2007 Scottish Challenge Cup final

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2007 Scottish Challenge Cup final
Event2007–08 Scottish Challenge Cup
Dunfermline Athletic St Johnstone
2 3
Date25 November 2007
VenueDens Park, Dundee
RefereeE. Smith
Attendance6,446
← 2006
2008 →

The 2007 Scottish Challenge Cup final was an association football match between Dunfermline Athletic and St Johnstone, held on 25 November 2007 at Dens Park in Dundee. It was the 17th final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the Scottish Football League.

St Johnstone progressed through four knock-out rounds to reach the final whilst Dunfermline Athletic contested only three after receiving a random bye into the second round. The 2007 final was Dunfermline's second appearance in a cup final in six months, having lost the 2007 Scottish Cup final, although it was the club's first Challenge Cup final. The match was St Johnstone's second appearance in the final of the tournament having lost in 1996. The tournament was contested by clubs below the Scottish Premier League, with both clubs in the final coming from the First Division.

St Johnstone took a 3–0 lead within the first 30 minutes with a

Scott Wilson scored for Dunfermline after 37 minutes to make it 3–1 at half time. In the 70th minute, Stephen Glass
scored from a penalty to make it 3–2. St Johnstone held on to win, and it was the first time the club had won a national cup trophy in its 123-year history.

Route to the final

See also: 2007–08 Scottish Challenge Cup

The competition was a knock-out tournament and in 2007 was contested by the 30 teams that played in the First, Second and Third Divisions of the Scottish Football League. The first round draw was split into two geographical regions with 15 teams in each: north/west and south/east.[1] In each regional draw, teams were paired at random and the winner of each match progressed to the next round and the loser was eliminated. Dunfermline Athletic and Partick Thistle received random byes into the second round, at which stage the regional format ended and all remaining teams entered the same draw.[1][2]

Dunfermline Athletic

Round Opposition Score
Second round Clyde (a) 4–1
Quarter-final
Airdrie United (a
) 		2–0
Semi-final Ayr United (h) 1–0

Dunfermline Athletic entered the second round after receiving a bye in the first round draw and faced the First Division club and previous season's runners-up, Clyde, at Broadwood Stadium.[3] Mark Burchill scored first for Dunfermline in the 26th minute with Ruari MacLennan equalising for Clyde one minute into the second half. Owen Morrison scored Dunfermline's second goal after 57 minutes before he and Burchill both scored again to make it 4–1 and win the match.[3]

In the quarter-finals Dunfermline faced Airdrie United, a competitor in the Second Division, away from home at the Excelsior Stadium.[4] The score was goalless at half time but Burchill's two goals in the second half after 54 and 81 minutes respectively sealed a 2–0 win to progress to the semi-finals.[4] With four teams left in the tournament Dunfermline were drawn to play Ayr United, also of the Second Division, at home at East End Park.[5] Similar to the previous round, the scoreline was 0–0 for most of the game before Glass scored a late winner for Dunfermline in the 83rd minute to win 1–0 and send Dunfermline into their first Challenge Cup final.[5]

St Johnstone

Round Opposition Score
First round Raith Rovers (a) 1–1 (
a.e.t.)
(5–4 pens.
)
Second round Ross County (a) 2–0
Quarter-final Brechin City (h) 4–1
Semi-final Greenock Morton (a) 3–1

St Johnstone entered the north/east section of the first round draw and were paired with Second Division club Raith Rovers away from home at

extra time to be played. The score stayed 1–1 for the 30 minutes of extra time so the winner was decided by a penalty shoot-out, which St Johnstone won 5–4 to progress to the second round.[6] In the second round St Johnstone faced the defending champions Ross County, also away from home, at Victoria Park.[7] Kenny Deuchar scored the first goal for St Johnstone in the 14th minute before Andy Jackson scored the game's only other goal in the 49th minute to secure a 2–0 win and advance to the next round.[7]

St Johnstone played another Second Division club, Brechin City, at home at McDiarmid Park in the quarter-finals, taking a four-goal lead in the first half: Kenny Deuchar scored twice and Andy Jackson and David Weatherston made it 4–0 shortly before half time.[8] In the second half, Calum Smith pulled a goal back for Brechin City in the 57th minute to make it 4–1 which was how the score remained and St Johnstone progressed to the semi-finals.[8] With four teams left in the tournament, St Johnstone travelled to Cappielow to face fellow First Division club Greenock Morton.[9] Both teams scored early in the match; Andy Jackson for St Johnstone in the 10th minute and Brian Graham for Greenock Morton two minutes later to make it 1–1. In the second half, St Johnstone scored two more goals from Peter MacDonald and Rocco Quinn to win 3–1 and advance to the final for the first time since losing in 1996 to Stranraer.[9]

Pre-match

Venue

Dens Park hosted the final.

