YFS
National Competitions (590)
Saturday, 01 February 2014 20:13
Scottish Cup specialists Tynecastle stun Barrhead
Written by YFS Editor 1
Author: Lisa Brown
Tynecastle FC scored three goals in the last fifteen minutes to reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Youth FA Cup, beating Barrhead 3-2. Barrhead headed into half time with a comfortable two goal lead with goals from Stewart Logan and Andy Stewart but determined Tynecastle fought back in the second half through Ciaron Small and pulled off a dramatic victory away from home.
Barrhead got off to a dream start in the quarter-final clash when Tynecastle defence gifted the ball high up the park and allowed the home team to attack in numbers. Burns held the ball up in the box and Logan mirrored his striking partner’s composure taking a touch before slotting the ball under the keeper.
Barrhead continued to threaten Tynecastle’s weary back line who struggled to deal with the forwards, especially Burns who used his height advantage to constantly feed his partner. Tynecastle struggled to match Barrhead’s prowess in the middle of the park and they were left counting their lucky stars as Barrhead hit the crossbar three times before they added their second at the half hour mark.
The strike force swapped roles with Logan producing a silky flick to Stewart who made no mistake and fired it into the back of the net. Barrhead continued to dominate the possession with Tynecastle making two shots on target in the first 45 minutes.
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Saturday, 01 February 2014 18:40
Colony get semi final spot after penalty win over Glenburn
Written by David Reid
At the Garioch Centre, it was quarter-finals day with Glenburn making the long journey north from Ayrshire to Inverurie and despite the distance that the Miners had to travel they weren't scared to put up a good game in atrocious conditions.
It was a game which produced good football from both teams and the gale force winds did make trying to football hard at times, it was an even game with both teams cancelling each other out and making sure they went all the way to a penalty shoot-out.
Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes due to an error which saw amateur team Fintray Thistle train on their pitch due to their match getting called off because of the weather, however the playing arena was cleared and the game kicked off at a frantic pace.
The opening exchanges to the change resulted in very little chances for either team with play for both teams lacking in the final third which prevented the hardy crowd that turned out for the Scottish Cup tie from seeing a goal up until the 41st minute.
Glenburn looked the more dangerous and also looked more likely to grab the 1st goal, Allan McKelvie had a drive from 10 yards which just went wide of the left hand post before Darius Graham had a 20 yard effort went straight at Jordan Garrow in the Locos goal.
This seemed to be a bit of a wake-up call for Colony and they had a few chances after the half hour mark, first after a great ball came in by Kieran Lawrence which was perfectly timed by Phillip Woodgreaves who latched his header over the bar, then Alex Duguid had a 10 yard shot straight at Andrew Clark in the Glenburn goal.
It looked like it would be stalemate going into the interval until the visitors got a bit of luck through unfortunate circumstances for the hosts, a shot from Nicholas Moore looked an easy save for Garrow in the home goal until it slipped through his fingers and in. Garrow was to be the hero come 3.30pm.
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Extra time and penalties were needed to decide who would go through to the quater-finals of the Scottish Youth FA Cup in today's passionately contested game between Harmony Row and Newcraighall Leith Vics at a drenched Sir Alex Ferguson Park. Both teams battled hard in a game which was mostly played in the middle of the pitch and after a goalless extra time period, it was Harmony Row who went through to the next round winning 4-2 on penalties.
It was Newcraighall who got the game underway and they got the ball rolling with some early pressure, trying to force the issue. The away side were then awarded a free kick, John Robertson took the set piece which made its way to the row keeper Ross Kane who only cleared it into the box where a scramble in the box and then the ball found the feet of a Newcraighall player who blasted the ball over the bar.
Newcraighall's decent spell continued when they demonstrated some nice passing to create a chance which saw Finlay Connor get his head onto the end of a cross but the ball found the keepers hand. The visitors then had another chance when they were awarded a free kick which saw Arran Bathgate had a shot at goal but the strong Row keeper saved it.
