Scally on the lookout for his goal
Friday 3rd September 2010
Queen of the South’s Player/Assistant Manager, Neil Scally, is desperate to find TV footage of his own wonder strike to keep travelling companion Stephen McKenna quiet about who scored the best goal in a Challenge Cup Final.
The Doonhamers face East Fife at the Quarter Final stage at Palmerston this Saturday and that has provoked the debate about who scored the best Cup Final goal. Scally came on as a substitute and netted during Falkirk’s 2-1 win in November 2004 against Ross County and with a great sense of timing, Darryl Duffy, who has been in the news this week as he swapped Bristol Rovers for Hibernian, scored the winner for the Bairns five minutes later.
Despite searching for years, he has still not seen his strike, although he remembers it well with the 32-year-old saying, “I am hardly prolific at scoring but I know it was more than a decent goal and one I am really proud of.
“It was 20-25 yards out and it went high into the net to level things. However, sometimes I think it may have been even further out and that is why I want to see it again to check.”
“I travel into training with Stephen every day and he still talks about his goal for Airdrie in the Final nearly two years ago as it was covered by BBC ALBA.
“He was saying his shot was outside of the box but it was only 16 yards out and I am fairly sure mine was much further out but he will not believe me until he sees it for himself.”
Scally added, “If you can get the guys at sfl.tv to upload the footage for the 2004 Challenge Cup Final that would be great. The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned!”
Doing well in the Challenge Cup is important to Scally who said, “This competition can give you uplift in the League. Falkirk won the Challenge Cup and then the League, St. Mirren did the same and Inverness last season got to the Final before going on a long unbeaten run to win the First Division Championship.”
The winners’ medal from McDiarmid Park is hugely important to Scally who said, “Injury cost me a Scottish Cup place against Rangers a couple of years ago and I was also out injured when Ayr reached the Final of The CIS Insurance Cup in March 2002 against Rangers so my winners’ medal from that Cup Final is really important.
“It may not be as big a competition as the Scottish Cup or The Co-operative Insurance Cup however, we are giving the Quarter Final tie our full attention.”
That full attention includes looking deeply at opponents East Fife with Scally advising, “We have to prepare properly as they turned over Dumbarton last week 6-0. We have had them watched but it is our home match so we will go into it confident but they will not be treated lightly just because we are in a higher division.”
“I have no doubt that Stevie Crawford will have them well organised and we will need to play as well as we did through at Dunfermline to progress although I hope we do it in the 90 minutes this time and not a penalty shoot-out.”
One player that the Fifers will need to look out for is winger Willie McLaren with Scally commenting, “Willie is in a rich vein of form just now and is doing brilliantly for us. He has a lot to learn but if he keeps developing, he will move on to a higher level.
“His goal last Saturday was Henrik Larsson like but probably better.”
McLaren left a posse of Dingwall defenders trailing before effortlessly chipping over Michael McGovern to have Scally saying, “The best way to describe Willie’s goal is to compare it to Henrik Larsson’s famous chip in the game where Celtic beat Rangers 6-2.
“Willie’s finish was the same however, the way he got away from their defence on the half-way line looked like it was even better. He deceived them totally and it was a wonderful goal from a guy who is playing really well just now.
“If his goal had been scored in the SPL, it would still be showing on TV now.”
Scally is a great character in the SFL and he lived up to that tag and proved his versatility to the Dumfries club in their pre-season Testimonial for team-mate Jim Thomson.
Scally donned the goalkeeper’s gloves after shot-stopper Roddy McKenzie had been injured and he is proud of his achievements saying, “I kept a clean sheet against Rangers whilst I was in goal although I have to say that I was only in for three or four minutes.
“Neil Alexander came on for us after half-time but while I was in goal, I came out for a cross, collected the ball and rolled it out to a defender, so I did everything I had to do.”
The Paisley born player had been listed on the bench before as a shot-stopper during an injury crisis at Palmerston with Scally saying, “I am a frustrated goalkeeper but I will play anywhere just to be involved.
“I have had a substitute role most of the season but I have played in The ALBA Challenge Cup already when I came on against Albion Rovers.”
That desire to be involved has led Scally to taking on coaching duties at the club. He explained his role saying, “I take our eleven apprentices every day and help Kenny Brannigan in the dug out on match days and I am really, really enjoying it.
“I am a player first and take part in all the training sessions to keep myself in shape. I do some separate exercises with the boys and then we come together and practice match situations at the end.
“It is good to be developing the boys and they are responding well.”
Scally finished by saying, “If anyone has footage of that goal, get in touch.”