The 2013 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the Ramsdens Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football match between Queen of the South and Partick Thistle on 7 April 2013 at Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. It was the 22nd final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the Scottish Football League.

Both teams progressed through four elimination rounds to reach the final. The match was Queen of the South's fourth appearance in the final of the competition, the last in 2010, whilst it was Partick Thistle's first cup final in 42 years since the League Cup in 1971. The tournament was contested by clubs below the Scottish Premier League; Partick Thistle from the First Division and Queen of the South from the Second Division.

The scoreline was 0–0 after 90 minutes of normal time which forced 30 minutes of extra time to be played. Queen of the South scored the first goal of the game in the 101st minute from Nicky Clark. Partick Thistle were awarded a penalty kick with only two minutes left to play and missed; Aaron Muirhead, who missed the penalty, was then sent off for headbutting Chris Higgins. Partick equalised the score to 1–1 in the final minute of the match from Kris Doolan and take the game to penalties. Queen of the South emerged victorious after winning the shoot-out 6–5.

Route to the final

The competition is a knock-out tournament and in 2012–13 was contested by 32 teams; the 30 clubs that played in the First, Second and Third Divisions of the Scottish Football League and two Highland Football League clubs by invitation. For the first and second rounds only, the draw was divided into two geographical regions – north/east and south/west. Teams were paired at random and the winner of each match progressed to the next round and the loser was eliminated.

Queen of the South

RoundOppositionScore
First roundDumbarton (a)1–0
Second roundGreenock Morton (a)2–1 (a.e.t.)
Quarter-finalRangers (a)2–2 (a.e.t.) (4–3 pens.)
Semi-finalArbroath (h)2–1 (a.e.t.)

Partick Thistle

RoundOppositionScore
First roundClyde (a)1–0
Second roundQueen's Park (a)5–4
Quarter-finalRaith Rovers (h)3–0
Semi-finalCowdenbeath (a)1–0

Match

Details

Queen of the South1–1 (a.e.t.)Partick Thistle
Clark 101'Doolan 120'
Penalties
Young Carmichael Fitzpatrick Robinson Reilly Mitchell Higgins6–5O'Donnell Erskine Welsh Taylor-Sinclair Forbes Doolan Balatoni
Queen of the SouthPartick Thistle
GK 1 England Lee Robinson 72' DF 2 Scotland Chris Mitchell DF 3 Scotland Marc Fitzpatrick DF 4 Scotland Mark Durnan DF 5 Scotland Chris Higgins 28' MF 6 Scotland Derek Young MF 8 Scotland Stephen McKenna 120' MF 10 Scotland Nicky Clark 101' MF 7 Scotland Daniel Carmichael 72' FW 9 Scotland Derek Lyle 77' FW 11 Scotland Michael Paton 115' Substitutes: GK 12 England James Atkinson DF 16 Scotland Steven Black 115' MF 17 Scotland Allan Johnston FW 14 Scotland Gavin Reilly 77' FW 15 Scotland Kevin Smith 101' Manager: Scotland Allan JohnstonGK 1 Scotland Scott Fox DF 2 Scotland Stephen O'Donnell DF 3 Scotland Aaron Taylor-Sinclair 55' DF 5 Scotland Aaron Muirhead 119' MF 4 Scotland Stuart Bannigan 94' MF 6 England Conrad Balatoni MF 7 Scotland Sean Welsh FW 8 England James Craigen 34' MF 11 Scotland Chris Erskine FW 9 Scotland Steven Craig 66' FW 10 Scotland Steven Lawless 60' Substitutes: GK 12 Belgium Glenn Daniels FW 17 Scotland Mark McGuigan FW 14 Scotland Kris Doolan 66' MF 15 Scotland Ross Forbes 94' FW 16 England Christie Elliott 120' 60' Manager: Scotland Alan Archibald
GK1England Lee Robinson72'
DF2Scotland Chris Mitchell
DF3Scotland Marc Fitzpatrick
DF4Scotland Mark Durnan
DF5Scotland Chris Higgins28'
MF6Scotland Derek Young
MF8Scotland Stephen McKenna120'
MF10Scotland Nicky Clark101'
MF7Scotland Daniel Carmichael72'
FW9Scotland Derek Lyle77'
FW11Scotland Michael Paton115'
Substitutes:
GK12England James Atkinson
DF16Scotland Steven Black115'
MF17Scotland Allan Johnston
FW14Scotland Gavin Reilly77'
FW15Scotland Kevin Smith101'
Manager:
Scotland Allan Johnston
GK1Scotland Scott Fox
DF2Scotland Stephen O'Donnell
DF3Scotland Aaron Taylor-Sinclair55'
DF5Scotland Aaron Muirhead119'
MF4Scotland Stuart Bannigan94'
MF6England Conrad Balatoni
MF7Scotland Sean Welsh
FW8England James Craigen34'
MF11Scotland Chris Erskine
FW9Scotland Steven Craig66'
FW10Scotland Steven Lawless60'
Substitutes:
GK12Belgium Glenn Daniels
FW17Scotland Mark McGuigan
FW14Scotland Kris Doolan66'
MF15Scotland Ross Forbes94'
FW16England Christie Elliott120'60'
Manager:
Scotland Alan Archibald
Match officials Assistant referees: Stuart MacMillan Graeme Stewart Fourth official: Paul RobertsonMatch rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Five named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions.