Scottish Challenge Cup
Quite a good weekend for the "invitees" as both Crusaders and The New Saints have progressed to the semi-final stage.
The New Saints 0 Queen of the South 0 (AET, TNS win 4-3 on pens)
The Scottish Challenge Cup has evolved into quite a weird competition. The decision to let SPL teams field their U20 XI's seriously undermines the integrity of the competition but fortunately none of these got beyond the second round. This interest killer has been offset by the inclusion of four teams each from the Highland and Lowland Leagues and two teams each from the Welsh, Irish and Northern Irish Leagues.
The prospect of seeing an English team which pretends to be Welsh playing a Scottish team on a plastic pitch in a wood in rural Shropshire for a possible semi-final against a team from Belfast and shown live on Welsh language television was just too good to miss. QoS fans travelled south in great numbers and must have found Park Hall quite a culture shock. Fans get their hands stamped on entry to allow access to the Venue, a community facility with a creche, bar and bowling alley. The two small seated stands, one covered by sheets of tarpaulin, look temporary even though they have been there for years. Fans were at least allowed to stand on this occasion, unlike the regular European qualifiers which are designated as all-seated.
Unlike England's much maligned Checkatrade Trophy, both teams took this game very seriously and the QoS fans made for a great atmosphere. But by the end, a few fans had had enough of the cold and went to watch the game in the bar. How it ended 0-0 I shall never know. TNS started superbly and had a goal controversially disallowed for off side. It developed into real end-to end stuff with chances spurned at both ends and defenders putting their bodies on the line. Ex-Everton star James McFadden missed the easiest. It came down to penalties with TNS winning 4-3 after the first four were missed.
With Crusaders also through to the semi-finals, only Inverness CT and Dumbarton now stand in the way of a Wales vs N. Ireland Scottish Challenge Cup final. I wonder where they would play it?