It was a game which would have left both teams strikers frustrated as the two sets of defenders had a very good day at the office, staying strong and dealing with any danger.
It was Newcraighall who had the last chance of the half when they found themselves with a tantalising opportunity when they won a corner. The corner was floated in and found the head of John Robertson who's header beat the diving keeper but was unlucky to see the ball rebound off the post and at that the referee blew the whistle.
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Thursday, 23 January 2014 20:29
Aberdeen get semi-final spot after penalty win
Written by David ReidIt was quarter-finals day in the Granite City with Paisley making the long trip into the North East, it was a really good game and it certainly deserved a good crowd, it looked like there was less than 20 in the attendance list at the game.
Paisley had a goal disallowed in the 20th minute due to offside with Blair Lyons being the man caught after a Kieran Macgennis pass, in the lead-up to the move, it was a good move by the visitors after a great through ball was played into Macgennis with Paisley unfortunate that Lyons was caught.
The first half didn't have much in the way of chances however Aberdeen had a great chance to take the lead in the 35th minute after a great ball in by Cameron Tough was met by Sam Downie which went wide.
The hosts took the lead with 6 minutes left until the interval, Cameron Tough started the move off by playing a simple pass into Chris Liversedge who then played in Ruaridh McVinish who opened the scoring with a cool finish from 10 yards, it was a game that needed a goal to spice things up a little and make it the exciting contest that it was going to be.
Aberdeen's lead didn't last long and a minute later Paisley were back level thanks to a great effort from James Beattie which found the top right hand corner with Paisley eager to get into the home sides's faces straight from when they kicked off again.
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It was a thrilling end to a thrilling match in the Under 15 girls Inter Regional Cup Final, where South East snatched it on penalties against a very strong West side who actually did the same to the visitors the year prior. It was a credit to girls youth football as some of the play during the match was fabulous to watch and both sides should be proud of there self walking off the pitch at Toryglen.
The match started at a very high pace with West really going for it in the first fifteen minutes a lot of quick one two's and clever diagonal balls from the home side was pushing South East deep in to their own half not really allowing them to play.
West may have ran themselves out of steam a little bit in the opening stages however as they got a bit lazy and it cost them dearly as South East opened the scoring after great hold up play from Monica Anderson. Anderson then did well to play through Caitlin Russell who raced in on goal and fired home with ease.
Last year's winners looked shaky after conceding the first and just couldn't get back in to the game, they nearly lost another goal as Monica Anderson ran onto a long ball that the keeper was reluctant to come for but Kiera Gibson in the West goal made up for it when she pulled off a great one on one save to keep her team's spirit up.
Brogan Hay was a threat to South East straight from the off and it was her who was the star in West's equaliser. Hay picked up the ball and drove with pace at the defenders she then smashed a shot which smashed off the post and fell to the feet of Nicola Miller who slotted home with ease into a empty net.
Just before half time both teams had the chance to go in at the break ahead but never capitalised. Firstly it was South East when the ball fell kindly to Lauren Watters inside the box but she couldn't keep her cool to finish. West's chance came a little closer however when Amy Muir's shot from the edge of the box was spilled by the keeper but eventually kept out, to keep her side on level terms at the interval.
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Tuesday, 03 December 2013 15:14
Glentanar into last 8 after close Deveronvale win
Written by David Reid
Glentanar goalkeeper Grant Yeats was today delighted to be victorious after his side's 3-2 Scottish Cup victory over rivals Deveronvale to send the Glens into the last 8 of the Scottish Cup. Yeats said "It was a brilliant game and brilliant for the neutral to watch, I thought we deserved the win and pleased with the win, in my view I really think Deveronvale is a long ball team and our defenders managed to sweep away any danger that came their way and done their jobs."
"We have two really good strikers in Grant Corbett and Elliott Macdonald who have been banging them in this season and also have two good midfielders in Daniel Middler and Daniel Masson, we have two good coaches in John Milne and Robert Simpson who don't like mucking about."
