IRN-BRU CUP LATE NIGHT SPECIAL
HART BEATING ON THE SPOT QUEEN’S PARK... 0 AYR UNITED........ 0 RAY PAYS FOR CHANGING TON DUMBARTON..... 2 MORTON........... 1
JORDAN HART was the hero with two penalty saves to send Queen’s Park through but admitted it was an ugly affair.
After a goalless 90 minutes and extra time, the Spiders progressed into the second round with Smart Osadolor netting the decisive spot-kick in their shoot-out win over Ayr.
No. 1 Hart saved two penalties and said: “It was a horrible game to be honest. But we kept our shape and got the result in the end.”
Queen’s came closest in the first half when Billy Mortimer’s effort was pushed round the post by Ross Doohan.
Ayr’s best attempt came from Ross Docherty whose shot flew two yards wide.
The visitors got their noses in front in the shoot-out but two top saves from Hart allowed Osadolor to win it.
S p i ders Boss Gus MacPherson said: “We’re delighted. We worked really hard to stop Ayr exposing us.” RAY McKINNON insists he had no regrets fielding a team of fringe men as Morton crashed out at the first stage.
Ton’s starting XI didn’t have one player from the side that made it four games unbeaten at Alloa at the weekend.
But despite Michael Paton and Iain Russell’s strikes sealing defeat, boss McKinnon said: “We need to look at the bigger picture and that’s making sure we have a good season this year.
“We wanted to blood young players, I needed to see them and they were excellent, so no regrets.”
Sons were up in 11 minutes when Paton drilled in after Derek Gaston denied Russell.
Russell bagged a second in 26 minutes before Gary Oliver pulled one back but the visitors couldn’t turn it around.
Sons gaffer Stevie Aitken said: “They made 11 changes, I’d have done the same but I only have 15 players.”