Jeanfield Swifts 1 Dunbar United 1
DUNBAR featured for a second successive year in the annual UK Groundhop, an event which brings visitors from outside the EOSFL’S usual catchment area and sees fixtures staggered across the weekend in order that they can attend up to six different venues.
Last year, New Countess Park was among the host venues but this time Perth was the main centre and they provided the opposition for a 4.45pm kick-off at Jeanfield Swifts’ Riverside Stadium, where about 400 spectators were gathered to watch.
Dunbar had lost on each of their four previous visits to the Swifts’ home and early developments were not encouraging. A free-kick awarded Jeanfield’s way 25 yards from goal was bulleted past United keeper Sean Brennan, off the underside of the crossbar and into the net to give the hosts an early lead.
Dunbar recovered quickly and began to play some neat football, Kyle Somers and Taylor Hendry both seeing shots blocked.
Northcott had the best chance of Swifts’ second but Bob Berry’s blocking intervention denied him, while for the visitors, Somers was kept out when home keeper Swinton saved at his feet on 36 minutes after Willis Hare’s long throw caused havoc in the home goalmouth.
Hendry was inches away from the equaliser just before the break.
Jeanfield exerted early second-half pressure on Brennan’s goal but Dunbar coped well and before too long they were looking the likelier.
A diving header from Ben Bathgate following another long throw from Hare brought a brilliant parried save from Swinton, and three minutes later the same man had a goal controversially disallowed for offside.
The visitors kept pressing and felt they had a strong 81st-minute penalty claim after Hendry appeared to be upended in the Swifts box, but nothing was given. Four minutes later, Byron
Archibald collided with Swinton on the edge of the box, falling awkwardly, and received lengthy treatment for a suspected broken collarbone before his departure left Dunbar with 10 men for the closing stages.
Two minutes into injury time, they were handed the chance to rescue a point when the referee awarded them a penalty for a foul on Hendry, who sent the home keeper the wrong way to make the final score 1-1.
Dunbar have the chance this Saturday to reach their first cup final as a senior club when they go head to head with Dunipace in Stirlingshire in an East of Scotland (Qualifying) Cup semi-final. The winners will face favourites Broxburn Athletic or Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts in the final.