The Glens coaching duo of John Milne and Robert Simpson thought they just edged the game "In the first half we shaded it however Deveronvale came out stronger in the second half and made it a really good game, we have no complaints about our goals however we felt we defended softly for both of Vales goals, especially their 2nd one."
In a thrilling cup tie at Woodside Sports Complex, it was Glentanar who were to draw first blood after a throw in came in which was met by Middler who hit a low drive towards goal and despite Matthew Douglas getting a hand on the ball, it still found its way into the bottom right hand corner.
Vale had a chance of their own in the 25th minute after a brilliant ball came in from Nathan Thomson which was met by Jack Sim whose volley just went inches wide of the left hand post.
The hosts started to get into the game and had another chance after a floating ball came into the box by Rory Davidson which was met by Nathan Smith who was left to have a free header on goal which just flew over the bar.
Deveronvale got an equaliser after a great ball by Sim found its way into Jody Munro who managed to compose himself by finding the bottom right hand corner from 10 yards with 10 minutes until the interval.
Glentanar then struck back after a great ball by Matthew Steer found Grant Corbett who tapped home.
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Tuesday, 03 December 2013 11:28
Barrhead fire four past Troon to seal Scottish Cup progress
Written by Alisdair Morrison
Barrhead YFC took a big step towards the latter stages of the Trans World Soccer Scottish Youth FA Cup on Saturday by grafting hard to beat a good Troon outfit 4-0. A bumper crowd turned up to take this key tie in at Cowan Park in Barrhead despite the chilly conditions. The match was slightly overshadowed by a bad incident involving Barrhead's Kieran O'Donahue, and the midfielder had to be stretchered off the park and into an ambulance after suffering a leg injury. O'Donahue will be cheered though at the fact his team made it through to the next round of the cup.
Barrhead got the match underway and were immediately on the attack as they won a free kick on the right hand side of the pitch early in the game. The ball was swung in by Thomas McGoughey to the back post and cleared by Troon's Morgan Brown, but the ball fell to Brian Ashe on the edge of the box who volleyed a great effort just over the bar.
The combination of McGoughey and Ashe were at it again soon after as another great ball in by McGoughey saw Ashe's header clip the left hand post.
The game eased into a tighter affair after the initial 15 minutes, with Troon seeing more of the ball and winning a succession of free-kicks inside the Barrhead half, though they could not convert any of the chances.
And Troon had a great chance to go ahead through Dean Fulton shortly after. The winger found himself through on goal with only the keeper to beat but was overcooked the shot and the ball blazed over the bar.
The breakthrough came for Barrhead after a corner. The ball was swung in by Fraser McLaughlin and the ball pinged around in the box before landing kindly at Jack Easdon's feet and the attacker finished well, high into the net.
After taking the lead, Barrhead never really looked like letting it go and crafted a series of opportunities towards the end of the first half.
Brian Ashe saw a shot whistle just past the left post and Jack Easdon was at it again, this time nodding the ball just over from a wonderful Thomas McGoughey delivery.
Easdon linked up some lovely play with left-back John Middleton, and Middleton found himself through on goal. His shot was a good effort low to the keeper's right, but Cameron Taylor kept his side within touching distance with a good save.
Troon almost got themselves level after Morgan Brown delivered a great ball from the corner spot. Centre-back Sean Vance was unlucky to see his header clip the top of the bar though, and the chance was gone.That moment proved pivotal for the game as Barrhead's star man Thomas McGoughey delighted the home crowd with a fine goal. After winning the free-kick 25 yards out, McGoughey curled the ball right into the top corner from the spot-kick, leaving 'keeper Cameron Taylor with no chance and Barrhead two nil up before the break.
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Last year’s Scottish Cup winners Tynecastle overcame last year’s semi-finalists Dyce to reach the quarter-final of this year’s competition. A headed goal in each half was enough to earn the holders a 2-0 victory. Deschamp McDelling opened the scoring after 36 minutes and Bruce McCrorie doubled the lead 15 minutes before the end.