The 2007 final was hosted at Dens Park in Dundee which had been Dundee F.C.'s home since it was opened in 1889. The match was the first time Dens Park hosted a national cup final since the Scottish League Cup in 1980. St Johnstone were allocated approximately 4,200 tickets and supporters occupied the Bob Shankly Stand and part of the Main Stand.[10] Dunfermline fans were initially allocated the Bobby Cox Stand, the South Enclosure and the remainder of the Main Stand, but it was decided by the Scottish Football League to leave the South Enclosure unused after Dunfermline returned all tickets for the enclosure due to lack of ticket sales.[11][12] Dunfermline Athletic travelled around 47 miles (75.6 km)[13] to the venue whereas Perth-based St Johnstone travelled approximately 22 miles (35.4 km).[14]

Analysis

In order to reach the final, Dunfermline played three matches; one at

clean sheets in the process.[15] St Johnstone contested four matches before the final; one at home at McDiarmid Park and the other three away, scoring ten goals, conceding three and keeping only one clean sheet.[15]

Both teams were competing in the Scottish First Division at the time of the final and despite being ranked at opposite ends of the league table, St Johnstone in third and Dunfermline in ninth,[16] both teams were in relatively bad form. St Johnstone had drawn seven games from thirteen and were nine points behind second placed Dundee; whilst Dunfermline had won only three games in thirteen and were two points off the bottom of the table.[17] The match was the first time the clubs had met in the Challenge Cup, however, they had already played each other twice in the season in the First Division; both matches ended in 0–0 draws.[17]

Three days before the final, St Johnstone's manager Owen Coyle was announced as the new manager of English Championship club Burnley,[18] and so assistant manager Sandy Stewart was appointed as caretaker manager for the final; he accepted an offer to join Coyle at Burnley after the match.[19]

Match

First half

Paul Gallacher conceded three goals within the first 30 minutes of the match.

The beginning of the match was dominated by St Johnstone and after 13 minutes they were awarded a

volley
from 12 yards out which Dunfermline's goalkeeper Gallacher failed to stop.

St Johnstone's early dominance coupled with Dunfermline's poor defending resulted in St Johnstone scoring a third goal after only 30 minutes;

Stephen Kenny made the first substitution of the match, replacing defender Calum Woods with Darren Young. In the 37th minute, shortly after the substitution, Dunfermline scored when Scott Wilson's header beat St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Main
.

Second half

Only 40 seconds into the second half, Quinn almost restored St Johnstone's 3-goal advantage but his attempt on goal rebounded off the goalpost despite beating the goalkeeper.

Danny Murphy was the first player to be cautioned by the referee, receiving a yellow card for bringing Quinn to the ground whilst tackling for the ball.[20] In the 64th minute, Dunfermline made their second substitution; Michael McGlinchey was replaced by Jim Hamilton and he had an almost immediate impact on the match, earning a penalty kick after being pushed by Anderson. Referee Smith initially awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area but changed his mind amid complaints from Dunfermline players and awarded a penalty kick instead. Stephen Glass took the penalty kick, hitting the ball past goalkeeper Main into the top corner of the goal to make the score 3–2. Dunfermline continued to pressure for an equalising goal and almost did so when St Johnstone defender Goran Stanić nearly scored an own goal after mis-hitting the ball but it rebounded off the crossbar. Despite Dunfermline's late improvement in form, St Johnstone held on to win the match and claim the first national cup trophy in their 123-year existence.[20]

