By Ian Roache

CRAIG FORSYTH has followed proudly in his father’s footsteps by lifting the Alba Challenge Cup as a Dundee player.

Stewart Forsyth was part of the Dens Park team that beat Ayr United 3-2 in the inaugural 1990 final of the then Centenary Cup.

Forsyth jun went one better yesterday by blast-ing home the winner to cap a courageous comeback by the Dark Blues at McDiarmid Park.

Dundee were run ragged in the first half—an Adam Rooney headed goal and a Nauris Bulvitis counter were the least Inverness deserved for their dazzling first-half display.

However the Dark Blues transformed themselves and scored through a Bulvitis own goal just after the break, a Gary Harkins counter on 52 minutes then Forsyth’s excellent effort six minutes from time.

The 20-year-old midfielder said, “Hopefully, my dad is proud of me.

“Maybe he is even prouder than when he won it himself all those years ago.”

He added, “It is great to get a medal in what was my first final.

“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and the manager gave us hell at half-time but it was some comeback.”

Forsyth said, “Seeing the fans celebrating at the end was an unbelievable sight and we are all just absolutely thrilled.

“Our aim is to win the league but hopefully this experience is a taster of what lies ahead.”

So vicious was Jocky Scott’s half-time verbal volley that the manager did not dare repeat any of it.

He said, “The turnaround was down to the players, though.

“Inverness dictated the play in the first half and we never got near them.

“We didn’t play when they had the ball and gave it away when we got it.”

Scott added, “It showed the character of the players that all the things they didn’t do in the first they did in the second.

“We ended up winning the cup because of that.”

Scott said, “At half-time I was worried that we could get a big defeat but in the second half when it went to 2-2, I was wondering if we would get a big victory—it was big enough.

“So I am delighted for the players and now they have won something I hope they will have a right good taste for it for the rest of the season.

“If it doesn’t spur them on then there is something wrong with them.

“They are down there enjoying themselves and hopefully it will make them want more success.”

Caley Thistle boss Terry Butcher praised his team for the opening 45 minutes and took solace in the quality of the match.

He said, “That first-half display was the best 45 minutes of any team I have managed in my career—I have to say that.

“We didn’t want half-time to come along and 2-0 is a funny lead to have in football.

“We knew Dundee would be a wounded animal and all of a sudden it was 2-2.”

Butcher added, “You can never relax with my team and I guess we have lost a thriller.

“It was a hell of a game and a great advert for the first division.”

Backed by strong travelling support, Dundee went with an attacking line-up, with Leigh Griffiths and Sean Higgins up front and Harkins backing them up from wide-right midfield.

There was a scare for the Dark Blues on five minutes when Richie Foran raced in at the back post and could only hit a Johnny Hayes cross into the side netting.

The Dens men then came within a whisker of scoring on 12 minutes when Griffiths picked out Higgins and his bullet header was deflected inches wide.

Rooney then cut the ball back to Danni Sanchez and the Spaniard battered the bar with his shot.

Thus, it was no great surprise when Inverness took the lead in the 21st minute.

The impressive Hayes broke up the right wing again, crossed and Rooney’s forehead directed the ball past Rab Douglas to make it 1-0.

A Harkins header was well held by Inverness keeper Ryan Esson before the ball was in the Dundee net again, although this time there was a clear foul on Douglas before Bulvitis back-heeled the ball in.

As the game passed the half-hour Douglas rushed out of his goal after Rooney beat the Dundee offside trap.

The striker rounded the keeper but his shot was from too wide an angle.

However Inverness made it 2-0 on 33 minutes, with Bulvitis the thorn in Dundee’s side. When Foran touched the ball back into the goalmouth the defender was there to clip the ball beyond Douglas.

Dundee were disjointed, with even skipper Eric Paton chesting the ball out for a corner instead of cushioning it back to Douglas.

It was all Inverness as the first half neared its end and the Dens men had to call on Douglas to save them from a Rooney strike.

Unsurprisingly, there were boos from the Dundee fans when the half-time whistle went.

However they were cheering just three minutes into the second period when their team pulled one back.

Harkins bobbed and weaved before crossing from the right—Higgins and defender Bulvitis both went for it and it was the Caley Thistle man who played it past Esson.

The roofs on three of the stands nearly came off when the Dens men levelled four minutes later—Esson could only parry a Forsyth shot and Harkins poked the ball into the net.

It was a cracking game now, with the Dark Blues reacting to Scott’s blast and the opposition regretting all those missed chances.

Griffiths fired a great ball across goal on the hour mark, then Scott brought on Colin McMenamin for scorer Higgins.

A Ross Tokely blunder let Griffiths in up the left on 70 minutes and he looked favourite to beat Esson but the keeper did well to get to the ball first.

Eddie Malone had a shout for a penalty on 83 minutes when he clashed with Tokely inside the area but ref Charlie Richmond waved play on.

Dundee were not to be denied, though, and the comeback was complete a minute later when Forsyth blasted home after being found by a Harkins cutback.

Try as they might in the four additional minutes, Inverness could not recover.

Their misery was compounded when Dougie Imrie was ordered off after a ridiculous tackle on sub Pat Clarke.

The full-time whistle went and the Dundee players celebrated as they lifted the cup—a trophy that had looked out of their grasp just 45 minutes earlier.

Attendance—8031.

Dundee—Douglas, Paton (Benedictus 73), Malone, Kerr, MacKenzie, Lauchlan, Forsyth, Hart, Griffiths (Clarke 90), Higgins (McMenamin 64), Harkins. Subs not used—Soutar, Cameron.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle—Esson, Tokely, Bulvitis, Munro, Golabek, Proctor, Sanchez (Cox 57), Duncan (Imrie 89), Foran, Rooney (Odhiambo 89), Hayes. Subs not used—Allison, Stratford.

Referee—Charlie Richmond.