Pupils make hosts pay the penalty
Campbeltown Pupils progressed to round two of the Jimmy Marshall Cup with a penalty shootout win over St Convals.
Drawn away to the Linwood side in the SAFL’s league cup competition, the match was played at Renfrew Sports Centre, with the 3G synthetic pitch having thankfully thawed out since Pupils’ November visit there on league duty.
The McFadyen-sponsored Pupils, playing a 4-4-2 formation from the start, were almost ahead in the opening 90 seconds, but striker John McCallum sent a low shot wide of target with the goal gaping after being found by a dangerous low cross from left midfielder Gregor McFadyen.
But within 10 minutes, McCallum had the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot, after Ryan Deans was brought down by a St Convals defender.
McCallum sent the keeper the wrong way to score his 50th Pupils goal and put the McFadyens-sponsored side a deserved goal in front.
After threatening further when Ryan Deans crashed a 25-yard shot off the underside of the crossbar, the Pupils doubled their lead when right-back Michael McKinlay’s looping high ball was pounced on by McCallum, who outjumped the defender to guide a header over the hosts’ onrushing keeper.
St Convals, plying their trade a division below the Pupils in SAFL Premier Division Two, halved their deficit after 40 minutes, when a rasping low strike from the edge of the box evaded the grasp of Alasdair Ferguson in the Pupils goal.
McCallum could have had a first-half hat-trick, but was denied by the post after hitting a close-range shot on the stretch, after fine buildup play by left-back Keith Mitchell and McFadyen.
Into the second half, the Pupils were frustrated when the hosts made it 2-2 from a corner, after an attacking header on the six-yard line from a floated delivery went unchallenged in the Pupils ranks, giving Ferguson no chance.
The rest of the second half was largely dominated by the Feathers Inn-sponsored Pupils, with the impressive McFadyen seeing his powerful header hit the base of the home keeper’s right-hand post. But keeper Ferguson was also on form when called upon to touch a low shot round the post at a crucial time in the match.
Donald McCallum, introduced at half time, had two chances to score after bearing down on goal, but the St Convals keeper produced two fine saves to deny him.
In another well-crafted move, D McCallum helped turn provider, prodding a low pass through for fellow sub Ross Brown, who showed great composure to thread a ball low across goal and leave Scott Souden with the simple task of scoring into an unguarded net.
And while not under huge pressure defensively, the Pupils contrived to concede a third goal, when a free-kick was conceded at the edge of the box and the resulting low effort evaded Ferguson’s grasp. With the full-time score 3-3, the tie went straight to penalties and when Ellis Robertson, Deans and D McCallum scored, J McCallum missed the fourth kick, only for the Pupils to be rescued by Ferguson’s save on the hosts’ final penalty, and a goal from Ross Souden sent the shootout to sudden death at 4-4. Ferguson pulled off a wonder save to deny St Convals again and McFadyen calmly slotted home to send the Pupils through to the last 16 of the competition.
Tomorrow (Saturday) the Pupils travel to Mid Argyll to face county rivals Lochgilphead Red Star on league duty, with the match at either the Ropework Park or at Lochgilphead Joint Campus 3G. See Campbeltown Football on Facebook or @ PupilsAFC on Twitter.
Pupils squad v St Convals: A Ferguson, K Mitchell, L Allen, R Souden, M McKinlay, S Souden, R Deans, F Wylie, G McFadyen, E Robertson and J McCallum. Subs: D McCallum, R Brown, R Gilchrist, F Scott and F MacBrayne.