Battling Stenhousemuir snuff out United's big guns. Christie's Warriors finally step out of the long shadows

of the shadows and had a wonderful afternoon at McDiarmid Park

yesterday, although their triumph over Dundee United was as nothing

compared with the achievements of their supporters later in the night.

Judging by the body angles of many of them as they made their way from

one watering hole to another, they should have fallen over, but it was a

night when gravity was to be denied as well.

Having waited 111 years for their moment of glory, their first ever

cup win, Stenhousemuir and their fans were determined to have themselves

a night to remember.

Among the unsteady revellers were approximately a dozen Norwegians

from the Oslo branch of the Stenhousemuir supporters club. Their

affinity with the second division club began because of the name,

Stenhousemuir, it is said, means little stone house in Norwegian.

It was probably typical that the club's moment should be delayed by

extra time and then penalties, but after a century without a cup, no-one

with allegiance to the Warriors was complaining. Only United seemed to

be growing increasingly uneasy as time ticked away in a match which was

largely forgettable.

Even before Lloyd Haddow's penalty kick -- the final one in a dramatic

sequence -- had settled in the back of Ally Maxwell's net, he and his

team-mates were racing towards their supporters, who numbered just more

than 2000.

It was a triumph of attitude and stamina more than anything else, and

as he watched his players and fans celebrate, the manager, Terry

Christie, stood with his hands thrust into the pockets of his duffel

coat. A grin took over his face.

He surveyed the riotous scenes before and knew it was all worthwhile.

Football can be an extremely cruel business which rarely allows the

unsung heroes their time in the spotlight, but Christie and his boys

finally emerged.

Not for this manager the designer trimmings. While others of his ilk

are rarely clad in anything other than the club coat with kit designers'

name shown prominently, Christie prefers to look like someone who has

just wandered down to the pitch for a look at the match.

However, this Scottish Challenge Cup win marks him out once and for

all as more than a school headmaster who dabbles in the people's game.

Christie is a manager all right, and it is difficult to think of many

who could get so much out of so many ordinary players. He makes them

believe.

Even though dismissed from the premier division at the end of last

season, United are still regarded as one of the country's major clubs,

as the spending of manager Billy Kirkwood proves. He took the cost of

his purchases to #1m at the weekend when he paid Aberdeen #200,000 for

Ray McKinnon and Celtic #150,000 for Jamie McQuilken.

Christie took on Eamonn Bannon, who was one of the backroom casualties

when Hearts signed Jim Jefferies as manager. Bannon was willing to sign

monthly contracts and pull on his boots again while waiting to find a

way back into management, but the 37-year-old looked like a youngster

again when he ran to celebrate his own successful penalty.

The Ochilview Park side also found their goalkeeper, Roddie McKenzie,

in the junior leagues and although he was not exactly overworked

yesterday, although he made a few excellent saves. In particular, his

leap to touch Gary McSwegan's header over the bar after 108 minutes of

play was spectacular.

Hearts, who have had goalkeeping problems this season, allowed

McKenzie, who is only 20, to go to Blantyre Vics, but on yesterday's

performance he is destined for much greater things. ''I'd say that was

the best game I've ever payed,'' said McKenzie, who was given the

man-of-the-match award, but nothing for style. His choice of garb was a

garish green, white, and orange number.

He made another crucial save at the start of the penalty shoot-out

when he blocked Craig Brewster's attempt and when Maxwell failed to stop

the shots of Bannon, Adrian Sprott, Ian Little, George McGeachie, and

Haddow, the party began. However, Before McKenzie went off to meet up

with his hangover, he revealed his save had come about because of a

misunderstanding.

''Eamonn Bannon told me before the penalty shoot-out that Owen Coyle

always hits the ball to the keeper's left so when I looked up to see who

was taking United's first penalty, I thought it was Coyle. I dived to my

left and saved and it was only afterwards that I realised I had confused

Brewster with Coyle.''

Christie has assembled a team of triers whose strength lies in their

fitness level even though his defensive line is formed by Bannon and two

other old timers, the captain Graeme Armstrong, and George McGeachie.

The trio have a combined age of 112.

''Normally the smaller club can't compete physically with the bigger

club, but Stenhousemuir can,'' Christie said. ''This afternoon is the

highlight of my career in this business.''

Christie and Armstrong have been working together now for a number of

years first at Meadowbank Thistle and now Stenhousemuir and they have

forged a friendship born of mutual respect. ''He's a remarkable person

who can still play the way he does at 39,'' Christie acknowledged.

''We have a lot of good athletes,'' said Armstrong, ''which means we

are never going to be steamrollered by anyone. When the game went to

penalties, I knew we would win. I have been involved in something like

15 shoot-outs with Terry, and we have never lost.''

Yesterday's cup success will keep him, the club and the fans happy for

a long time.