Tynecastle coach Keith Robertson dedicated the victory to injured captain Murray Rose. Rose missed the game through injury but attended the match on crutches to support his teammates.
Robertson said: “It’s been a tough week for the club because our captain who’s been with us since he was six years old is on crutches.
“He got injured at training on Tuesday and this is the first time he’s missed a game.
“So the boys had to realise that probably their captain and their talisman wasn’t playing.
“They wanted to do it for big Muzz and they did it.”
Robertson also outlined their ambition for this year’s competition after reaching the quarter-finals.
“The most important thing for this team is the Scottish Cup.
“We expect this team to go to the Scottish Cup final.
“We were there last year and won it but you’ve got to work hard if you want to win it again.”
You could have been forgiven for not realising that a big Scottish Cup tie was about to commence pre-match. Walking through the Denmore Industrial Estate Sunday afternoon you could hear a pin drop. Walking through the shower home car park there were still no indications that this was anything other than another relaxation Sunday.
Then, you turn into the tight corner of the car park into Uniconn Park and you are immediately met with a handful of Tynecastle supporters wearing their maroon and white scarfs. You then hear the noise of a forming queue for a pre-match pie and tea. You start to realise that there is indeed a big game here.
And Dyce should have been ahead in this big game after 11 minutes.
They were awarded a penalty when Tynecastle goalkeeper Fraser Briton pushed Dyce striker Oscar Slater off the ball at a corner. Dyce captain Craig Gill took the penalty but Briton dived high to his right to push the ball away from goal.
Tynecastle responded immediately by going up the other end and hitting the crossbar. A deep free kick found six foot plus striker Cameron Dawson at the back post and he headed the ball back across goal for his teammate Ben Voy who headed against the ‘bar from four yards.
Tynecastle looked like scoring at every set piece as Dyce struggled to cope with Dawson’s aerial prowess.
And Dawson was directly involved in their opener on 36 minutes. A high ball was contested by Dawson and Dyce goalkeeper Dean Strachan with the striker coming out on top leaving his strike partner Deschamp McDelling with the simple task of nodding into an empty net from two yards.
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Sunday, 01 December 2013 23:50
Edina progress after Spartans shoot-out drama
Written by Michael O'BrienThe fifth round of the U13s Scottish Cup drew together two sides separated by just two points in the league. The match at Bingham Park was just one of many exciting ties taking place across the country this weekend. Edina Hibs BC and Spartans Youth have got their respective seasons off to a good start, both sitting comfortably in Division One of the South East Region. With a total of eleven goals between them in their fourth round ties and having met previously this year, with the match going to penalty kicks, this game was poised perfectly to be a classic and it did not disappoint.
Spartans started the sharper of the two teams and had a couple of chances to score early on. Tweedie’s through ball to Aidan Cross was stopped by Edina keeper Thomas McLean, as he rushed out from his goal line. Moments later he was called into action again, this time getting a strong hand to Kris Gaff’s close-range effort. Edina showed their ability up front through Owen Bryce as he narrowly missed the target. Bryce did well to fool the Spartans defender, cutting in on his right foot to get the shot away.
As the first half progressed, the visitors seemed most likely to grab the first goal. They came close again when Sonny Kennedy’s corner-kick found the head of Keelan Adams at the front post. Adams got enough of a touch on the ball to direct it towards goal but Edina stopper McLean was alert to the danger yet again. Edina Hibs started to look a lot more threatening going forward towards the latter stages of the first half and with Liam Edmonston holding up the ball well and picking out a few good passes, they too looked like they could score. They did so on thirty-two minutes when Nicholas Aitchison put in a great delivery from a free-kick on the edge of the box. Jordan Keenan rose well to power a header past the Spartans keeper and give his team the lead in the cup tie.
