Doune edge it after late penalty drama
Spot-kick denial at the death frustrates Fallin
Doune Castle ..... 3 Fallin ................. 2
East of Scotland Cup Round 3 Doune Castle came out on top in a tight battle between two local rivals.
There was drama in the dying moments of a pulsating RGM Sports East of Scotland Cup tie continued when the referee rejected a strong Fallin claim for a penalty.
The visitors squandered a great chance to take the lead after only four minutes, when Ryan’s shot from 16 yards cannoned back off the inside of the far post.
But Fallin deservedly took a 1-0 lead after nine minutes. They swung an inviting, curling cross beyond the retreating Castle defence and their striker finished expertly, stabbing home from six yards.
Doune snatched an unlikely equaliser after 15 minutes with a finish of the highest quality. A defender headed the ball to the edge of the area, but Chris Ogilvie pounced on the loose ball, sidestepped inside and unleashed a fierce dipping drive from 22 yards that flew into the net at the far post to make it 1-1.
After 29 minutes, Alan More made it 2-1 for Doune with an impressive finish. Ogilvie showed great skill to nudge the ball behind his marker into More’s path, who cushioned the ball with his right foot and, without allowing it to drop, instantly smashed a left foot volley behind Stewart from 14 yards.
Only a few minutes into the second half and the sides were level. Fallin swung an inviting cross into the heart of thesix-yard area. As the defence hesitated, the visitors charged forward in numbers and a forward slammed home unchallenged from eight yards to make it 2-2.
Doune moved Niall McClure into central midfield as they searched for that vital third goal and for the first time in the match they hemmed Fallin back with sustained pressure.
They finally overcame Fallin’s resilience with the decisive third goal after 83 minutes.
Doune won a free kick just left of centre 24 yards out and Sean Heaver expertly curled the ball around the wall, zipping his shot into the right hand corner of the net beyond Stewart’s despairing dive to make it 3-2.
The game ended in controversy with Fallin claiming a spot-kick five minutes into added time. The referee acknowledged contact but deemed Kenny Feaks’ challenge had been fair and waived aside the claims.
Heaver’s break down the left wing saw the clock finally run down, with Doune relieved to emerge victors from a fiercely contested local derby.
DOUNE CASTLE: Scott, Innes, Currie, McClure, Feaks, Statter, McGowan (Docherty), Graham, Ogilvie, More (Macaloney), Heaver Substitutes: Burns, Gallagher, Morrison