BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
Dean Brett failed to catch the team bus for Arbroath – but is thrilled his double ensured Cowdenbeath did not miss the boat when it came to a bumper Rangers pay-day on the road to Hampden.
The Blue Brazil stalwart, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday, got stuck in traffic on Monday as he attempted to cross the Forth to meet up with his team-mates.
With colleagues Gordon Smith, Bradley Donaldson and Jamie Sneddon in the car, the quartet headed for the Kincardine Bridge because of the closed Forth crossing but became snarled up in huge tailbacks.
By the time they reached Fife, the bus had already left without them for their Scottish Cup replay against Arbroath.
However, the chasing car eventually caught up with the coach on the approach to Dundee, where Colin Nish’s squad were stopping for their pre-match meal.
It was not the ideal start to a massive tie, but it climaxed in perfect fashion for Brett, who netted his side’s third and fourth goals in a hectic first-half that finished 4-1 before the match ended 4-2 to the Fifers.
With a trip to Ibrox and a £150,000 windfall at stake, the versatile wing-back is in no doubt how important the replay victory was at Gayfield.
He explained: “With the Forth Road Bridge being closed it’s a nightmare at the moment. We had to travel over the Kincardine Bridge, but they had closed lanes of that off to cars.
“By the time we got through Dunfermline we had missed the team bus, so we basically just had to chase the bus up the road and we eventually we caught it up just before Dundee.
“We were going for a pre-match meal in Dundee, so we were able to join up with the rest of the boys there. But it was all a bit crazy, really.
“We saw at the pre-match meal that the next round was going to be on telly. It was already a big game for the club, money-wise, and the club’s always had problems with money for a few years.
Pressure
“So, there was a lot of pressure on the boys, we definitely felt that, and we were just happy to get a really good start and the win.
“And that’s the first time I’ve scored a double in a game, so I was buzzing.
“I had the whole of the second half to try and get a hat-trick but I just knew that wasn’t coming – that was too much to expect!”
Cowdenbeath, who were relegated to League One on the final day of last season, have struggled at times this season under new manager Colin Nish but have now lost just twice in their last eight matches.
And Brett is hopeful the prospect of a glamour clash with Rangers in the cup in January can now spur them on to even better in the league.
He added: “We’re just looking forward to Ibrox now.
“I was injured both times we went to Ibrox last season, so I missed out on those games. I’m hoping I’ll be in the squad when we play them in January.
“It’ll give everyone a boost and the gaffer talked about is kicking us on in the league.
“If we had been beaten everybody would have been absolutely gutted. But, instead, we can take it on into Saturday.
“Now we’re going to Ibrox everyone will be fighting for their place and I think it’ll do us a favour in the league.”