Not disheartened by going a goal down, Spartans continued to press forward, looking for an all important equaliser before the break. They created a host of chances but the goal which got them back in the game wasn’t perhaps what they had in mind. A free-kick from twenty-five yards was struck by Kennedy and as the ball rose, it took a deflection off the head of an Edina player. The ball soared high into the air and dipped at the right time, leaving McLean helpless as it came down over his head and into the back of the net. A touch of luck for Spartans had seen them draw level but they will feel that they deserved a goal in some form for the way in which they had pressured Edina in the first half. There wasn’t much that McLean could have done to stop the goal, but it would have been hard to take for the Edina keeper as he was arguably the stand out player of the first-half.
The sides went into half-time with a goal each; perhaps a fair representation of how that game had went thus far.
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Sunday, 01 December 2013 15:39
Mill Utd see off Crosshouse in close Scottish Cup encounter
Written by Kyle Brown
Beautiful sunshine rained down on Grange Academy's Third Generation AstroTurf when Crosshouse Boys Club 1998s welcomed Mill United Colts 98s. Crosshouse are my local team effectively, as they play a stone's throw away from my house - well when they play on the grass. I was down reporting at one of their Mill Utd were a team a bit unknown to me, as they are based in Hamilton. However, as a player and a coach, I have faced Mill teams plenty of the times in the last and they usually have great teams. Their league form backed up this hypothesis. All pointed to a cracking match ahead. Firstly, they respectfully observed a moments silence for the tragic Clutha helicopter crash that occurred in the late hours of Friday night (November 29th 2013) that had claimed the lives of at least eight. After that though, the Grange estate was filled with battle cries as both teams attempted to psyche themselves up for their biggest match of the season so far. I have had a knack of picking my games well this season, as they always have been exciting. This one was no different, and it was end to end football through out...
David McSorely almost got his team off to a flier within forty-five seconds. He latched onto a long ball and drove at the defence. His power and footwork were nimble and this allowed him to cut inside and let rip from twenty five yards. The dipping effort looked to be heading in but goalkeeper Ryan Lawrie leapt across acrobatically to tip the ball wide. A smart stop indeed . From the resulting Alexander Bell corner, Graeme Condon headed the ball back across the face of goal but it was cleared off the line before Connor Cunnigham could tap home.
Crosshouse had started the better side in the opening ten minutes. They had gotten in behind the defence all too often. They had won six corners in the time period. Lawrie had to be sharp off of his line to smother a dinked through ball from Connor Cunningham to prevent McSorely from being presented with the easiest of chances, that a player of his calibre would easily finish.
However, twelve minutes into the game it was Mill who had created the best chance so far. A superb cross in from the right found the head of Connor Quinn and he met the header sweetly and it looked to be rocketing into the bottom corner. Only a superb save from Robbie Wilson kept the deadlock in tact. Not for the first time this season had I witnessed the keeper use his outstanding agility to the fullest potential.
Not being a team to hold back, Crosshouse cranked up the pressure on the back of Wilson's save. Reece Cunnigham - Connor's older brother, as Connor is technically a 99 born - hit a speculative drive from thirty yards. I say speculative, but it was worth a go, and Lawrie did well to hold the powerful effort with strikers following the ball in.
From a free kick a few moments later, left back Paul Millar sent a free kick a foot or so over Lawrie's crossbar.
That brought the game up to the twenty-five minute mark. The match was being played at a hundred miles an hour, a true magical Cup Tie that was living up to its expectations. There was a big support of people from both sides, and to the North of the pitch (but outside the ground) a group of youngsters set off pyrotechnics. This forced the referee to hold up play for a few minutes as they were asked to stop for fear of distracting any players.
The delay did nothing to stop the end to end action however. What I'd say was the best chance of the game so far came the way of Crosshouse. Reece Cunnigham broke away on the left wing, and his pin-point cross picked out McSorely. The ex-Ayr United striker had ghosted into the back post and was presented with a free header. Perhaps he took his eye off of the ball at the last moment, as the 'complete forward' screwed a chance wide, and I know he'd normally eat chances like that for breakfast.
Mill countered immediately though. A long ball was superbly controled by Dylan Hayes. He nutmegged a defender and raced in on goal; and just as he was about the pull the trigger, a superb last ditch slide tackle from Millar denied a certain goal.
