Date	Saturday, 24 February 1990
Competition	North of Scotland Cup
Fixture/Score	Ross County 3:6 Elgin City
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee
Ross County
Manager	Robert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 11	1: Michael Ure, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Gary Campbell, 4: Robert (Robbie) Williamson 2 (1 pen), 5: Johnston Bellshaw, 6: Scott Lemmon, 7: Barry Wilson, 8: Cameron Robertson, 9: James Tanner 1, 10: Gordon Connelly, 11: George Stewart
Bench	0: Lee O'Brien, 0: David MacKay
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 3 Elgin City 6 A DINGWALL youngster journeying home from Saturday’s Scottish Cup-tie at Aberdeen, where his fa:an:ites had taken a furstep forward in this year’s competition, was elated when the Ross County score was given “Ross County 3”, but was in the depths of despair, as the announcer continued “Elgin City 6”. There were not a few stunned supporters about the countryside, but none moreso than those who had attended Ross County’s second round North of Scotland Cup-tie at Victoria Park, on a pitch which has proved the graveyard of County’s hopes this year, for they have never really come to terms with the fact that the centre of the field should be a no-go area! E i Firm — well as firm as could be expected — wings, where there was more than a vestige of holding, grecen turf were for long enough “tenantless” in the County's scheme of things, but not as far as Elgin were concerned. When one considers that the common factor in cach of the City goals was wing play and the long flighted pass to the far post, then what could one expect on the day. Strength, stamina and spced lay with Elgin as they made light work of the heavy conditions, ploughing effortlessly through the ninety minutes. Rain fell non-stop throughout the proceedings, and certainly put paid to the promise of Spring weather, such as had dried up the park on Thursday and Friday. In no time any stability there was down the centre of the field had gone in a mess of churned-up mud. Elgin City stood on no ceremony, and yet they looked fairly ordinary in the first 30 or so minutes, as County took play to them in confident mood, and gave them some anxious moments in front of goal. At this stage the home team had the legs of their opponents and were striking swiftly and surely, making full use of the wings, and none moreso than recent signing Jimmy Tanner, whe laid a ball on for _Williamson, but he blasted it past the post. Then in the 20th minute, Tanner himself opened the scoring with a goal, which seemed to settle the Elgin combine more than it did County! It was a well struck shot from a pass by Barry Wilson, and despite an Elgin appeal for off-side the goal stood. One could sense the ire of the City as they lifted their game, and struck back at County down the wings in fast sweeping moves. In between County’s opening goal and the 35th minute, George Stewart just missed countingwitha header from a Tanner cross. There was a bit of a “kerfuffle”, when the Elgin keeper was injured diving at the feet of Williamson to prevent another score, but by this time the Elgin steamroller wasrolling, and in the 35th minute it struck as former County player Alastair Jappy neatly headed home the equaliser from a Billy Ferries cross. Worse was to follow three minutes later, when Jappy was on target again, heading home another cross ball. The County heads went down, and despite valiant efforts by all concerned they could not reduce the steady Elgin pressure. Twice Mike Ure had to make brilliant saves at the feet of Mike Teasdale, who was to make his mark in the sccond half with a hattrick of goals, which earned him the Man of the Match award. A One minute after the restart at half-time, Ferrics broke down the right wing, crossed the ball into the middle and Teasdale scored the first of his hat-trick. Six minutes later he had his sccond, and again the ball came to his feet from a move down the Elgin right. County were down, but one would not have said they were finished as they endeavoured to save something from the game. One sympathised with Mike Ure, who was the subject of incessant chants from a largely Elgin-dominated crowd behind his goal in this period, suffering a similar fate to that which he received from County fans in the Qualifying Cup semi-final earlier in the season, when he was an Elgin player. He stuck gamely to his task but there was little he could do about the shots which beat him — noises off or not! In the 65th minute, a first class move down the County right, making use of the wing, originated deep in defence, enginecred by Robbie Williamson and Chris Somerville led to a consolation counter. There was little to indicate that this initiative could be sustained. Nor was it for within five minutes, status quo reigned as substitute McGinlay hooked a ball into the top left hand corner of Ure’s goal from the pcnalty spot. A minute later, Mike Teasdale took advantage of slackness in defence, raced through and with none but Ure to beat, slipped the ball inside the post. This completed the Elgin tally, and Robbie Williamson rounded off proceedings as he scored from the penalty spot in the 74th minute. It is interesting to note that forty-four years ago, on the same datc, a Dingwall Academy team had an unexpected win over Elgin Academy in the North of Scotland Cup competition by a score of 3-0. Weather and ground conditions then were worse, but alas hi:;'orymnono repeat itse The County team was: Ure, Somerville, Campbell, Williamson, Bellshaw, Lemmon, Wilson, Robertson, Tanner, Connelly and Stewart. Subs — O'Brien and Mackay. b This week it is back to the Highland League again with a home match against Buckie Thistle.