Date	Sunday, 07 January 1990
Competition	Scottish Cup
Fixture/Score	Ross County 1:4 East Fife
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee	Sandy Roy
Ross County
Manager	Robert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 11	1: Ross Cathcart, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Gary Campbell, 4: Robert (Robbie) Williamson 1, 5: Johnston Bellshaw, 6: Scott Lemmon, 7: Lee O'Brien, 8: Cameron Robertson, 9: Brian Grant, 10: Gordon Connelly, 11: George Stewart
Bench	0: David MacKay, 0: Barry Wilson
Attendance	1,750
Match Report	Report by Mike Tremlett for the Press and Journal Ross County 1 East Fife 4 ROSS COUNTY manager Bobby Wilson and his players will be reflecting on lost opportunities after their exit from the Scottish Cup at the hands of Second Division East Fife at Victoria Park, Dingwall, yesterday. Two minutes before the interval County were leading 1-0 courtesy of a 30th-minute Robbie Williamson goal, but right on the half-time whistle they surrendered an equaliser when East Fife skipper Willie Brown headed a Mitchell corner past Cathcart. Had County taken advantage of at least four excellent scoring chances in the first half, East Fife's goal wouldn't have mattered, but it actually signalled the beginning of the end. “Our first half performance was outstanding," said disappointed manager Wilson “The turning point came when Cathcart was impeded and they got the equaliser. “Gordon Connolly's free kick was an absolute gem and typical of the type of player he is. But for the sake of a couple of inches it could have turned the game around for us." The home side had dominated the first half, with Lemmon and Bellshaw secure in defence, Connolly and Williamson playing with guile and commitment in midfield and strikers Brian Grant and George Stewart looking to take advantage of a horribly disorganised visiting defence. Unfortunately for Ross County, the Fifers keeper Ray Charles made up for a string of defensive mix-ups in front of him with a confident and highly competent display in sticky underfoot conditions. When WILLIAMSON put County ahead he beat Charles with a powerful rising shot from a Brian Grant cutback. Grant himself was unlucky twice in a minute with first a shot on the turn that Charles turned behind and then with a header from the resulting corner that was kicked off the line with the keeper beaten. County's marking was suspect when East Fife equalised, but Cathcart in the County goal was certainly impeded as BROWN headed home. After the interval the roles were reversed. East Fife suddenly began to get to everything first and within 10 minutes of the restart Ally Mitchell laid on East Fife s second for Paul HUNTER, who stooped to head home at the near post. With County on their heels. lain BROWN added the third 10 minutes later, drilling a low shot past Cathcart from narrow angle when a deep corner found him on the blind side of the County defence. Apart from a curled free kick from Connolly, while the score was still I -1. which hit a post and was barely an inch away from putting County ahead immediately after the half-time, the home side lacked penetration in the second half. Substitute CROLLA added East Fife's fourth goal in the final minute.