LOWLAND LEAGUE
RANGERS B kept up the pressure in the league with a 5-2 win over leaders BONNYRIGG ROSE, who stay a point ahead of the Gers youngsters.
Almost 1,000 spectators turned up at New Dundas Park for the top-two encounter and they hadn’t long to wait for a goal. Tony Weston put Rangers ahead after 10 minutes with a shot which took a wicked deflection and gave keeper Michael Andrews no chance.
The Gers doubled their lead after 36 minutes when
Weston raced down the wing and squared the ball to Lewis Mckinnon, who drilled a great shot into the net.
Bonnyrigg’s best first-half chance came on 41 minutes in a goalmouth melee when the Rangers defenders managed to keep the ball out twice before Bob Wilson’s header skimmed over bar.
It was 3-0 on the hour mark when Charlie Mccann accepted a ball in the box and neatly stuck it away.
In the 78th minute, Rangers were coasting when Ure was left free and he slammed the ball home.
But Rose came fighting back and, soon after, Kieran Hall fired the ball under Jay Hogarth in the Gers goal to make it 4-1.
But, in the 87th minute, sub Kane Ritchie-hosler made it a
high five as he slotted the ball home.
Rangers almost got a sixth with a 90th-minute penalty, but Andrews brought off a great save from Mccann. Then, in stoppage time, Hall fired home a second for Rose.
EAST KILBRIDE moved into the top half of the league with a 3-1 win over SPARTANS. Portuguese striker Joao Victoria stole the show with all three goals. Victoria picked up a through ball and neatly lobbed the advancing Spartans keeper in the fifth minute. He got his second to make it 2-0 on the half-hour mark when he headed into the net after a corner from Neil Mclaughlin was headed on by Lee Miller to the Portuguese striker. His hat-trick came via a penalty on the hour. Spartans finally got a goal in the 79th minute when Sam Newman fired home at his second attempt.
BROOMHILL got a narrow 2-1 win over CUMBERNAULD COLTS, but they left it late for the winner, which came two minutes from time. They took the lead after 25 minutes when a free-kick from Justin Devenny found Regan O’sullivan, who scored at his second attempt after the ball came back out to him from a tremendous Alex Marshall save. Colts levelled in the 70th minute when Dom Slattery tuned the ball into the net, but, in the 88th minute, Broomhill got the winner when Devenny shot home into an empty goal.
In the South Region Challenge Cup, DALBEATTIE STAR were dumped out at home to WHITLETTS VICTORY, who won 1-0. The only goal of the game came in the 35th minute from Louis Kerr.
In the same competition, VALE OF LEITHEN’S tale of woe continued with a 5-1 thumping from PUMPHERSTON, and EAST
STIRLINGSHIRE were knocked out by LINLITHGOW ROSE 2-1. EDINBURGH UNI scraped through with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win after a 1-1 draw with HERIOT-WATT UNI.
In the East Qualifying Cup Second Round, BO’NESS UNITED beat GRETNA 2008 4-0 in an all-lowland tie, and GALA FAIRYDEAN ROVERS had the biggest win of the day with 10-0 thrashing of TWEEDMOUTH. CIVIL SERVICE STROLLERS were 4-0 winners over NEWTONGRANGE STAR.