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Rovers return too late as Seniors win in South Challenge Cup cracker5 goals, 1 sending off and a disallowed goal gave everyone at Ainslie Park something to talk about on their journey home as we beat Threave Rovers 3-2 in the South Challenge Cup.With just 4 minutes on the clock, Kevin Motion’s in-swinging corner caught everyone out and it went in the net despite the best attentions of Threave’s Parker who could only help the ball on its way. Five minutes later and the lead was doubled. Last week’s goal centurion Donal Henretty was industrious on the edge of the box and as Patterson went to put in a challenge, ‘Harry’ poked the ball through to John Ferguson who fired the ball low and hard passed the outstretched keeper. It looked like a quick treble on the scoreboard as McLeod latched on to a long ball from Gilpin to volley it over the keeper however the far side referee’s assistant raised his flag – by all accounts the only man who noticed in the ground, but he’s the only man that mattered! Threave started to come into the game and were awarded a free-kick on the edge of our box and Danny O’Donnell was shown a yellow card for the foul. Relief all round when the free-kick went under the wall and wide, but the tourists were looking dangerous. That third goal eventually came in the 26th minute. A Ferguson cross was headed back into the danger zone by the lively Henretty, McLeod used his bulk to hold off Bembo and when it fell into the path of Motion, the on-loan striker blootered the ball into the bottom corner. Henretty himself had a good chance at the back post when he drifted away from his marker but he couldn’t get his foot over the ball and his shot went high and wide. There was a sizeable and vocal crowd in the stand and it was great to see Threave bringing one of the best away supports of the season to Ainslie Park and it made for a busy interval for the hard working team behind the bar in the Café who announced on Twitter pre-game that Bovril was now back on the menu! Whatever Keith Knox said to his side at half-time, it clearly worked. Within 60 seconds of the restart, Colin McKay pounced on a mix up between Gilpin & Cennerazzo to poke the ball home from four yards. Cometh the hour, cometh the red card! An ariel challenge between Keith McLeod and Arnold Bembo in front of our bench saw Cloudy unfortunately land on the Rovers lad. The big Threave lad, one of their best players on show, inexplicably lashed out at McLeod with his feet, earning a straight red – perhaps one of the easiest decisions the Ref had to make all day. Double sub as Andy Martin and Sean Wringe replace Donal Henretty and John Ferguson. In his online notes before the game, Threave Manager Knox noted this team “shouldn’t be frighted to play a team of this calibre”. When the ten-men reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute, the boys from Castle Douglas looked far from frightened. John Warren’s well worked shot from 25 yards curled round the diving Gilpin’s hand to pull them back to within a goal of pulling off a fantastic comeback. The travelling support cheered loudly moments later when they thought the ball had burst the net for that elusive equaliser however there was to be no Rovers return as the shot went wide of the post. Andy Martin nearly earned his stripes as a Super-Sub however his nudge at goal from 2 yards shaved the outside of the post after a Cennerazzo cross caused the keeper to flap and miss the ball. Neil MacCuish replaced Danny O’Donnell with 10 minutes to go and if ever that old pair of football cliches were required, it was definitely a game of two halves and as Fergie once put it so eloquently, it was certainly squeeky bum time! MacCuish and McLeod both had late chances and on a different day and a different goalkeeper, the Rovers No.1 pulling off some fine saves, the final score could have had some daylight between the sides. As the Referee gave one final full shrill of his whistle, collective sighs of relief rung around Ainslie Park. Final Score: Spartans 3 – 2 Threave Rovers The Malt & Hops Man of the Match: Kevin Sivewright Team: Gilpin, Manson, Cennerazzo, Sivewright, O’Donnell, Grant, Ferguson, Whatley, Henretty, McLeod, Motion. Subs: Mackinnon, Martin, MacCuish, Wringe, Flockhart (GK). |
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