Ten-man Hamilton Accies stunned defending champions Raith Rovers in the SPFL Trust Trophy final, as a heroic performance delivered their first cup success for 30 years.
Reghan Tumilty, who won the trophy last season with Raith, returned to haunt his old club with a thumping first half strike to seal the silverware at the Falkirk Stadium, having played the last 35 minutes with 10 men after Dan O'reilly's red card.
But there were plety of heroes at the back as well as the resolute rearguard were back up superbly by goalkeeper Ryan Fulton, who produced a series of sensational stops to deny Lewis Vaughan and Sam Stanton time and again.
Accies had to contend with injuries to Benny Ashley-Seal and Marley Redfern inside the first 20 minutes and their task was made even tougher when O'Reilly saw red for catching Sam Stanton with his arm early in the second half.
But a true team effort from a squad currently bottom of the Scottish Championship and in a relegation dogfight, saw them come out on top against their league rivals.
It's the first time Accies have lifted the trophy since a Gary Clark double and a Chris Hillcoat effort delivered a 3-2 win over Morton back in 1992.
Both managers were striving for their first trophy in management and it is John Rankin who reigns supreme in the battle of the bosses.
Accies made six changes from the 2-0 defeat at home to Ayr last weekend. Matty Shiels, Scott Martin, Lewis Smith, Marley Redfern, Lucas de Bolle and new signing Benny Ashley-Seal all came into the side.
Youngster Fergus Owens, Stoke City loanee Tom Sparrow, Chrissy McGinn, Andy Winter, John-Pierre Tiehi all dropped out along with Hearts loanee Connor Smith, who was cup tied.
Not surprisingly, Raith altered their side very little from the one which hammered Cove Rangers 6-1 last week. Ian Murray opted to bring in Ross Millen at the expense of Scott McGill in defence.
Rankin made the call to start new boy Ashley-Seal, who hadn't kicked a ball all season until last week's game against Ayr, and he pulled up after just 10 minutes. He went down off the ball and was promptly replaced by Tiehi to delIver an early setback.
The first clear opening fell to Accies when Scott Martin played the ball out wide to find the advancing run of ex-Raith man Reaghan Tumilty. Space opened up nicely for him to fire at goal, but his wayward effort was fired into the stands from 25 yards.
Accies were forced into a second early substitution when Marley Redfern went down injured, again off the ball, and Sparrow came on in his place.
Despite all of their personnel problems, it was Accies who found the opener after 29 minutes. Mimnaugh swung a corner in from left and the ball broke kindly for Tumilty to rifle home a low strike through a sea of blue-jerseyed bodies.
It sparked wild celebrations from the red and white half of the Falkirk Stadium, but Accies fans had their hearts in the mouth moments later when Dylan McGowan almost put the ball in his own net. The Aussie defender put too much on a header back to goalkeeper Ryan Fulton, forcing him to track back towards goal and pluck the ball out of the air at full stretch.
There was six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half and Accies survived a late onslaught that saw Raith almost find a leveller. First, Lewis Vaughan's deflected effort forced Fulton into a good stop down low and then a dangerous delivery from Liam Dick flashed across goal and Accies cleared, allowing them to go in at the break a goal to the good.
Matty Shiels failed to shake off a first half knock and he became Hamilton's third substitution of the game when he was replaced by Dario Zanatta as the teams emerged for the second half.
Raith came out of the blocks fast in search of an equaliser and a flurry of chances In the first few minutes. Stanton brought out a good stop from Fulton at his near post before Ryan Nolan should have done better with a free header inside the box, which he powered over the bar.
Accies were reduced to 10 men after 55 minutes when O'Reilly appeared to catch Stanton in the face with his arm and referee Colin Steven showed no hesitation in brandishing a red card.
That forced Accies into yet another change as Lewis Smith was sacrificed for Brian Easton to plug the gap in defence.
And Easton came to the rescue in 67 minutes when Fulton spilled a cross and he cleared the b all off the line to keep Accies in front.
Rovers kept coming and Fulton tipped a Stanton strike over the bar as the match headed into the final 20 minutes.
In 78 minutes Fulton produced more heroics to somehow keep out a Vaughan header at point-blank range, scopping his header over the bar to keep Accies clinging on to their slender advantage.
A minute later Fulton, in the form of his life, produced another sensational stop to turn Staton's volley inside the six-yard box.
In the 86th minute Raith were screaming for a penalty when Vaughan went down under pressure in the box, but the striker tripped over the ball as he went to pull the trigger and Accies held out for glory.
RAITH ROVERS: MacDonald, Nolan (McBride 84), Dick, Millen, Lang, Stanton, Spencer (Ross 76), Brown, Easton, Goncalves (Connolly 55), Vaughan.
Scorers:
Bookings: Spencer, Lang
Subs not used: Thomson, McNeil, Masson, Ngwenya.
HAMILTON: Fulton, Shiels (Zanatta 46), McGowan, O'Reilly, Tumilty, L Smith (Easton 57), Mimnaugh, Martin, Redfern (Sparrow 20), de Bolle, Ashley-Seal (Tiehi 10).
Scorers: Tumilty 29
Bookings:
Sent off: O'Reilly
Subs not used: J Smith, McGinn, Owens, Winter, Stephenson.
HT: 0-1
Ref: Colin Steven
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