Fifers shut out Dobbie to earn shock win
EAST Fife created the biggest upset of the third round of the Irn Bru Cup as they saw off Championship side Queen of the South 2-0 at New Bayview to reach the last eight.
For once, the prolific Stephen Dobbie was stifled as the League One side ran up their seventh successive win.
Lyndon Dykes had an opportunity early on for Queen of the South but his shot only ruffled the sidenetting.
East Fife came back and took the lead 12 minutes from the break when Kevin Smith found the top corner from the edge of the area.
Brett Long denied Dobbie an equaliser early in the second half as East Fife were caught short at the back.
The home side lived dangerously at times with Dobbie just off target with an effort and then Dykes forcing another good save from Long.
But, 13 minutes from time, Anton Dowds secured their place in the last eight when he beat Alan Martin to the ball and kept his composure to finish.
Ross County eased to a 3-1 home win over Montrose. The home team dominated and Declan McManus was just too high with an early header from Don Cowie’s cross. Ross Stewart gave County a deserved lead after more good work from Cowie.
Stewart and Cowie both forced decent saves from Allan Fleming as the first half wore on but the goalkeeper had no chance when Davis Keillor-Dunn scored County’s second four minutes from half time after he stopped his initial effort.
Montrose pulled one back before the break through Craig Johnston but Keillor-Dunn made it 3-1 early in the second half.
Queen’s Park twice came from behind to beat St Mirren Colts 4-2 in Paisley with Scott McLean scoring twice, once from the penalty spot.
Sam Jamieson earned the Saints an early lead but Lewis Hawke equalised in 61 minutes as the tie livened up. Two minutes later Cameron Breadner put St Mirren back in front only for McLean to level when he slotted home Kieran Moore’s pass.
Queen’s Park finished the stronger and Euan East made it 3-2 10 minutes from time before McLean made penalty spot.
Motherwell Colts came through 2-0 against Sligo Rovers – taking the lead in 12 minutes when Patrick McClean directed the ball into his own net and making sure when Christian Mbulu scored the second late on.
Stephen Craigan, the Motherwell coach, was happy with the way that his young players reacted, saying they managed the occasion impressively.
“The history side of it was nice but, more importantly for me, it was seeing the performance, [that] they could cope with the occasion of coming to Fir Park,” he said. “You want to see how they react.”
Bohemians beat Sutton United 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw. sure from the THE week that will define Glasgow City’s season, and that of arch rivals Hibernian, gets under way at noon today when the sides meet in the first semifinal of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup at Forthbank Stadium.
City then travel to Barcelona on Tuesday for their Champions League last-16, first-leg tie the next evening. Following that potentially memorable experience at the Mini Estadi, they return home on Thursday to prepare for next Sunday’s televised SBS SWPL1 showdown against Hibs at Petershill Park.
“Phew” is probably how the players would succinctly describe it.
Thereafter, they have the second leg of the Champions League tie, the last league game against Spartans and a possible Scottish Cup final on November 4 to bring down the curtain on a hectic end to the season.
As Scott Booth says, it’s a schedule that would test a professional club, far less one packed with players who have day jobs or are in education.
If one of the latter, central defender Carly Girasoli, plays in the next three games she will bring her total to nine in just 28 days. Three of these were for the Scotland Under-17 side during their successful Euro qualifying campaign last week, so it’s not as if the 16-year-old, who is still at school, has been playing in bounce games.
While Girasoli may be an extreme example, the demands on the City players over the coming weeks will be huge. The two games against Hibs are the ones that really matter because, with all respect, nobody expects the 11-times Scottish champions to beat Barcelona over two legs.
“It’s a nice, well-deserved treat for the girls,” Booth says of Wednesday’s tie. “It’s a big ground in a good position close to the Camp Nou.”
That is not to say City won’t be straining every muscle to keep the tie alive for the return at Petershill Park on November 1. If there is any encouragement to be drawn from what looks like an unequal struggle it is that BIIK-Kazygurt, who City should have beaten in the tournament last season, pushed Barcelona all the way in the previous round and only lost 4-3 on aggregate.
That said, the Spaniards played a weakened side in the first leg in Kazakhstan and were punished with a 3-1 defeat.