Dish serves up double helpings as Spartans progress in Scottish Cup

Posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2017

A deadly double from Man of the Match Jamie Dishington, topped off by a thunderous free-kick by Craig Stevenson saw Spartans progress into Round 2 of the William Hill Scottish Cup at the expense of Vale of Leithen.

The Road to Hampden began under the lights on a Friday night, with circa 200 football fans inside the Pilton arena, keen to kick-off their weekend with goals and hopefully a passageway towards a place in the hat following the remainder of the first round ties.

With no fewer than six ex-Spartans, including Player/Manager Chris Anderson, in the starting Vale line-up, it was a familiar looking side from the Borders who set out their stall to potentially cause a Scottish Cup upset.

It was the hosts who had the lion’s share of the opening opportunities, with last Saturday’s match winner Blair Atkinson unlucky not to break the deadlock within five minutes, when his shot went narrowly wide of Ross Gilpin’s goal.

Atkinson continued to cause the visitors some problems with his nifty footwork that saw the playmaker hit the canvas more times than a boxer with a glass jaw as the Vale defence toiled to curtail his twinkle-toed trickery.

Spartans finally made the breakthrough in the 28th minute.  Scott Maxwell worked his way down the flank before crossing into the six yard box where Jamie Dishington leapt into the North Edinburgh air to send his header home.

At the other end, Andrew Stobie was forced into a quick fire double save to ensure the status quo scoreline remained.  First up came a decent stop that forced the keeper to push Kerr Allan’s drive over the bar.  From the resultant corner kick, the home goalie was forced into action once again to keep his goal intact.

Half Time: Spartans 1-0 Vale of Leithen

The second spell took a while to get going with the first quarter of an hour seeing lots of passing but a lack of penetration from both teams.

Then came the killer blow from Spartans.  Despite Gilpin’s valiant efforts to thwart a couple of close range shots, the ball finally fell to Dishington who tapped in to all but secure his side’s name in Saturday night’s draw.

With the game entering its final stages, Spartans were awarded a free-kick some twenty yards out.  Up stepped Craig Stevenson who drilled low and hard into the bottom corner to record a good night at the office for Dougie Samuel’s side.

Full Time: Spartans 3-0 Vale of Leithen

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Jamie Dishington

Spartans: Stobie, Nixon, Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson, Greenhill (Brown), Atkinson (Khutsishvili), McFarland, Allum (Guthrie), Dishington, Maxwell.  Subs (Unused) Corbett, Archibald, Wilson, Carswell.