi-final Ulster Banner.svg Crusaders (h) 3–2

Match details

Dumbarton 0–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Report Tremarco Soccerball shade.svg90+3'
McDiarmid Park , Perth
Attendance: 4,602
Referee: Andrew Dallas
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Kit body dumbarton home 1718.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blackborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts blacksides.png
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Dumbarton
Kit left arm inverness1718h.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body inverness1718h.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm inverness1718h.png
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Kit socks long.svg
Inverness CT
Dumbarton:
GK1 Flag of Scotland.svg Scott Gallacher
RB2 Flag of Scotland.svg David Smith
CB4 Flag of Scotland.svg Andy Dowie (c) Yellow card.svg
CB55 Flag of Scotland.svg Craig Barr
LB3 Flag of Scotland.svg Christopher McLaughlin Yellow card.svg
CM6 Flag of Scotland.svg Stuart Carswell
CM14 Flag of Scotland.svg Kyle Hutton
AM21 Flag of Scotland.svg Danny Handling
FW10 Flag of Scotland.svg Tom Walsh Sub off.svg 81'
FW7 Flag of Scotland.svg Calum Gallagher Yellow card.svgSub off.svg 74'
FW23 Flag of Scotland.svg Iain Russell Sub off.svg 68'
Substitutes:
GK19 Flag of Scotland.svg Jamie Ewings
MF5 Flag of Scotland.svg Grant Gallagher
MF8 Flag of Scotland.svg David Wilson
FW9 Flag of Scotland.svg Mark Stewart Sub on.svg 74'
DF15 Flag of Scotland.svg Dougie Hill
MF20 Flag of Cyprus.svg Dimitris Froxylias Sub on.svg 68'
MF31 Flag of Scotland.svg Liam Burt Sub on.svg 81'
Manager:
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Aitken
Inverness Caledonian Thistle:
GK28 Flag of Scotland.svg Mark Ridgers
RB17 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Collin Seedorf
CB5 Flag of England.svg Gary Warren (c)
CB23 Flag of Scotland.svg Coll Donaldson Yellow card.svg
LB3 Flag of England.svg Carl Tremarco Yellow card.svg
RM7 Flag of Scotland.svg Liam Polworth
CM11 Flag of Scotland.svg Iain Vigurs
LM4 Flag of Scotland.svg Joe Chalmers
FW14 Flag of England.svg George Oakley
FW20 Flag of England.svg Connor Bell Sub off.svg 78'
FW15 Flag of Ireland.svg Jake Mulraney Sub off.svg 70'
Substitutes:
GK1 Flag of Scotland.svg Ryan Esson
MF10 Flag of Ireland.svg Aaron Doran Sub on.svg 70'
MF16 Flag of England.svg Riccardo Calder
MF18 Flag of Ireland.svg Zak Elbouzedi
MF24 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Charlie Trafford
MF27 Flag of Scotland.svg Daniel MacKay Sub on.svg 78'
FW32 Flag of Scotland.svg Jack Brown
Manager:
Flag of Scotland.svg John Robertson

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.

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References

  1. "McDiarmid Park to host IRN-BRU final". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "IRN-BRU Cup expanded for 2017/18". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. "Northern Irish and Welsh sides to join top flight U20s in Challenge Cup". www.stv.tv/sport. STV. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.