“ONE of the most mental games I have been involved in” was how East Lothian’s Chris Moffat described Tollcross Thistle’s Scottish Amateur Cup win at Hampden Park.
The Edinburgh side looked down and out as they trailed 3-0 at half-time to Drumchapel at the national stadium.
However, a stunning second-half fightback, including a 97th-minute equalising penalty, took the game to extra time.
Moffat and team-mates then led 4-3 before the game finished 4-4 and it was eventually settled on penalties.
The 28-year-old, who was joined in the celebrations by Musselburgh’s Lee Edwardson, said: “It was just ridiculous. The first half was the most one-sided game I have been involved in. We could barely get out of our own half.
“We were 3-0 down and everyone in the changing rooms just wanted to go out and restore a bit of pride with their family out there watching.
“We are pretty fit and we knew if we could get a goal back it would give us a lift.
“It took off from there.
“The manager, Alan McKay, was not even that angry. It was that bad that he did not need to say too much.
“It was just disappointing that we gave that bad an account of ourselves on the biggest stage.
“We wanted to go out there and win the second half at least.”
Teams from the length and breadth of Scotland compete each year in the Only Sport Scottish Amateur Cup – the amateur equivalent of the Scottish Cup.
After 45 minutes of the 2019/20 final, which had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it looked like the team from the west had one hand on the trophy.
The stirring fightback saw the game go to penalties, where Tollcross Thistle won 3-2.
Centre-half Moffat, who plays for Wallyford Bluebell on a Sunday, said: “The goal we conceded in extra time was a bad mistake from our goalkeeper.
“He went on to redeem himself in the penalties, though.
“I was due to be hitting the fifth penalty. If they had scored their penalty, I had one to take to win it.
“I am always keen to take them and take them for Wallyford Bluebell. I have scored a few this season.”
Mum and dad Hazel and Andrew Moffat, of Macmerry, were in the crowd to cheer on their son.
But the trip to Hampden was not a first for Moffat, who grew up in Musselburgh but now lives in Haddington.
The former St Johnstone FC youngster played six times on loan for East Stirlingshire nine years ago, including a contest with Queen’s Park and against Rangers.
Given the delayed final, Moffat and his team-mates had actually been knocked out of this year’s competition before they lifted the 2019/20 trophy!
However, victory in the rescheduled showpiece means that the club have carved out their own little piece of history as victors in the 100th final.
Moffat said: “I think the teams from the west just have a reputation for being better.
“I don’t know why and they probably are better in the grand scheme of things but it does make it special winning in the 100th year.”
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