West Lothian Schools' secured their place in the semi-final of the SSFA National Trophy courtesy of penalty shootout against Dundee Schools'. The visitors lead 2-0 early in the second half courtesy of goals from Taylor Shelvin and Nathan Donnelly-Kay, but the hosts fought back with goals from Adam Brown and Nathan Scott levelling the tie. Donnelly-Kay’s second of the match put the visitors back in front late on but there was still enough time remaining for Harry Dow to find the net and take the game to a penalty shootout, that West Lothian went on to win.

After a back and forth opening, the visitors went ahead after 10 minutes. West Lothian’s quick corner caught the Dundee defence, who could only stand and watch as Taylor Shelvin turned the ball in from close range.

Dundee responded well, as Finlay Baird set up Adam Brown, but the striker’s effort was wide of the mark. Nathan Donnelly-Kay forced Dundee keeper Fraser Burnett into a save after 18 minutes, before Dundee’s Blair Whyte volleyed wide from the top of the box.

The windy conditions were influencing the game, and nearly brought Dundee an equaliser as Lewis Finnie’s cross landed just wide of the West Lothian goal midway through the first half. The hosts felt they should have had a penalty after 36 minutes as Rory Faulkner went down inside the area, but the referee was unmoved despite the appeals.

West Lothian nearly doubled their lead five minutes before the break. A mistake from Finnie allowed Shelvin in one-on-one with Burnett, but the Dundee keeper came out on top as he pushed the shot away from danger.

The second half began with West Lothian on the front foot. Burnett was called into action 60 seconds after the restart, this time denying Euan McGill.

There was nothing that Burnett could do nine minutes later, as the visitors doubled their advantage. The Dundee defence failing to deal with a long ball, allowing Donnelly-Kay in one-on-one with Burnett, and the striker slotted the ball past the Dundee keeper.

West Lothian’s second goal seemed to kick Dundee in to life, and the hosts created their best chance of the game after 58 minutes. The ball fell to Brown inside the box, but the striker opted to cut inside rather than pull the trigger, and when he did eventually get his shot away, the ball was blocked by a defender and cleared.

Dundee were continuing to improve, and with a change of personnel and the change to the 4-4-2 system, they pulled a goal back. Harry Dow’s effort from 20 yards was fumbled by goalkeeper Jacob Welna, into the path of Brown who, like all good strikers, reacted first to the loose ball, and tapped in to an empty net.

The hosts had waited nearly 70 minutes for a goal, and then two came along in a couple of minutes. Brown turning provider as he slipped the ball under Welna into his strike partner Nathan Scott, who knocked the ball into the empty net, meaning it was all square going into the closing stages.

Much like West Lothian’s second goal woke Dundee up, Dundee’s second goal had now kicked West Lothian into life, and they went back in front after 78 minutes. With Dundee defender Mitchell Hay off the park after receiving treatment, West Lothian piled forward, and the ball eventually fell to Donnelly-Kay, who curled his shot from the top of the box past Burnett, putting West Lothian ahead once again.

However, there would be one more twist in this tale as Dundee got their third four minutes later. Brown once again the provider, cutting the ball back for Dow, who slotted past Welna from 12 yards, meaning the game would be decided by penalties.