The next chance came the way of the red-and white's talismanic left back. Another dangerous corner by Ethan Tasker this time was met by Millar, but Lawrie held the ball well.
The keeper's long throw found the red and black shirt of Quinn. Picking the ball up at the half way line he sped away in a Carlos Tevez esque manner. Piling driving his way through wave after wave of defenders, Quinn cut the ball back for his strike partner Hayes at the back post, but it was cut out at the last moment.
Half time drew near, and still the end to end action continued. McSorely went closest out of anyone that had tried so far. A deep cross from Tasker floated in from the right: McSorely won the challenge with his marker and sent a powerful header crashing back off of the crossbar. The danger was not quite clear though, as the rebound was blasted back at goal by Bell, but Lawrie was again equal to it.
The game was then delayed a few minutes as the goalkeeper, superb in his handling and distribution, went down with an injury. Further still, the pyrotechnics gang were told to vacate the pitch, for apparently abusing the Mill keeper. Sadly this takes away any sort of fun coming to a game like in a big crowd, and I know the referee made the correct call in asking them to leave.
Tactically, the delay benefited the Hamilton side because they found themselves 1-0 within seconds of the restart. With Crosshouse applying the pressure up until the delay, it was again perhaps against the run of play that Mill broke the deadlock. A long ball from right wing- back Steven Gemmell found Quinn. With the defence static, it was all to easy for the pacey striker to ghost into the box. Further still, it was all to easy for Hayes to strut into the box, receive a cut back and slot home, right on the stroke of half-time - a killer blow for the home side; that old cliché, its the best time to score. However, a great finish nonetheless from the youngster.
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Blantyre cruised into the quarter finals Scottish Cup with a comprehensive victory over Edinburgh outfit Edina Hibs. Blantyre profited from scoring early in the game and never allowed Edina appropriate opportunity to get back into it despite their very best efforts.
It was Blantyre who kicked off on what was a beautiful winter morning at Bent Recreation Park. The only problem might have been for the goalkeepers with the low sun perhaps likely to cause them sme sight problems. The AstroTurf surface gave each team the opportunity to pass the ball and look to impose themselves on the other from the opening exchanges. It was Blantyre that started slightly sharper, their early pressing leading to a corner in the third minute. They took full advantage of this early set piece opportunity, Michael McGinty fighting in a delightful corner that was begging for somebody to get their head to. Reiss Mulvanney did just that, nodding emphatically past the helpless Jordan Richardson in the Edina goal. A brilliant start for Blantyre and one which they were looking to build on immediately.
Edina looked to respond quickly however, Lewis Kynoch almost finding himself clean through but his advances were well halted by the brave Mark Cunningham in the Blantyre goal. Edina were looking to get Blair Ferguson on the ball too wide on the left but he was being well marshaled by Brian Martin. Daniel McKinnon was probing from the centre and seeking to set his teammates free with passes but these were being read well by Blantyre, determined not to concede a quick equaliser following their great start.
In the tenth minute Edina were dealt a further blow when Lee Brown made it two nil. A good passing move down the right saw Brown emerge with the ball in a dangerous position on the edge of the box. A neat piece of skill allowed him to create the appropriate amount of space, to which he then applied full composure by slotting the ball into the corner of the net. A finish of real quality by the Blantyre man and further proof of the clinicalness Blantyre were displaying today. Two chances and two goals saw their confidence soaring whilst Edina were left to wonder what had happened given they had not done a great deal wrong in the opening exchanges.
Brown was certainly feeling confident, turning well in the box before shooting just wide after receiving a bouncing ball from a throw in. In the sixteenth minute Blantyre made it three nil and no words can really do justice to the strike direct from a free kick by Michael McGinty but we will try. Wide on the right hand side of the box McGinty hit a high, arching and powerful left footed shot right past Richardson and in off the post. It was a goal of fantastic technique and certainly fit to grace any cup tie. McGinty had shown various examples of his technique in the opening exchanges and this certainly confirmed it. Brown and McGinty were proving to be the difference between the sides.
