Date	Saturday, 18 May 1940
Competition	North of Scotland Cup
Fixture/Score	Inverness Thistle 6:6 Ross County
Venue	Telford Street
Referee	Mr. A. Clyne
Ross County
Manager	The Management Committee
Starting 11	1: ??? Alloway, 2: ??? Coulthart, 3: ??? Hazle, 4: A. MacDonald, 5: Adam Forsyth, 6: D Urquhart, 7: Frankie MacBeath, 8: ??? Nicol 2, 9: ??? Cunning 1, 10: ??? Ferguson 1, 11: ??? Henderson 2
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Inverness Thistle 6 Ross County 6 A most astounding result, but a fair one, although the County did come within an ace of getting the winning goal in the last minute. The first half was all in favour of the Thistle, who registered five goals, and gave away two. Later the County took the game in hand, and scoring four goals against their opponent's one, levelled matters. How the Thistle withstood the desperate pressure of the visitors in the last minutes borders on the miraculous. In quick succession, Cunning and Henderson both swept the ball just on the wrong side of the post, with Macneil helpless. The game was played on the ground of the Caledonian Club at Telford Street, Inverness, owing to the grand-stand at Kingsmills having been destroyed by fire. Both clubs had difficulties in raising teams and no fewer than nine of the twenty-two players were unknown quantities. The visitors made a most unpromising start, for within five minutes they were two goals down. The first came when Kay lashed the ball for goal, and it was inadvertently deflected home by a defender. Gillies got the second with a brilliant header off a well-judged pass by Hossack. Undismayed, the County held on and Macneil was fortunate to get in the way of a high shot from winger Macbeth. Then the County goal underwent a series of miraculous escapes. Practically every Thistle forward had a try at goal. Two particularly dangerous efforts by Dennis and Gillies, were stopped in smart, if lucky, fashion by Alloway and Hazle. A sudden breakaway at 23 minutes, gave the County a goal. Macbeth shot across to the opposite wing and Henderson scored with a fine direct shot. Almost immediately Thistle regained their two-goal lead. Hossack broke through on the left and centred for Gillies to slip the ball home. This sudden reverse only served to spur the County on to greater effort. Henderson again impressed with a magnificent shot that grazed an upright, and Macbeth troubled Macneil with another tricky try from the wing. Getting over this phase, Thistle renewed their attack and a desperate scrimmage followed in the County goalmouth, with defence and attack striving for possession. Eventually Forsyth and his colleagues cleared the deck. Ross County immediately launched a strong counter-attack. Henderson and Ferguson led on the left, but Urquhart was the stumbling block. Nicol, however, got possession and Macniel had to drop to his knees to stop a strong ground shot. Failure of three County defenders to clear a shot by Hossack, gave Gillies the chance shortly before the interval of heading home the ball, thus completing his hat-trick and bringing Thistle's score to four goals. Three minutes later, Ferguson reduced the leeway for County. Immediately before the interval Gillies converted a pass from Dennis to score a fifth goal for Thistle. The second half was full of thrills. The County greatly improved and although Thistle did attack on many occasions, they were not nearly so impressive as their opponents. After twelve minutes, Henderson, who had changed places with Cunning, dispossessed Macneil after the goalkeeper had saved from Macbeth, and drove the ball into the net, to put the County total up to three. At the other end, Gillies walked round the defence, but finished by shooting to the outside of the net. A county raid followed and the Thistle goal had a narrow escape. Macbeth swept the ball across from the right, and, in attempting to clear, Urquhart sent it against the bar. County were fighting hard for the equaliser at least, and they came within sight of their objective at 21 minutes, when Cunning, lying unmarked, gained possession and gave Macneil no chance with a low drive. Their ambition of securing the equaliser was realised at 26 minutes, when Nicol tapped the ball past Macneil following a flag-kick by Macbeth. The visitors were now showing a definite superiority and attacking on all flanks. Thistle, however, were by no means suppressed, and at 32 minutes a long pass by Milne was continued to goal by Dennis, and smashed into the net by Gillies, who thus brought his own personal score to five. County replied immediately with the equaliser, Nicol converting from a pass by Cunning. The Ross team almost scored in the last minute of the game, both Cunning and Henderson sweeping the ball past the woodwork. Result:— Thistle, 6; Ross County, 6. Apart from Gillies, who was the outstanding man afield, Hossack and Dennis did well in the Inverness attack, while Milne and Phail also worked hard and successfully. Nicol was the County's most dangerous forward, and Ferguson and Henderson made up a most dangerous left wing. Urquhart was the best of the half-line and Coulthart played a great game at right back.