01/07/01 Scottish Cup 2001

July 1st 2001

Jack Kane Centre, EdinburghParscelona's tournament looked like getting off to a reasonable start when they seemed certain to hold Celtic to draw despite pressure from AC. Unfortunately it wasn't to be and in the last minute of the game handball by Mark Falconer gave Celtic a penalty. It was duly converted and the Pars finished the game with nothing.

Pars again did well to hold out against Hearts in their second match until the second half. With just a few minutes left, Hearts' winner was poked in at the near post to once more see the Pars landed with the narrowest of defeats. With almost the last kick of the ball the Pars almost equalised, but luck was against them when Alan Maxwell latched onto a deflected free kick but could only turn the ball onto the crossbar. This match was also notable for Grant Macleod picking up a yellow card, Parscelona's first booking in almost three years of football.

The game against Airdrie looked like it would be another tightly fought encounter. They too had suffered two 1-0 defeats and so both sides were looking for their first point of the afternoon, and indeed their first goal.

Airdrie were the first to score, when a lob over the defence was then lobbed neatly over Ronz in goals too. One-nil at half time.

Pars got back into it not long into the second half when Stuart Holland won a free kick at the edge of Airdrie's box. The free kick was hit towards goal and neatly flicked in from close range by Grant Davidson.

Airdrie took the lead again shortly afterward when Grant Macleod, having missed out in a fifty-fifty with an Airdrie attacker, made a desperate last-ditch lunge and missed the ball completely. A penalty was correctly awarded, and Airdrie made it 2-1.

Things were looking grim for the Pars with seconds remaining when, as Callum Norris tried to get the ball under control in the Airdrie box, the referee blew his whistle. There were many swearwords uttered from both sets of players but the Fifers' shouts died down when they realised that they had been awarded a penalty (Callum having been kicked). Alan Maxwell scored the penalty and both sides went off with their first, and ultimately only, point of the afternoon. Although the sides would have been happy beforehand to get a point under their belts, Airdrie would understandably feel aggrieved and unlucky not to take all three.

Once more very little separated the Pars and their opposition when they met Killie in their next match. The game was again settled with a single goal against the Pars, this time from a second half corner, which was headed in from six yards.

In their final match of the group, Pars were playing St Mirren to decide nothing more than who got the wooden spoon of the group - Pars or Airdrie. It was always going to be tight, with both teams having matched each other's results exactly so far.

With both sets of players totally knackered, the final group game didn't look like it would amount to much. The first half was notable only for Stuart Holland managing the single worst header in football history and then combining with younger brother Neil in a superb display of brotherly understanding. Neil sent a good cross to Stuart, who... fell on his arse.

Unfortunately things did get worse for the Pars in the second half, when St Mirren scored first at the near post and then again when David Stevenson dribbled in from the left to slot home at the near post once more, and in the process chalk up the 200th goal Parscelona have ever conceded. Ouch.

The final blow came with the revelation that Airdrie had only lost 1-0, and so for the second year running the Pars finished bottom of their group, albeit not as badly as Sparta Jag, the wooden spoon winners of the other group (though admittedly they didn't have a full squad with them).

The only consolation with being eliminated from the other rounds was that it gave us (four of us anyway) the chance to shower, watch the final (Hibs beat Celtic) and then disappear on the final whistle to the pub where free grub had been kindly supplied.

Pars squad: Ronz, R. Arnott, M. Falconer, S. Maxwell, A. Maxwell, G. Davidson, J. Norris, C. Norris, S. Holland, Alex Mercer, Alasdair Mercer, N. Holland, C. Ozog, J. Wilson, D. Sanders, G. Macleod... and our men on the touchline, Keith Rapley and Davie Galloway.