Spartans send Rovers over and out of South Challenge Cup

Posted on Saturday, October 17th, 2015

Goals by Robbie Ross & Ewan Saunderson gave Spartans a 0-2 win over Peebles Rovers in the South Challenge Cup 1^st Round at a picturesque Whitestone Park.

Spartans were boosted by the return of Gary Cennerazzo, fresh from his first season with Swedish outfit Melleruds IF.  Last season’s Players’ Player of the Year was one of five players making their first start of the season for the Lowland League side.

The hosts, keen for an opening round scalp, had the first attempt of the afternoon with 11 minutes on the clock when Christopher Flockhart forced Blair Carswell to look lively with a low drive that the Spartans No.1 smothered at his near post.

Spartans, in the first of three back-to-back Cup ties this month, advanced through the energetic Craig Stevenson　who exchanged a neat one-two with Jamie Dishington before seeing his shot pull wide.

At the other end, it took a fantastic one footed save by the Carswell from point blank range to somehow deny Paul Murray from giving the East of Scotland side a 37^th minute lead.

James Young and Jamie Dishington offered a comedy moment when the players collided following an aerial challenge. The aftermath saw them either re-enacting a WWE move or they had been watching the rugby match at the neighbouring Gytes.

There was some flair from Mark Gair as the half drew to a close with the striker forcing Darren Walker into pushing the ball over the bar from a sweetly hit shot from the edge of the penalty area.

HT: Peebles Rovers 0-0 Spartans

Spartans broke the deadlock just five minutes after the restart from the head of Robbie Ross.  A flying Cennerazzo move up the flank culminated in a precision made cross for the striker to head home via the post.

It was Carswell who denied Rovers once again on the hour mark as he pulled off an acrobatic effort to push Darling’s deflected drive away to safety.

With a quarter of an hour of the tie remaining, Ewan Saunderson secured Spartans passage into Round 2 against Heriot Watt University when the defender poked the ball home after a stramash inside the Peebles six yard box following a corner kick.

FT: Peebles Rovers 0-2 Spartans

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Brad Raiker

Spartans: Carswell, A Brown, Cennerazzo, Malone, Saunderson, Raiker, Dishington (J Brown 78), Stevenson, Ross, Murray & Gair (Mair 82).  Subs (Unused): Murrell & Grant