Stand-in captain Quinn is happy to avoid banana skin
OTHeRS may talk about history in the making for Ross County. For Paul Quinn on Saturday, the only thought was to avoid becoming the team remembered for all the wrong reasons. The big defender, playing only his second game back since quitting aberdeen, knew failure against linlithgow Rose would amount to one of the greatest shocks witnessed in the Scottish Cup. The spirited SJFa east Superleague team — the first Junior outfit to reach the last 16 — came north to make mischief and certainly rattled the Scottish Premiership’s current fourth top team. For Quinn, though, there was deep satisfaction at job done. Celtic’s league Cup semi-final conquerors are pushing hard for a top six, possibly even european position, in the league. The league Cup Final against Hibernian on March 13 will also be a huge club landmark. and, tonight, the Dingwall outfit will learn who they face in the Scottish Cup last eight. all of the plaudits raining down on Jim Mcintyre’s team would have counted for little, though, had Saturday’s confrontation brought disgrace. Quinn admitted: ‘a big thing for us was we weren’t going to be that team — the team everybody spoke about for years to come, whenever Scottish Cup upsets were mentioned. ‘We knew it was going to be a tough game, especially with linlithgow being on such a high. ‘it showed in the way they played — i felt the energy from the kick-off. The intent was to get after us and not sit in. Fair play to them.’ it was skipper-for-the-day Quinn who put County ahead after just four minutes, but the almost600 travelling fans nearly lifted the north stand roof off as Blair Batchelor’s shot, blocked by Scott Boyd, somehow ricocheted in off Jamie Reckord. Brian Graham’s header just before the hour seemed to calm home anxieties and alex Schalk’s close-range third for County should have signalled the end of linlithgow’s resistance. instead, the part-timers mustered another rousing reaction with Conor Kelly’s run and cross from the right finding Ruari Maclennan free in the box to finish superbly. Within two minutes, though, Graham had struck again from 15 yards — and the minnows’ dream was dead. Captain Mark Tyrrell, the 32-year-old former Stenhousemuir and east Stirling defender, was ecstatic at the performance. ‘We’re all really proud, for ourselves and for the club,’ he said. ‘The whole day was absolutely brilliant and i think we did ourselves justice.’