2019 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
# 2019 Scottish Challenge Cup Final

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. 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

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. Two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added to the competition in 2018–19, following the addition of teams from Wales and Northern Ireland in 2016–17 and the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18.

### Ross County

| Round | Opposition | Score |
| - | - | - |
| First round | Heart of Midlothian U21s (a) | 2–1 |
| Second round | Raith Rovers (h) | 5–0 |
| Third round | Montrose (h) | 3–1 |
| Quarter-final | Motherwell U21s (a) | 2–1 |
| Semi-final | East Fife (h) | 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.

| Round | Opposition | Score |
| - | - | - |
| Second round | Falkirk (a) | 1–0 |
| Third round | Coleraine (h) | 2–0 |
| Quarter-final | Queen's Park (a) | 2–1 |
| Semi-final | Edinburgh City (h) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 5–4 (p) |

The choice of Inverness as the venue for the final caused some controversy, with the Highland city being only 15 miles (24 km) from Ross County's home in Dingwall but a distance of 400 miles (640 km) for Connah's Quay Nomads; previous finals had typically been held further south in Scotland's Central Belt.

## Match details

| Connah's Quay Nomads | Ross County |
| - | - |
| GK1 John Danby RB15 Danny Holmes CB18 Priestly Farquharson (c) 80' CB5 George Horan LB14 Adam Barton CM8 Callum Morris 81' CM6 Danny Harrison 81' LM17 Michael Parker RM22 Michael Bakare FW9 Michael Wilde FW10 Andy Owens Substitutes: GK20 Lewis Brass DF2 John Disney MF7 Ryan Wignall 80' MF12 Declan Poole 66' MF16 James Owen MF19 Jake Phillips 88' MF21 Robert Hughes Manager: Andy Morrison | GK21 Ross Munro RB2 Marcus Fraser (c) CB15 Keith Watson CB12 Andy Boyle LB28 Kenny van der Weg RM10 Declan McManus 66' CM8 Jamie Lindsay CM26 Don Cowie 90+2' LM7 Michael Gardyne 88' FW27 Ross Stewart FW19 Brian Graham Substitutes: GK1 Scott Fox DF3 Sean Kelly MF14 Josh Mullin 66' MF16 Lewis Spence 90+2' MF24 Harry Paton MF31 Daniel Armstrong 88' DF44 Tom Grivosti Manager: Stuart Kettlewell and Steve Ferguson |
| Man of the match: Josh Mullin | 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. |
