B&Q CUP

Accies Winners 1991 & 1992

The Scottish Football League marked their Centenary by creating the Centenary Cup in 1990 , which was played by lower division clubs on a knockout basis with Dundee beating Ayr Utd at Fir Park 3-2.

It was then decided to continue the competition with the backing of sponsor B&Q – Hamilton Accies were the first winners and retained the trophy despite it being stolen from the Douglas Park boardroom.

1991/92 Season

The 1991/92 First Division Championship was one of the tightest in history as the background to the B&Q Cup. Hamilton Accies missed out on promotion by 1 point from Champions Dundee and on Goal Difference by 2 goals from second placed Partick Thistle

First Round

Hamilton Accies opened their campaign with a strong performance beating Alloa Athletic 5-1 at Douglas Park , with two goals apiece from Craig Napier and Trevor Smith with a goal from George McCluskey

Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, Napier, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, McDonald – Subs – Hillcoat, McAneney.

Ayr Utd gained revenge for their previous season final defeat with a 2-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.

Second Round

Accies were given a tough draw away to fellow First Division promotion hopefuls Partick Thistle. A Billy Reid first half goal gave Accies the half time lead but it took a late George McCluskey goal to seal a 2-1 victory.

Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, Stark – Subs – Cramb.

Raith Rovers won on penalties away to Clydebank after a 1-1 draw, while Queen of the South also progressed on penalties after a 3-3 home draw with Striling Albion.

Ayr Utd had a comfortable 2-0 win at Stenhousemuir.

Quarter Finals

Accies travelled to Methil to face East Fife and after 40 seconds Trevor Smith scored for the Lanarkshire men. East Fife were to go 2-1 ahead for a long spell until late goals from George McCluskey and Andy Millen sealed Accies place in the Semi Finals.

Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Smith, Stark – Subs – McGuigan, Cramb.

Ayr Utd had the relatively comfortable task of defeating Stranraer 2-0 at home while Gordon Dalziel scored a hat trick as Raith Rovers won 3-2 away to Morton.

The other Quarter Final was an incredible with Montrose and Queen of the South locked at 3-3 at 90 minutes , extra time produced a goal rush the the Dumfries side running out 7-4 winners.

Semi Finals

Accies suffered a major injury blow at Firhill on the Saturday before the semi final when goalkeeper Allan Ferguson suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out for the season. Gordon Dalziel scored a penalty for Raith Rovers before late goals by Colin Miller and Jim Weir gave Accies a 2-1 home win and a place in the final.

Accies team – Monaghan , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, Clark, Smith, McGuigan – Subs – McCluskey, Stark.

The other Semi Final saw Ayr Utd beat Queen of the South 3-2 at Somerset Park.

The Final

The final was played at Fir Park , Motherwell between Hamilton Accies managed by Billy McLaren and Ayr Utd managed by George Burley in front of 9,663 fans on Sunday 8th December 1991.

Accies won the match 1-0 when a Colin Harris free kick evaded Ayr goalkeeper David Purdie and nestled in the keepers bottom left hand corner. Many Accies fans were surprised to see Harris start the game having limped out of the midweek win over Meadowbank where he scored with his last touch before being substituted.

Accies team – McCulloch , McKee, Miller , Millen, Weir, McKenzie, Harris, Reid, McCluskey, Clark, McDonald – Subs unused – Stark , Hillcoat.

1992/93 Season

Accies manager Billy McLaren departed after the failure to win promotion and he was replaced by Iain Munro

First Round

Accies began the defence of the trophy with a strong 3-0 win at Dumbarton.

Accies team – Ferguson , Hillcoat, Miller , Millen, Weir, Napier, Clark, Reid, Harris, Smith, McDonald – Subs – Cramb, Ward

Alex Mathie scored a hat-trick at Forfar as Morton won 5-2

Second Round

Accies were given another away draw however it was a fairly routine 2-0 at Albion Rovers, in a Lanarkshire derby.

Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Hillcoat, Millen, Weir, Napier, Clark, McEntegart, Harris, Smith, McDonald – Subs – McKenzie, Ward

Meadowbank won 4-3 on pens after a 0-0 draw in Kirkcaldy against Raith Rovers.

Montrose won 4-0 at Cowdenbeath while Morton squeezed through 2-1 at Brechin.

Quarter Finals

Accies produced a strong home performance to romp past Berwick Rangers 5-2 at Douglas Park, with Gary Clark netting twice.

Accies team – Ferguson , McKee, Hillcoat, Millen, Weir, McEntegart, Ward, Reid, Harris, Clark, McDonald – Subs – Smith, Waters

Montrose won a tight game at Stirling 1-0 with Meadowbank beating Queen of the South 3-2 at home.

The big game of the round saw Kilmarnock host Morton with the Greenock side coming out on top 2-1. Alex Mathie opening the scoring before Tommy Burns equalised for Kilmarnock in front of almost 5,000 fans. A late Derek Lilley gola won the tie for Morton.

Semi Finals

The first semi final was played at Cappielow between Morton and Montrose.

Montrose managed by Jim Leishman took a shock lead through Stewart Forsyth after 6 minutes, however Alex Mathie equalised before half time. The second half produced no more goals. Extra Time saw Morton triumph 3-1 with goals from Rowan Alexander and Alex Mathie.

The second semi final was at Douglas Park 24 hours later and produced an astonishing ending.

In a poor game Stuart Wilson scored for the visitors after 4 minutes and they defended for their life’s even after Paul McDonald equalised from the penalty spot early in the second half.

The game was decided by a bizzare penalty shoot-out.

Accies Colin Harris had the first kick saved by Steve Ellison , but Allan Ferguson saved from Gordon McLeod.

The second Accies kick was taken by Kenny Ward but again the Meadowbank goalkeeper saved. It would be Alan Banks of Meadowbank who would score to put the visitors 1-0 ahead in the shoot out.

Paul McDonald levelled for Accies and Allan Ferguson saved from Ian Little to bring the shoot-out level.

Amazingly Trevor Smith for Accies and John Coughlin failed to convert as did Andy Millen and Paul Rutherford, so the score remained at 1-1 after the regulation penalties and the game went to sudden death.

Steve Ellison saved from Craig Napier and took the 6th Meadowbank kick to put them in the final , but missed.

Billy Reid scored Accies 7th penalty before Meadowbank’s Malcom Murray hit the base of the post and Accies progressed to their second successive final.

The Final

The final was played at Love Street , Paisley between Hamilton Accies managed by Ian Munro and Morton managed by Allan McGraw in front of 7,391 fans on Sunday 13th December 1992.

Morton took the lead after 11 minutes through Rowan Alexander headed home a Derek McInnes free kick. Accies equalised almost immediately, Gary Clark was brought down in midfield by Martin Doak. Paul McDonald’s free kick was headed towards goal by Colin Harris, but David Wylie could only palm the ball out to Gary Clark to equalise. It was Gary Clark who put Accies ahead 2-1 at half time.

Referee Joe Timmons took unwell and was replaced by Hugh Williamson.

Morton pressed for an equaliser but Accies looked to have won the cup when Gary Clark broke upfield and released Chris Hillcoat on the right to make it 3-1.

Rowan Alexander scored his second goal of the match but Accies held out win 3-2.

The competition continues sponsor and format changes with the finals played at different times of the year , but Accies fans will always have great memories of these two finals in December 1991 & 1992.

Accies lost the final in November 2005 to St Mirren 2-1 at Airdrie and in April 2012 to Falkirk 1-0 at Livingston.

Hamilton Accies however were cup winners again in March 2023 defeating Raith Rovers 1-0 at the Falkirk Stadium.