Doune edged out of semi-final place
Late goal and stunning save deny Castle
Dalziel HSFP ......... 2 Doune Castle ........ 1
A goal late in the game cruelly inflicted Doune’s first defeat of the season and edged Dalziel into the Douglas Smith League Cup semi-finals in an enthralling contest between two evenly matched sides.
Dalziel made it 1-0 after seven minutes. A break down the Castle left saw the ball cut back and the home striker turned quickly to stab the ball home from 8 yards.
Doune started to move the ball around quickly with neat inter play as Niall McClure and Bob Purves linked play well. They deservedly equalised on 22 minutes.
McClure prised open the Dalziel defence with a perfectly weighted pass to Alan Inglis who cut inside before stroking the ball into the far corner of the net from 16 yards to make it 1-1.
Adam Smulski denied the home striker with an outstanding save, diving to his left to turn the ball away and late in the half, Lukasz Duszynski audaciously tried to lob the from 35 yards with the ball dropping inches over.
Purves then drew a fine save from the Dalziel keeper before the home side snatched what was to be the winner. A perfectly weighted pass across the face of goal eluded the Castle defence, allowing their striker to turn the ball home from close range to make it 2-1.
Three minutes into added time, Doune won a free kick 22 yards out. The Dalziel keeper made a stunning fingertip save to deny Inglis and guarantee his side’s passage to the semi-finals.
Doune Castle: Smulski, D Innes, Macfarlane (Balmer), Mann, Coubrough, Macdougall, Wilbert,
McClure, Inglis, Purves (A Innes), Duszynski. Substitute: Haig