The final as scheduled finished as a 1–1 draw; in the replay, Bruce opened the scoring for Vale of Leven but Queen's came back to win 2–1.

[5][3] He moved to Rangers in 1891 and played four games in the Scottish Football League at the start of the 1892–93 season, scoring five goals.

[10][11] County beat four First Division sides to reach the 1894 FA Cup final; Bruce scored once in the quarter-final, "scraping" a draw against local rivals Nottingham Forest, and twice more in the 4–1 replay win.

[10][11] Bruce had several chances to open the scoring in the final, but was foiled both by the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper and by the woodwork; nevertheless, County went on to win 4–1.

He scored twice in the ten games he played for the club before he returned to Scotland, turning out for Perth and Vale of Leven before signing for St Mirren.