The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Shipbuilders take final revenge
JUNIORS: Holders sent tumbling at first hurdle by team they had beaten in final
For the fourth successive season, the holders of the North/Tayside Cup went out at the first hurdle as East Craigie gained revenge for defeat in last season’s final against Carnoustie Panmure at Craigie Park.
The Premier League side thoroughly deserved their 4-2 win over the Super League visitors.
The Shipbuilders got off to a dream start by going 3-0 up inside the first halfhour through an Adam Brown counter followed by Conan Howett converting two penalties.
The Gowfers’ woes continued when they were reduced to 10 men after Bruce Hearn picked up a second caution.
And they fell further behind on 64 minutes with Aiden Benvie adding a fourth.
The visitors did manage to put a better complexion on things with goals from Ewan Buggins and Ryan Dignan.
The two first round ties produced emphatic home victories for Lochee United and Tayport.
Injury-hit Bluebells only had one outfield substitute, but they stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches with a 5-0 win over Scone Thistle at Thomson Park.
However, it was Scone who almost struck first with Calum Kinnear hitting the post before Grant Lawson opened the scoring after quarter of an hour.
Seven minutes later Connor Birse added the second.
Garry Kenneth headed home a corner for the third with 15 minutes left with Scott McComskie and Birse again adding two more in the closing stages.
Tayport were equally comfortable victors over Kirrie Thistle with a 3-0 success.
Dayle Robertson put Port ahead after seven minutes with a looping header.
Despite Charlie King’s side’s dominance, they had to wait until the 74th minute before doubling their lead, Jamie Gill’s low cross going in off the woodwork.
And Robertson’s second, again with his head, was the icing on the cake in a highly encouraging performance.
Completing a miserable afternoon for the visitors, Thistle finished the game with 10 men after Stuart McKenna saw yellow for a second time just before the end.
When they clashed in the league, North End routed Coupar Angus, scoring 13 goals, but there was no repeat, this time as a much-improved Foxhall Park outfit only lost 5-2.
Ryan Rigden put the Dokens ahead and Paul Lunan added a second.
Gary Sutherland and Frankie Devine added two more before the visitors, enjoying their best spell of the game, pulled two back through Ryan Wilson and Lee Maloney.
However, there was to be no fairytale ending with Devine adding a fifth for the hosts.
Forfar West End edged through at Blairgowie by the odd goal in three, leaving the hosts ruing missed chances.
The Super League visitors led at the interval, courtesy of an Andy Walls strike.
Cammy McManus hit Blair’s leveller after 65 minutes but West End player/ boss Daryl McKenzie scored the winner 10 minutes from the end.
Brechin Vics came from behind to beat Arbroath Vics 4-2 at Ogilvy Park.
Though Cammy Moon got an early goal for the home side, Brechin were in front within 10 minutes thanks to a Ricky Gillespie double.
Colin Lawson added a third after which Arbroath goalkeeper Jack Whitton was red-carded and Euan Duff got number four five minutes later.
Just before the end, Kellon Lyons pulled one back and there was still time for Brechin Vics’ Jonathan Bastow to be sent-off.
The other three ties – Luncarty v Violet, Forfar Albion v Broughty Athletic and the Harp v Downfield derby– were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.
High scoring was the feature of the Fife & Lothian Cup with the six ties producing 38 goals.
The Fleet Grounds was the venue for the biggest goal extravaganza, Rosyth edging out West Calder in an 11-goal thriller of fluctuating fortunes.
Having gone behind twice, goals from Tam Hampson and Greg Page put Recs level before a Hampson penalty put the Fifers in front for the first time.
But the visitors hit back to lead again. Goals from Page, Hampson and Scott Gillfillan put Recs two in front and though the Lothian side side pulled one back, they couldn’t prevent the Fifers advancing.
Newburgh had to dig deep to overcome Lochgelly Albert at Gardiners Park, twice coming from two down to prevail in the penalty shoot-out after sharing eight goals in the 90 minutes.
The Berts were two up after 26 minutes through Ricky Cooper and Scott Devaney, but Burgh hit back through Craig Robertson and Willie Wright before the break.
Devaney again and a Stephen Stark strike saw Burgh go two behind again only for counters from Craig Hall and Robinson’s second in the last quarter of an hour to bring penalties into play.
The first nine were all converted, but Michael Perrie hit the post with Albert’s fifth, so Scott Hudson’s side progressed to earn a difficult away tie with runaway South League leaders Pumpherston.
Glenrothes progressed at Lochore Welfare’s expense at Warout after almost squandering a three-goal advantage before running out 5-2 winners.
Kennoway Star Hearts ended Whitburn’s run of five straight wins with an 2-1 victory at Central Park.
In the lone first round clash, Thornton Hibs hit Armadale for six without any reply from the home side.
The draw for the quarter-finals was made on Saturday: Pumpherston v Newburgh Stoneyburn or Livingston United v Kennoway Star Hearts
Fauldhouse United or Harthill Royal v Rosyth
Glenrothes v Thornton Hibs or Bathgate Thistle.