Banks O’ Dee-light as Juniors progress in Cup
BANKS O’ DEE 2 EAST FIFE 1
A brilliant display by Banks O’ Dee compounded a turbulent week for East Fife as they departed the Scottish Cup at the hands of the Junior side.
The Fifers, who parted company with manager Darren Young following last weekend’s loss at Clyde, found themselves second best to the North Superleague club and finished the game with nine men.
The League 1 side actually started the game well and heaped pressure on the home side’s goal.
The North side struggled to get out of their own half as the Methil men pressed.
Just 13 minutes had gone before the Fifers took the lead, Jamie Semple collecting Fraser Hobday’s poor clearance and punishing the keeper by looping an excellent effort over his head and in.
But Banks O’ Dee worked their way back into the game and were level before the half-hour when a cross wasn’t defended properly and the ball rebounded in off Liam Newton. East Fife’s cause was done no good when, with just over 15 minutes to go, Aaron Dunsmore was shown a straight red for an over-the-top lunge.
They were made to pay when the hosts scored, Mark Gilmour lashing home from close range.
Scott Mercer’s injury-time red card reduced the Fifers to nine men.
AYR 2 ALBION ROVERS 1
James Maxwell should have put Ayr ahead in 23 minutes when he lofted the ball over from a great position after being sent clear.
Rovers came within a whisker of taking the lead six minutes later when Charlie Reilly broke down the left flank, but his cross was nodded wide at the back post by the inrushing Wright.
Rovers took the lead on 46 minutes when Callum Wilson’s tricky run set up Max Wright to find the bottom corner.
Ayr took only eight minutes to equalise when Michael Moffat’s through pass sent Maxwell clear and he kept his cool to fire past Cameron Binnie.
Moffat went from provider to scorer in 65 minutes when he finished off good work by skipper Aaron Muirhead to blast Ayr ahead.
Ayr had a chance to cement the tie with four minutes left when Moffat was brought down by James Mcgowan, but Muirhead’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Binnie.
CIVIL SERVICE STR 0 PETERHEAD 3
Strollers saw a Scott Clapperton net-bound shot blocked in the sixth minute, but the visitors came back strongly and Russell Mclean fired over in the 13th minute with a left-foot shot.
A minute later, Jaciz Balde had a great chance for Strollers, but his shot from 20 yards was stopped with a diving save from the keeper.
Alieau Faye came close with a 25th-minute header, but, again, the keeper got his hands on it.
Strollers were handicapped after Sani Balde was red-carded on 28 minutes.
Near the interval, the SPFL side had three good chances, but one went over, one was blocked and there third went wide.
Scott Brown should have put the visitors ahead just before the interval, but his penalty was saved by Strollers keeper Mac Whyte.
Then, on 55 minutes, Peterhead got another penalty when Russell Mclean was brought down and he stepped up and hammered the ball home.
Four minutes later, they went 2-0 up when Scott Brown hammered the ball home and, deep into stoppage-time, Lyall Cameron got No. 3 with a shot from close in.
KELTY HEARTS 0 MONTROSE 0
The two sides will have to do it all again after a hard-fought match which saw the Gable Endies go all out early on.
They almost took the lead in the third minute when Terry Masson hit a fierce shot from 10 yards, which brought a diving save from Darren Jamieson. And, just after, Kerr Waddell was just off target with a header and Cammy Ballantyne hit a 20-yarder which brought another fine save.
It was all Montrose at this stage and Blair Lyons came close with a shot on 20 minutes. Just on the half-hour, Ballantyne had another shot which was blocked by the Kelty defence.
The home side’s first real chance came in the 36th minute when Joe Cardle’s shot was saved by Aaron Lennox.
Craig Johnston almost put the visitors in front two minutes later, his shot scraping the top corner of the post.
Alfredo Agyeman tried a drive from the centre of the box in the 65th minute, but it was stopped by keeper Jamieson.
Nathan Austin came close in the 70th minute with a shot which went over, and Christian Antoniazzi almost put the Gable Enders ahead from close in, but Jamieson made a diving save.
GALA FAIRYDEAN 0 ANNAN ATHLETIC 1
The Fairies were first to show, with Zander Murray trying a shot in the third minute which was stopped by the Annan defence.
Then Sean Docherty fired past three minutes later, with Calum Hall’s shot blocked on 20 minutes.
Annan’s first attempt was in the 26th minute, but Aiden Smith was just off target. Soon after, he could have put them ahead, but his drive from 22 yards was stopped by the home keeper.
On the half-hour, Chris Johnston hit the post for the visitors and, five minutes later, Dominic Docherty headed past.
It was all Annan now and Owen Moxon and Docherty both had good chances.
Annan came out strongly in the second half and their pressure paid off in the 51st minute when a Chris Johnston corner was headed into the net by Aiden Smith for what proved the winner.
STIRLING ALB 4 TRANENT 0
Dylan Mackin headed Albion in front from a Sean Heaver cross after 20 minutes and Jack Leitch fired home the second goal 10 minutes later after the ball broke to him in the box.
Shaun Rutherford was inches away for Tranent with a curling effort just before half-time, and their luck was out again two minutes into the second half when a shot was cleared off the line.
Stirling were clinical and Mackin converted a penalty in 63 minutes after Leitch was brought down in the box.
Central defender Jordan Mcgregor rounded things off nine minutes from time when he swept the ball high into the net following a corner.