Full TimePosted at 90’+5′ Second Half ends, Falkirk 0, Inverness CT 3.Post updatePosted at 90’+4′ Attempt missed. Nathan Shaw (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.Post updatePosted at 90’+2′ Attempt saved. Nathan Shaw (Inverness CT) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.Post updatePosted at 90’+1′ Attempt saved. Nathan Shaw (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.Post updatePosted at 90′ Attempt blocked. Nathan Shaw (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.Post updatePosted at 89′ Attempt blocked. Gary Oliver (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.Post updatePosted at 88′ Attempt missed. Gary Oliver (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.Post updatePosted at 87′ Foul by Nathan Shaw (Inverness CT).Post updatePosted at 87′ Leon McCann (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.SubstitutionPosted at 84′ Substitution, Inverness CT. Jordan Boyd replaces Jay Henderson.SubstitutionPosted at 83′ Substitution, Falkirk. Joe McKee replaces Calumn Morrison.SubstitutionPosted at 79′ Substitution, Inverness CT. Coll Donaldson replaces Shaun Duffy.SubstitutionPosted at 78′ Substitution, Inverness CT. Roddy MacGregor replaces Billy Mckay.SubstitutionPosted at 77′ Substitution, Falkirk. David Lawal replaces Jay Henderson.SubstitutionPosted at 73′ Substitution, Inverness CT. Mark Doran replaces Daniel Mackay.SubstitutionPosted at 67′ Substitution, Falkirk. Joe Yeats replaces Aaron Williamson.SubstitutionPosted at 61′ Substitution, Falkirk. Gary Oliver replaces Lewis Burrell.SubstitutionPosted at 61′ Substitution, Falkirk. Robbie Leitch replaces Robbie Mutch.SubstitutionPosted at 61′ Substitution, Falkirk. Aidan Nesbitt replaces Alex Kucharavyi.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s remarkable Scottish Cup run will end in June’s final after they dispatched third-tier Falkirk in a ruthless last-four showing at Hampden. Billy Mckay opened the scoring with an early penalty – given for a harsh handball after a VAR check – and Daniel MacKay’s precise header earned a two-goal first-half lead. The tie was put beyond Falkirk when Mckay cushioned in his 100th goal for the club and their third of the day. The semi-final success rounds off an incredible journey to June’s showpiece occasion for Billy Dodds’ men, who were eliminated from the competition by Queen’s Park in the fourth round before being reinstated after their opponents had fielded an ineligible player. They went on to beat two top-flight sides – Livingston and Kilmarnock – to reach Hampden, and they will face either Rangers or Celtic in an almighty task to claim the trophy.
As for Falkirk, who dominated for spells at Hampden but lacked cutting edge, their attention turns to a promotion push via the play-offs as they aim to make a return to the second tier. Despite being about a third full, both sets of fans provided a fitting atmosphere as their sides walked on to the Hampden turf. But as the smoke from the pre-match pyrotechnics had just about descended, all eyes were off the pitch as referee Nick Walsh could be seen heading towards the monitor to check a possible penalty for a handball on Leon McCann. It was a harsh call given the left-back’s close proximity to the ball, but his arm was outstretched and Mckay steered home a confident finish.
Nevertheless, Falkirk’s response was one of calm and patience. The same couldn’t be said for Inverness keeper Mark Ridgers, who made a mess of a rushed clearance, allowing Calumn Morrison to roll an effort off the base of the far post from distance but with the goal gaping. Inverness then had to rely on some last-ditch defending from their backline to keep the tie level, but in the blink of an eye their attack were returning the favour when MacKay planted in a header from a gorgeous Jay Henderson cross. That goal sucked the life out of John McGlynn’s men, who were dead and buried on the 57th minute when Mckay peeled off at the back post to guide in a cushioned volley. Falkirk somehow failed to pull one back when Gary Oliver rounded Ridgers before seeing two efforts blocked by a heroic Caley Thistle defence, but the third-tier side were also lucky not to concede a fourth as Nathan Shaw crashed an effort off the woodwork. But three it would finish for an Inverness side who lapped up the post-match celebrations, with an emotional Dodds leading the way.
Player of the match – Billy Mckay
Written in the stars for Caley Thistle? – analysis
There is still work to do for Inverness to secure their place in the Premiership play-offs. Manage that and what an end to the season they are in for. You will not find many who will give them a chance in the final – regardless of which side of the Old Firm they play – but given their route to the last hurdle, Dodds and his side will believe this is written in the stars for them. In Mckay they have a striker who can provide magic. In Robbie Deas and Danny Devine they have a centre-back pairing that will throw their bodies on the line. Both will need the performance of their lives, along with their team-mates, to take the trophy back to the Highlands.
On the flipside, Falkirk cannot let this defeat define their season. Second place is already secured in League 1, but form has been questionable of late, with just two wins now in their last nine. A crowd of almost 9,000 at Hampden highlights the size of the club, one which is too big to be playing third-tier football. But that is on them to rectify, and they will have the chance to achieve that in their own play-off push.
Both sides end their respective league campaigns next weekend when Inverness host Ayr United on Friday (19:45 BST) before Falkirk travel to Peterhead the following day (15:00).