South Challenge Cup | Spartans hit nine in 3rd Round rout

Posted on Monday, November 21st, 2022

Blair Henderson’s hat-trick helped The Spartans en route to a South Challenge Cup 4^th round home tie against Dunipace after their 9-0 victory over Glasgow University at Ainslie Park.

A break from the trials and tribulations of the Lowland League saw Dougie Samuel’s side welcome Mark Adams and his Students to the capital as the home side looked to continue their run in the tournament they reached the semi finals in last time out.

Spartans took the game to the West of Scotland 2 side from the outset and Sean Brown darted into the box before taking a stray finger to the face causing the stricken striker some discomfort and treatment was required.

His eye for goal though was back in when he was unlucky not to get the opener but for the keeper coming out to thwart him on the edge of the box.  A backtracking defender then getting into position to head Blair Henderson’s rebound off the line.

It remarkably took 25 minutes for the deadlock to be broken.  Another Spartans attack saw the ball break to Sam Jones on the edge of the box and his unstoppable drive left the keeper with no chance at his near post.

That lead was doubled just sixty seconds later.  Blair Henderson this time on hand to head home from ten yards as Spartans caused havoc in the Uni penalty area from another set-piece.

On the half hour mark it was time for Jamie Dishington to get in on the goals to drill home to make it 3-0 and effectively kill the tie.

Then, with the half time pies calling in the café, Spartans made it four.  Cammy Russell upended in the box and up stepped Blair Henderson to send the goalie the wrong way from the spot to make it 4-0.

Half Time: The Spartans 4-0 Glasgow Uni

It was a Blair Henderson hat-trick just two minutes after the interval when he was played into space inside the box and the prolific marksman didn’t need a written invitation to despatch this one.

Spartans kept both tannoy and twitter operatives on their toes by making a quartet of 54^th minute substitutions Jamie Penker, Ian McFarland, Gavin Morrison and Alan Brown replacing Brad Whyte, Sam Jones, Josh Laing and Blair Henderson.

It was to be an inspired change for Jamie Penker who collected the ball in the box five minutes after coming on to produce a sublime turn and finish to make it 6-0.

The hosts refused to let up and midway through the half, Cammy Russell sent a low drive across the face of the goal and he looked on as it nestled in the bottom corner to make it 7-0.

Sean Brown then got on the end of the pin-point Jamie Dishington cross to head high into the top corner past a despairing dive from the goalie and it was another from the nogging with seven minutes left on the clock from Brown that saw the ninth – and final – goal of the afternoon.

Full Time: The Spartans 9-0 Glasgow Uni

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Sean Brown