2017 Scottish Challenge Cup Final

The 2017 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, also known as the Irn-Bru Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, is a football match that took place on 25 March 2017 at Fir Park, between Dundee United and St Mirren.[1] It was the 26th 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 fourth since the Scottish Professional Football League was formed. Both teams progressed through four elimination rounds to reach the final. The match was won by Dundee United 2 - 1, marking their first win in the tournament since its inception and their first silverware since the 2009-10 Scottish Cup final.[2][3]

2017 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
Official match day programme
Event2016–17 Scottish Challenge Cup
Dundee United St Mirren
2 1
Date25 March 2017
VenueFir Park, Motherwell
RefereeNick Walsh
Attendance8,089
WeatherSunny

Route to the final
See also: 2016–17 Scottish Challenge Cup

The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 52 teams from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2016-17.[4] Those participating were the 30 clubs that played in the 2016–17 Championship, League One and League Two of the Scottish Professional Football League along with the top four teams from the 2015–16 Highland and Lowland Leagues (East Stirlingshire, who were relegated from the SPFL, took the place of the Lowland League champions Edinburgh City, who promoted in their place). The top two teams from the 2015–16 Welsh Premier League and 2015–16 NIFL Premiership and the U20s squads of the teams competing in the 2016–17 Premiership were also invited to compete.[4] For the first three rounds, the draw was divided into two geographical regions – north and south. These draws were seeded to avoid U20s teams and Highland and Lowland League sides from being drawn against each other.[5] From round four onwards, the draw was regionalised to keep Welsh and Northern Irish teams apart.

As both clubs play in the Championship, they received a bye to the third round.

Dundee United
Round Opposition Score
Third round Peterhead (h) 3–2 (a.e.t.)
Fourth round Stranraer (a) 1–0
Quarter-final Dunfermline Athletic (a) 1–0
Semi-final Queen of the South (a) 3–2

St Mirren
Round Opposition Score
Third round Albion Rovers (a) 4–3 (a.e.t.)
Fourth round Hibernian (a) 2–1
Quarter-final Ayr United (h) 2–1
Semi-final The New Saints (h) 4–1

Match details
Final
Dundee United2–1St Mirren
Andreu  37'
Mikkelsen  75'		 SPFL report Loy  38'
Attendance: 8,089
Referee: Nick Walsh
Dundee United
St Mirren
Dundee United:
GK1 Cammy Bell (c)
RB8 Stewart Murdoch
CB14 William Edjenguélé
CB4 Mark Durnan
LB24 Jamie Robson
CM16 Charlie Telfer
CM14 Willo Flood
RW22 Ali Coote  89'
AM19 Tony Andreu
LW23 Nick van der Velden  58'
CF9 Simon Murray  80'
Substitutes:
GK21 Luis Zwick
DF3 Paul Dixon
DF5 Coll Donaldson  89'
DF6 Lewis Toshney
DF20 Frank van der Struijk
MF11 Alex Nicholls  80'
FW18 Thomas Mikkelsen  58'
Manager:
Ray McKinnon
St Mirren:
GK21 Billy O'Brien
RB3 Gary Irvine
CB6 Gary MacKenzie
CB15 Jack Baird
LB44 Adam Eckersley
RM42 Kyle Magennis  84'
CM10 Stevie Mallan
CM22 Stephen McGinn (c)
LM17 Lewis Morgan
CF16 Rory Loy
CF9 John Sutton
Substitutes:
GK1 Jamie Langfield
DF2 Stelios Demetriou
DF4 Andy Webster
MF23 Pål Fjelde
MF35 Darren Whyte
MF36 Connor O'Keefe  84'
FW50 Ryan Watters
Manager:
Jack Ross

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.

References
  1. "Fir Park to host IRN-BRU Cup Final". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  2. "Dundee United 2 St. Mirren 1". BBC Sport. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. "Dundee United 2 St Mirren 1 as Thomas Mikkelsen is the hero as Terrors win Irn-Bru Cup - 3 things we learned". Daily Record. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  4. "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.
  5. "IRN-BRU Cup - First Round Draw". spfl.co.uk. SPFL. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.

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