Thrilling cup clash is set to be replayed
Macron Junior Cup
The Vics and the Yowes have to do it all again next Saturday after a thrilling Scottish Junior Cup tie at Dam Park.
Injury ravaged Whitletts gave a debut to keeper Gareth Watson who joined the club in midweek, replacing the injured Martin Fraser.
League Two Lanark side started the game well and dictated the pace of the game, looking dangerous on the counter attack but most of the play was in their own half.
In the 13th minute Vics had the ball in the net but Jordan Boyd’s header was ruled out for a push on a defender.
But within seconds the home side were in front when United keeper Martyn Meek failed to control a heavy pass back and Adam Forsyth nipped in to pinch the ball and give Vics the lead.
That lead didn’t last long and three minutes later it was all square.
Issac Kerr got on the wrong side of Watt as the striker raced into the box and the Whitletts defender pulled the strikers jersey.
No doubt about the award and from 12 yards Hugh Kerr sent Watson the wrong way.
The away side’s keeper Meek had been injured in the incident that led the the Vics goal and he was replaced by Gareth Hallford.
Whitletts started the second half strongly and after some good team work down the left, Forsyth’s low netbound shot was only kept out by the heel of a Lanark defender.
Issac Kerr then headed straight at the keeper while stand in keeper Hallford again produced heroics making an outstanding save to keep out a Buchanan thunderbolt of a free kick that caught a slight deflection on the way.
Thomas Donovan fired just wide as Vics searched for that elusive second and then the Vics striker repeated the feat after he was set up by Boyd.
From a corner kick, Hallford made another fine save to keep out a Buchanan header but in the stramash that followed inside the six yard box, after an attempt had been blocked on the line, Forsyth was on hand to prod the ball over the line.
In the 74th minute Vics were reduced to ten men when Bobby Colligan was given a second booking for simulation.
That gave Lanark some hope and they began to press forward looking for the equaliser.
Such was their enthusiasm, manager Colin Slater was sent off after an altercation with Vics assistant Mark Ferris when trying to retrieve the ball from the technical area.
But it was Slater who was celebrating moments later when from O’Donnell’s free kick, Lawson powered a header past Watson to level the tie.
The visitors were themselves reduced to ten men in the 90th minute when Louis Kerr received a second yellow for kicking the ball away.