MOVE over, Old Firm. The Highlanders are coming.
It is hardly any great revelation, but years of reduced spending and ambition on one side of Glasgow and administration and liquidation on the other have helped bring the days of the Old Firm monopolising the cup competitions in Scotland to an end.
In the last four seasons alone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, St Johnstone, Aberdeen, St Mirren, Hearts and Kilmarnock have all won silverware. There is a genuine sense that the knockout competitions are within the grasp of almost anyone.
However, the far north’s more prominent representatives, two clubs that seem to make constant progress in these most challenging conditions, appear to have other ideas.
Ross County will contest the League Cup final with Hibernian in March after putting Celtic to the sword at Hampden Park last weekend.
Caley Thistle, of course, already have the William Hill Scottish Cup in the cabinet. Both of them will enter the hat for the draw for the last eight of the game’s oldest trophy at the National Stadium this evening and Iain Vigurs, who has earned a crust either side of the Kessock Bridge, is keen to strengthen this emerging Highland stranglehold.
“Fair play to Ross County,” said the midfielder, enjoying a second spell at the Caledonian Stadium. “That is what we want. We want the Highlands to be on the map.
“You don’t want to see Celtic and Rangers winning the cups every season and it is good (that other clubs are winning).
“Celtic and Rangers aren’t always getting to the final, which is good as well. It is really anyone’s game, anyone’s cup, and I hope we will get there.
“We can definitely get to Hampden again. We have good players and a good team spirit and we are hard to beat.”
Mark McGhee, the Motherwell manager, made that clear after seeing his side knocked out of the Scottish Cup at the fifth round stage by the Caley Jags in the most controversial circumstances.
He describes Inverness and Celtic as the two most difficult sides in the country to set up against. Even so, he could hardly plan for the highly-questionable piece of refereeing which played such a central role in deciding this tie as it creeped into stoppage-time.
Motherwell, although performing perfectly well, had gone behind thanks to a Stephen McManus own goal in the first half and required a couple of decent saves from Connor Ripley before Scott McDonald restored parity midway through the second period when diverting a McManus header from a Stevie Hammell corner into the net.
In truth, both sides appeared relatively content to settle for a replay as the clock ticked down. Jordan Roberts, a second half replacement for Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo and a man making only his third appearance of a campaign destroyed by groin trouble and surgery, was the exception.
The English midfielder’s left-footed thunderbolt from 25 yards which settled this match was a thing of great beauty. However, the fact remains that Roberts, to these eyes, clearly barged Morgaro Gomis from behind when winning possession and instigating the move that made the difference.
"I think it was a free-kick,” said a despondent Gomis after the final whistle. “I was going forward and he just came from behind and pushed me, so I don't think he could have been playing for the ball. He was just trying to get me out of the way.
"I told the referee that I thought it was a free-kick. He thinks it wasn't, but I think, if you ask anyone else, they will all say the same thing. That it was.
"He was giving free-kicks during the whole game. That was one of the most obvious ones and he didn't give it, which is hard to take as they scored after it."
Roberts, of course, pleaded his innocence. For Vigurs, the focus now rests upon the next round and the possibility of becoming the first non-Old Firm side since Aberdeen in 1984 to retain the Scottish Cup.
“It should be easy enough,” he joked. “I wasn’t here last season, but the side did brilliant in the league and cup and I can see why with the players they have got.
“They lost some good players at the start of the season, but I think they have some brilliant players and I enjoy playing with them.
“I don’t see why we can’t do it.”
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