Cole’s early strike as Cuikie stretch Partick
Thistle advanced, but it wasn’t a comfortable afternoon against East of Scotland opponents, who left with their heads held high and with generous praise from home boss Ian Mccall.
The Jags boss said: “I felt they were the best team in the first half, but we should have scored three or four goals in the second. We should have had two penalties as well and I can’t see why the ref hasn’t given at least one of them.”
Thistle took only a minute to take the lead. Brentford loanee Reece Cole latched onto a long ball over the top and volleyed into the bottom left corner.
The hosts almost doubled their advantage after 10 minutes when Penicuik goalkeeper Robert Watt could only palm away Dario Zanatta’s effort to the feet of Craig Slater, but his ambitious lob was pushed away.
Cuikie’s first chance fell to Sam Jones, who found himself one-on-one with Scott Fox, but put his shot just wide of the target to the anguish of an outstanding travelling support.
Goalscorer Cole spurned a glorious opportunity just after the hour mark when centre-back Greg Page was dispossessed 30 yards from goal, but Watt spread himself well to block the shot.
Mccall introduced top scorer Kenny Miller and he hit the post with an effort.
edinburgh city
annan
Edinburgh – B Henderson (21, 24), Court (28), Harris (49); Annan – Flanagan (49, 89), Muir (pen 68)
Blair Henderson, opened the scoring after 21 minutes, heading home a Danny Handling cross. He then made it 2-0 three minutes later, firing past Annan keeper Chris Smith from a tight angle. Jonny Court looked to have put the home side in an unassailable position when he made in 3-0 shortly after with a fine individual effort, but an early second-half strike from Nathan Flanagan gave Annan a glimmer of hope.
Alex Harris looked to have killed off the visitors chances when he slotted the ball home to make it 4-1 almost immediately. However, a penalty from Tommy Muir, awarded after Edinburgh goalkeeper Aidan Macadams had fouled Flanagan, restored their hopes, and Flanagan’s 80th-minute close-range strike ensured a jittery finale for the Ainslie Park men.
inverurie
Broxburn ath
Miller (83)
Broxburn’s Scottish Cup run continues thanks to a tactically perfect afternoon in Inverurie.
They kept things tight at the back and probed on the counter-attack in what was a goalless first half.
On 68 minutes Alex Miller’s effort across the face of goal was miraculously cleared off the line by Ryan Broadhurst. With eight minutes left Connor Wallace made a great low save to deny Callum Dingwall and on the breakaway Miller beat Andy Reid with a superb dipping shot fit to win any cup tie.
elgin city
alloa athletic
Elgin – Macewan (25);
Alloa – Taggart (48), Cawley (57), O’hara (63)
At the break, Alloa trailed to Rory Macewan’s low finish on 25 minutes from a Kane Hester through ball. On-loan Kilmarnock keeper Jamie Macdonald also had to make fine saves from Elgin’s Brian Cameron and Shane Sutherland either side of the goal to prevent Alloa from going further behind.
However, the visitors were dominant after the break and Scott Taggart smashed in an equaliser.
That 48th-minute strike was the catalyst for the Alloa revival and, within nine minutes, they were ahead through Kevin Cawley’s 20-yarder. On 63 minutes, O’hara prodded home No. 3.
raith rovers
Bowie (3)
Peterhead
After good work from John Baird, Rovers took an early lead through Kieron Bowie’s header.
Thereafter, Peterhead largely dominated proceedings, but Jim Mcinally’s visitors could not find a way past Ross Munro in the Rovers goal.
Rory Mcallister nearly levelled for the Blue Toon in the 32nd minute, as his effort was cleared desperately off the line.
Mcallister was involved in an altercation with Rovers’ Daniel Armstrong on half-time, leading to a melee but no yellow cards were issued by the referee.
With every Peterhead player forward for a stoppage-time corner, including goalkeeper Greg Fleming, the Blue Toon’s cup hopes were killed off when Paddy Boyle headed their last chance wide.