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.[3] 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.[3]
| Event | 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 23 March 2019 | ||||||
| Venue | Caledonian Stadium, Inverness[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Alan Muir[2] | ||||||
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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.[4] Two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added to the competition in 2018–19,[5] following the addition of teams from Wales and Northern Ireland in 2016–17[6] 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)[3] |
The choice of Inverness as the venue for the final[1] 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;[7] previous finals had typically been held further south in Scotland's Central Belt.
Match details
        Connah's Quay Nomads
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     Ross County
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Match rules
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References
- "Scottish Challenge Cup: Inverness to host final between Ross County and Connah's Quay". BBC Sport. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- "Alan Muir appointed IRN-BRU Cup final referee". Scottish Football Association. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- "Connah's Quay Nomads 1–1 Edinburgh City". BBC Sport. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
- "IRN-BRU Cup expanded for 2017/18". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- "Sutton United & Boreham Wood to enter Irn Bru Scottish Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
- "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.
- "Connah's Quay Nomads will play Scottish Challenge Cup final with Ross County in Inverness". The Leader. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2019.