Ross County struck late to win the League Cup in dramatic style at Hampden, with Alex Schalk’s goal securing the Staggies’ first major silverware with a 2-1 win against Hibernian.
The game had looked bound for extra-time before before Schalk’s late strike, after Hibs defender Liam Fontaine’s goal on the stroke of half-time had cancelled out Michael Gardyne’s opener for the Dingwall men.
Jim McIntyre goes down as the manager to deliver the Staggies their first major silverware since they stepped up from the Highland League in 1994, with County going one better than their last cup final appearance, when they went down 3-0 against Dundee United in the final of the Scottish Cup in 2010.
McIntyre made two changes to the side defeated 3-0 by Dundee United in the previous weekend’s Scottish Cup quarter-final, with Ian McShane returning to the holding midfield position in place of wide man Jonathan Franks, while attacker Alex Schalk was drafted into the side in place of Brian Graham, to partner Liam Boyce up front.
The pair were supported by a supporting four of Michael Gardyne, Martin Woods, Jackson Irvine and Richard Foster in a 3-1-4-2 formation, with McShane sitting in front of the back three.
Hibs were also on Scottish Cup duty the week before, drawing 1-1 draw against County’s Highland rivals, Caley Thistle, with manager Alan Stubbs recalling forward Jason Cummings and midfielder Marvin Bartley, in place of James Keatings and the injured Dylan McGeouch.
Neither side had enjoyed a consistent run of form in the build-up to the final, with Hibs having lost three Championship games on the bounce to fall 17 points adrift of league leaders Rangers, while County’s Scottish cup exit followed a run of three victories and three defeats from their last six Premiership matches.
The Edinburgh outfit were the first to threaten on 12 minutes though, with Cummings taking aim with a powerful dipping strike from the edge of the box that forced sharp reactions from County goalkeeper Gary Woods to tip the ball over the bar.
The Staggies’ first attempt on 16 minutes, when McShane’s corner came all the way through to Martin Woods in plenty space, but from a narrow angle the midfielder blazed over.
Hibs were enjoying much of the ball in attacking areas, with David Gray’s cross narrowly missed by Cummings, before Anthony Stokes’ low drive forced a low save from Woods.
County always looked dangerous on the break though, and they capitalised on slackness from the hosts to take the lead on 25 minutes. Irvine was razor sharp in intercepting the loose ball in midfield, before bearing down on goal and releasing Gardyne, whose path round goalkeeper Mark Oxley was helped by a touch from Hibs midfielder Marvin Bartley, allowing Gardyne to slot into the empty net. It was a sweet moment for the midfielder, who was part of the team defeated in County’s last cup final appearance.
The goal gave the Staggies a strong platform, but Hibs continued to enjoy the greater threat, with Cummings seeing his effort tipped round the near post by Woods, but County eventually cracked under the pressure in untimely fashion, conceding a goal on the stroke of half-time. Liam Henderson’s corner eventually broke to defender Fontaine, who swivelled before darting a powerful drive into Woods’ right-hand corner.
It was a huge blow for McIntyre and his side, but the warning sides had been there. The Highlanders enjoyed more of the ball at the start of the second-half, but Hibs again looked menacing in the danger area, with Stokes rolling a low strike just wide of Woods’ right-hand post.
McIntyre shook things up on 59 minutes, introducing forward Graham in place of the off-colour Boyce, and the Dingwall side began to probe for a second goal, with Foster guiding a header wide of target from a free-kick.
Hibs should have been reduced to 10 men on 63 minutes, when Bartley struck Graham with a stray arm off the ball as he attempted to guide the ball out of play for a goal kick, with referee Clancy opting only to show a yellow card.
With the match finely poised, tension began to take hold of the national stadium, with County making their second change by taking off McShane for Stewart Murdoch. Graham had the ball in the ball in the net twice in the space of five minutes, firstly being correctly flagged for offside before lobbing over Oxley, and then being penalised for a foul on the goalkeeper as he nodded home Schalk’s cross.
After County introduced Franks in place of Foster, County looked to have used up their full quota of substitutes as extra-time began to look inevitable, but the Staggies had the last laugh. Gardyne – who had soldiered on after what had looked a game-ending leg injury – burst down the left flank before sending in a driven cross, which was only half cut out by defender Liam Fontaine, whose contact teed up Schalk to ram into the empty net from point-blank range and send his side’s supporters into raptures.
There was time for more late drama, with the outstanding Woods once again required to make a superb save to thwart Fontaine’s overhead kick, but the Staggies held on to put their name on major silverware for the first time and ensure both domestic trophies are now held in the Highlands following Caley Thistle’s Scottish Cup triumph last season.w