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Last minute winner sees Raith Rovers edge out Edinburgh City

Edinburgh City 0

Raith Rovers 1

Opoku-Berchie 90+2'
  • Sunday, 01 October 2017
  • Ainslie Park
  • Under 20´s
  • SFA Youth Cup - R2
Yaw Osei Opoku-Berchie’s broke Edinburgh City hearts as he guided Raith Roivers into the Scottish FA Youth Cup third round with a cool finish following a clever one-two in the dying seconds at Ainslie Park.
 
It was a hard fought cup tie with the ever changing weather conditions making it difficult for both sides, although throughout the piece Raith were probably deserved winners.
 
Raith certainly started the brighter of the two, with Opoku-Berchie, Ryan Stevenson and David McKay all coming reasonably close for the visitors in the early stages.
 
However City grew into the game and a teasing ball by Kyle McClung was dealt with by the Rovers defence as the rain began to pour down onto the artificial surface.
 
Jamie Watson watched his long range strike comfortably caught by Fraser Morton in goal for the hosts and a few minutes later the referee had his yellow card out for a late challenge from City skipper Ryan Day on Jack Smith.
 
The best chance of the game fell the way of Raith Rovers after 31 minutes when the impressive Stevenson picked out Kyle Bell with a pinpoint pass and Bell rolled Opoku-Berchie in on goal and his was shot was met by a strong hand from Morton who wasn’t to know the attacker was offside.
 
Stevenson had a couple of attempts blocked a few minutes later and at the third time of asking the midfielder lashed the ball over from the right of the area.
 
As the interval beckoned, Raith surged forwards in search of the opener. Initially Smith rounded Morton but failed to convert from the wide position as he was dispossessed. 
 
Moments later a ball into the back post and a free header from Opoku-Berchie brought out a stunning point blank range save by Morton to keep his side on level terms going into the break.
  • Half Time:
  • Edinburgh City
  • 0-0
  • Raith Rovers
Raith once again came out of the traps quickly with Bell and James Berry both missing the target and then Smith had a close range effort smothered by Morton following good wing play by Trialist A who had been introduced off the bench.
 
Edinburgh City’s best chance fell to the feet of Callum Hall, who may well feel he should have converted Joshua Neill’s cutback, but instead was left frustrated at spurning the opportunity as the ball agonisingly rolled away from the far post.
 
Raith’s Trialist A was a threat for much of the second half o the right wing and following a corner that he’d won Morton failed to claim the ball but luckily for him, no one in navy blue was there to pounce.
 
Hall stepped up to take a free kick from roughly 30 for the hosts and his curling strike beat the wall but was met by the diving Morton who parried away to his left to deny him.
 
The time began to drift away from Raith as Smith had an saved and Berry missed the target on the half volley before a long ball picked out Opoku-Berchie who rolled to Bell but the midfielder could only fire an effort well over the crossbar.
 
Opoku-Berchie whipped two crosses into Trialist A in the closing stages - one being cut out and the other beating the keeper but the angle was awkward for the substitute and the header was blocked in the end.
 
The game certainly opened up in the last ten minutes with City having a couple of chances of their own - Michela Barfoot seeing his well hit volley cleared away by the opposing defence.
 
Tod Rowell did everything right in an effort to provide a winner for the home side - beating two men and clipping a weighted ball into the back post, but unfortunately for him there were no takers as the clock ticked to 90.
 
Into stoppage time and Raith sent a corner into the mixer only to see it ricochet back off the upright to the despair of the players although it was difficult to tell who had the final touch.
 
One last chance followed for the fifers as Opoku-Berchie worked an immaculate one-two on the edge of the area before looking up and calmly rolling the ball under Morton who had finally been beaten.
 
A cracking cup tie that could’ve gone either way in truth but Raith created the better chances throughout and it is them that book their place in the Scottish FA Youth Cup third round.
 
  • Full Time:
  • Edinburgh City
  • 0-1
  • Raith Rovers

Lineups

Edinburgh City
Raith Rovers
1. Fraser Morton
2. Harry Pullar
3. Jock Blaney
4. Piotr Wasczynski
5. Ryan Day
6. Nathan Brown
7. Callan White
8. Kyle McClung
9. Joshua Neill
10. Callum Hall
11. Michael Barfoot
12. Kacper Balaban
14. Chris Jack
15. Tommy Dunca
16. Matthew Downie
17. Luke Kennedy
18. Tid Rowell
1. Rory Brian
2. Jamie Watson
3. Euan Valentine
4. James Berry
5. Josh MacDonald
6. David McKay
7. Kyle Bell
8. Ryan Stevenson
9. Jack Smith
10. Yaw Osei Opoku-Berchie
11. Fionn McLeod Kay
12. Kieran Dall
14. Trialist A
15. Kieran Swanson
16. Lewis Crosbie
17. Christopher Peden
18. Trialist B
Star Player
Edinburgh City
Raith Rovers
Fraser Morton made multiple saves and a few excellent stops on top of that to keep Edinburgh City in the game and he would’ve been to thank should the hosts have held out and forced extra time.
Yaw Osei Opoku-Berchie was a standout for the visitors and he was always a threat Edinburgh City backline throughout. The winger came close with numerous efforts and created multiple chances on top of that for his side - the crucial goal was no less than he deserved.
Magic Moment
Edinburgh City
Raith Rovers
On the stroke of half time, Morton’s save to deny Opoku-Berchie the opener as he clawed the ball away to safety for City at a crucial point in the match.
The winner - a wonderfully worked one-two helped Opoku-Berchie inside the area and from there the winger did the rest, looked up and tucked the ball away into the bottom left corner to the delight of the visiting supporters.
  • Match report and photos copyright Youth Football Scotland.
Published in National Competitions
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