Details

15:00 GMT
Dunfermline Athletic2–3St Johnstone
Wilson 37'
Glass 70' (pen.
)		 Report Sheerin 13' (pen.)
MacDonald 19'
Deuchar 30'
Attendance: 6,446[21]
Referee: Eddie Smith
Dunfermline Athletic
St. Johnstone
GK Scotland Paul Gallacher
DF England Calum Woods downward-facing red arrow 34'
DF
Scott Wilson
 Yellow card 87'
DF Ivory Coast Sol Bamba
DF
Danny Murphy
 Yellow card 59'
MF Republic of Ireland Bobby Ryan
MF Scotland Stephen Simmons downward-facing red arrow 88'
MF Scotland Stephen Glass
MF Scotland Michael McGlinchey downward-facing red arrow 64'
FW Scotland Stevie Crawford
FW Scotland Mark Burchill
Substitutes:
GK Scotland Sean Murdoch
DF Wales Jamie Harris upward-facing green arrow 88'
MF Scotland Darren Young Yellow card 66' upward-facing green arrow 34'
MF
Scott McBride
FW Scotland Jim Hamilton upward-facing green arrow 64'
Manager:
Stephen Kenny
GK Scotland Alan Main
DF Scotland Gary Irvine
DF Scotland Allan McManus
DF Scotland Steven Anderson downward-facing red arrow 80'
DF North Macedonia Goran Stanić
MF Scotland Rocco Quinn
MF Scotland Derek McInnes
MF Scotland Paul Sheerin
FW Scotland Peter MacDonald downward-facing red arrow 75'
FW Scotland Kenny Deuchar
FW Republic of Ireland Andy Jackson downward-facing red arrow 80'
Substitutes:
GK Scotland Kevin Cuthbert
DF Scotland Kevin Rutkiewicz upward-facing green arrow 80'
MF Scotland Martin Hardie upward-facing green arrow 75'
MF Scotland Willie McLaren
FW
Steven Milne
 upward-facing green arrow 80'
Caretaker manager:
Scotland Sandy Stewart

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of
    extra time
    if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Maximum of 3 substitutions

Post-match

After the match, St Johnstone caretaker manager Sandy Stewart declared his interest in becoming the permanent manager but admitted he had already been offered the job as assistant manager to Owen Coyle at Burnley, which he later confirmed.[22] Reflecting on his decision to go to Burnley, Stewart mentioned: "It was a tricky decision... but, football-wise, I just felt it was too good an opportunity to turn down."[23] Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny praised his team's efforts after the game but admitted that poor defending had resulted in the defeat.[24] Kenny was sacked as manager a week later due to continuing poor league results and was replaced by player Jim McIntyre.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b Challenge Cup – First Round Draw Archived 26 July 2013 at archive.today, scottishfootballleague.com. Scottish Football League. 24 July 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  2. ^ Challenge Cup Draw Archived 26 July 2013 at archive.today, dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 17 August 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  3. ^ a b Clyde v Dunfermline Athletic – Scottish League Challenge Cup 5/9/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b Airdrie United v Dunfermline Athletic – Scottish League Challenge Cup 18/9/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b Dunfermline Athletic v Ayr United – Scottish League Challenge Cup 2/10/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  6. ^ a b Raith Rovers v St Johnstone – Scottish League Challenge Cup 14/8/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
  7. ^ a b Ross County v St Johnstone – Scottish League Challenge Cup 5/9/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  8. ^ a b St Johnstone v Brechin City – Scottish League Challenge Cup 25/9/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  9. ^ a b Greenock Morton v St Johnstone – Scottish League Challenge Cup 2/10/2007, espnfc.com. ESPN FC. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  10. ^ Ticket Allocations for Challenge Cup Final, stjohnstonefc.co.uk. St Johnstone F.C. 15 October 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  11. ^ Challenge Cup Final ticket withdrawal Archived 1 August 2013 at archive.today, dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 13 November 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  12. ^ McArthur, Ewan. "Pars Snub Briefs For Dens Final", Daily Record, 15 November 2007.
  13. ^ Dunfermline, Fife to Dundee, Dundee City, bing.com. Bing Maps. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  14. ^ Directions from Perth, Perth and Kinross to Dundee, Dundee City, bing.com. Bing Maps. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  15. ^ a b Scottish League Challenge Cup 2007/08, soccerbase.com, Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  16. ^ Scottish Division One 2007–2008 : Table on 24.11.2007 Archived 25 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, statto.com, Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  17. ^ a b Woods, Natasha. "Saints' Cup Hope", Sunday Herald, 25 November 2007.
  18. Guardian Unlimited
    , 22 November 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  19. ^ Geldard, Suzanne. "Stewart to join Coyle as number two", Lancashire Telegraph, 26 November 2007.
  20. ^ a b c d e Docherty, John. "A wait off their shoulders; Challenge Cup Saints hold off Pars to end marathon hunt for cup glory". Daily Record (Glasgow). 26 November 2007.
  21. ^ Dunfermline Ath 2–3 St Johnstone, news.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  22. ^ Stewart interested in Saints job, news.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  23. ^ Stewart: Why I joined Clarets, lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. Lancashire Telegraph. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  24. ^ Stephen Kenny Post Challenge Cup Final Archived 5 August 2013 at archive.today, dafc.co.uk. Dunfermline Athletic F.C. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  25. ^ Pars part company with boss Kenny, news.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
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