Cup red faces as Rose wilt
Rob Roy .................. 4 Linlithgow Rose ..... 3
Linlithgow Rose were dumped out of the Scottish Junior Cup as they threw away a three-goal lead before conceding a last-minute winner.
The Rose, who were West Lothian’s sole representatives in the last 16, appeared to be coasting into the quarter-final draw after netting three times in the opening half hour.
However, it all unravelled as Rob Roy sensationally levelled things up before the half-time whistle with Willie Sawyers firing home a late winner to stun Mark Bradley’s men.
Playing some terrific football, the visitors took the lead on four minutes when Roddy McLennan fired home a right-foot shot into the top corner with Rob Roy keeper Steven McNeil well beaten by the winger’s fine effort.
The Rose continued on the front foot with McNeil tipping wide a 40-yard strike from Jamie McKenzie on 13 minutes - only for the stopper to then punch the resulting corner-kick into his own net.
Things got even better before the half-hour mark as Tommy Coyne slotted home a penalty after a handball in the box.
But a nine-minute blitz from Kirkie saw Gavin Mackie curl home a free-kick, Gary Carroll net a penalty and Kevin Watt tie the game up on the stroke of half-time for close range.
Coyne clattered the crossbar as the Rose went closest to taking the lead midway through the second half but the game turned three minutes later when Linlithgow’s Martyn Shields was dismissed.
The Rabs finally made the extra man count as the game appeared destined for a replay as Sawyers prodded home a late winner.