LOWLAND LEAGUE
A Bob McHugh penalty was enough to see EAST KILBRIDE into the fourth round of the South of Scotland Cup against a fighting ABBEY VALE side from the South League.
Kilby gaffer Kevin Rutkiewicz said he was a bit frustrated with only one goal but said: “Overall it was an excellent performance and we’re in the hat and we are still in the cup. We’ve been very clinical of late and scored a lot of goals but sometimes you’ve just got to grind it out.”
His side have now scored 12 goals in their last three games with three clean sheets and he added: “Four weeks ago we were in a difficult place, conceding goals and making mistakes. I feel it’s now coming together now and this was a really tough match and a good test for us next week when we play Hamilton in the Scottish Cup.”
Kilby dominated the first half but couldn’t find the net and it was 75th minute before they finally broke the deadlock after the referee ruled a hand ball by a Vale defender. Although keeper Taylor Hall guessed the right way, he couldn’t hold McHugh’s spot-kick and the ball slipped agonisingly under his body into the net.
Blair Henderson hit a hat-trick as SPARTANS romped to a 9-0 win over GLASGOW UNIVERSITY to
move through to the fourth round. Sam Jones put the Ainslie Park side ahead on 25 minutes shortly after Henderson had the ball in the net but it was ruled offside. A minute later Henderson got his first on 30 minutes and Jamie Dishington made it 3-0.
Just on the interval Henderson fired home a penalty and two minutes into the second half he completed his hat-trick to make it 5-0. Sub Jamie Penker was only on the pitch five minutes when he slammed in the sixth on the hour mark and Cammy Russell piled on the agony with the seventh in the 67th minute with Sean Brown heading home two goal in the last 20 minutes to complete the rout.
BO’NESS UNITED were just too strong for East side PENICUIK ATHLETIC and they won 5-2. Keir Macaulay, in eight minutes, and Kyle Johnstone, on 28 minutes, hit early goals for United but the visitors pulled one back five minutes before the turn when Aaron Somerville lobbed the ball into an empty net after controlling a loose ball for his 100th goal for Penicuik in his 193 appearances.
Bo’ness went 3-1 up on 52 minutes with a Zander Miller goal and in the 62nd minute Miller had only to tap in his second of the afternoon. Four minutes later skipper Somerville made it 4-2 but Tom Grant fired home a penalty in the 74th minute to make it 5-2.
LOCHAR THISTLE took their chances in Perth and were 2-1 winners over JEANFIELD SWIFTS.
Shaun Struthers gave the Perth outfit the lead on the half-hour mark but it only lasted five minutes when Kyle Braid grabbed an equaliser. Adam Jamieson then clinched Lochar’s place in the fourth round with the winner on 65 minutes.
Dunipace edged out Tynecastle 2-1 after extra-time.