Date	Saturday, 01 October 1949
Competition	Scottish Qualifying Cup
Fixture/Score	Buckie Thistle 2:3 Ross County
Venue	Victoria Park, Buckie
Referee
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: Willie Shearer, 2: Willie (Billy) Urquhart, 3: Jimmy Crosbie, 4: George Sutherland, 5: Jimmy Farmer, 6: Finlay Browning, 7: Tommy Rooney, 8: Alick Ferguson 1, 9: Tommy Urquhart, 10: Graham Davidson 1, 11: Charles (Chic) Ogilvie 1
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Buckie Thistle 2 Ross County 3 The 140 Ross County supporters were in no way disappointed with their team. Two buses conveyed the majority to Victoria Park, Buckie; the minority arrived in cars of various makes. One particular car continually overtook and was overtaken by the double-decker. Whatever became of this car when it took the wrong fork on the Nairn-Inverness road, and proceeded along the road to Ardersier? Supporters were in a jubilant, festive mood when they left Dingwall. On their return their jubilation knew no bounds. Every village and town, car and bus which was passed en route knew that Ross County had won. Scarves, embroidered with the names of the team members, were proudly waved out of the windows. In the double-decker the noise was terrific. A lone bell was ringing, feet were stamped, and above all this din the strains of the song "We're no' awa' to bide awa'" could be heard. Victoria Park is on the outskirts of Buckie. It is surrounded by a wall, broken only on the side nearest the town by the grand stand and dressing-rooms. This stand adds an air of importance to the outside appearance of the ground. On entering the ground one is met by the programme sellers. This practice of selling programmes could easily be introduced in Dingwall by Ross County. The programme assists the spectators to follow the game with a keener interest. A tannoy was used very effectively to announce changes in the teams published on the programme. Buckie Thistle were harder hit by injuries than Ross County. Their regular inside forwards, Buchan and Hendry, were missing. Reserves Mowatt and Allan were introduced into the line-up—Mowatt at centre-forward and Allan at inside left, Tough moved to inside right. Ross County were without Newton and Nimmo. Newton is likely to be out of the game for several weeks, owing to an ankle injury. His place in goal was filled by the reserve keeper Shearer, who goes to Aberdeen University this week. Shearer gave a very fine display of goalkeeping—a display only equalled when he played for Dingwall Academy against Fraserburgh Academy in the final of the Schools Cup three years ago. Crosby, a physical training instructor at Fort George, very capably took over the left back berth. Crosby is a strong tackler and his long, raking clearances always found their man. Ross County made full use of the wind and the sun at their back during the first half. For the first ten minutes the Thistle keeper appeared to be in a daze. He made no attempt at Davidson's shot; a shot which hit the cross-bar and bounced on to his shoulder. Fortunately he recovered as the ball was all-but over the line. Ferguson and Urquhart had shots, but these were blocked on the goal-line. Eventually the ball was put into the net, but Urquhart was ruled off-side. Thistle then took the offensive, and but for brilliant anticipation on Shearer's part, they might have scored. Tough collected a ball within the penalty area and shot hard for the goal. Shearer diverted it round the post for a corner. A good clearance by Farmer relieved all danger to the County goal, and put them on the road to victory. Davidson very neatly headed this clearance to Ogilvie. Ogilvie cut in and shot; Findley had very little chance of reaching it. The game was fairly even from then until the interval. Soon after the restart, County were two up. T. Urquhart had had a quiet game during the first half. Now he was coming out of his shell. Marnoch was finding him a tough packet of trouble. More than once his crosses were more or less bundled out of the Thistle goal area. It was from one of these crosses that Davidson scored—a very well placed header. This goal was the incentive Thistle required. County defence were really on their toes now. Shearer won the applause of the crowd when he collected Tough's penalty shot from the corner of the post. Thistle, however, equalised through Allan and Lawrie; both goals came under similar circumstances. From a ruck of players within the penalty area, the balls flew with unerring accuracy into the net. Now on level terms the game waxed fast and furious. A bye into the semi-final, and admission into the Cup proper were at stake. Little mistakes can lead to great catastrophes. It was one such mistake on Buckie defender Leask's part which gave County the deciding goal. A clearance was miskicked at a time of pressing danger; a clearance that Ferguson gathered and with perfect coolness placed in the net. Buckie did not lose heart at this setback, and for the final 15 minutes it was touch and go whether they would equalise or not. They did not, and so with stout heart County go forward to the semi-final against Caley.