It appeared that Edina had a mountain to climb to get back into this game with Blantyre threatening to score almost every time they ventured forward. They did so again in the twentieth minute and it was from another set piece. This time Brown stood over the ball to the left of centre of the goal. The forward hit a low drilled effort past the wall and into the corner of the net, proving just too powerful and evading the diving Richardson’s efforts in goal. A different type of strike to McGinty’s earlier one but no less effective. Four nil to Blantyre and it looked like the game was very much over.
To their credit Edina kept going for the rest of the half and forced a series of corners which unfortunately for them came to nothing. Mulvanney and Ryan McGuinness were commanding in the centre, ably supported by tenacious full backs in Martin and Dylan McStravock. They were not going to give up a goal easily and in fact Blantyre should have made it five nil ten minutes with Luke McKibben shooting wide when free in the box. Brown was also keen to get a hat trick, drawing a fantastic save from Richardson who tipped over his twenty five yard effort. Ferguson had one final effort for Edina from a difficult angle that was easily held by Cunningham. The half time whistle blew which probably came as a relief to the side from the East.
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Saturday, 30 November 2013 16:06
Mill edge all action Scottish Cup tie to reach quarter finals
Written by Alasdair MacKenzie
The gathered spectators at Forrester High School were treated to a fantastic spectacle on Saturday, as Salvesen CFC hosted Mill United in the Fifth Round of the Scottish Youth FA Cup. Goals from Adam Gerrard and Dylan Bradley shortly before the interval put the visitors in a commanding position, but Salvesen rallied in the second half. Captain Daniel Mitchell pulled one back for the home side shortly after the restart before a Craig Forbes stunner restored Mill United’s two goal cushion. Adam Robertson again narrowed the deficit with twenty minutes remaining, and despite increasing pressure from Salvesen, Mill United held on to secure their passage to the next round of the cup.
The opening stages of the match were fiercely contested, with neither side shying away from a challenge and both demonstrating excellent passing ability. The first real chance arrived after fifteen minutes, as Adam Gerrard found some space on the edge of the area to fire in a shot on goal. The effort was well parried by Salvesen goalkeeper Andrew Smith, who was also alert to smother a headed effort on the rebound from Ryan Farrel.
The away team settled into the game, and controlled play nicely thanks to the excellent Ryan Murdoch, who was running the show from central midfield. With nearly half an hour on the clock, Murdoch delivered a pin point free kick from deep that was met by the head of Gerrard, but the striker’s effort flew inches over the bar.
Mill United’s excellent first half performance was rewarded after forty minutes with the opening goal. A defence-splitting pass from Craig Forbes put Gerrard through on goal and he finished expertly with a low driven effort into the bottom corner.
Only a matter of minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead. Stephen Young swung in a corner that passed through a sea of bodies, and Dylan Bradley was alert at the back post to tap in and send his side into the half-time interval in a commanding position.
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Rangers progressed to the 5th round of the SFA Youth Cup after a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Hibs at Ibrox.
Both sides came into the game with 16 points from a possible 30 in the league and Rangers looked to end a run of draws in their last two games. Hibs came into the tie fresh, although possibly lacking a bit of sharpness following the postponement of their last two fixtures although new first team manager Terry Butcher was there to watch his clubs youngsters in action.
The early minutes were fairly scrappy with neither side taking a hold on the match until Rangers broke the deadlock in the 16th minute following a spectacular long range strike by Charlie Telfer which swerved into the top corner beyond Hibs 'keeper Dougie Horne.
Unfortunately for Rangers Telfer was hurt in a 50/50 with defender Robert Wilson of scoring and was replaced by Darren Ramsay.
Hibs came back into the game after this and Callum Crane forced a terrific save from Liam Kelly in the Rangers goal as he just tipped the full backs strike onto the cross bar and out for a corner.
Barrie McKay, who received an audible cheer from a section of the crowd almost every time he picked up the ball, gathered the ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a strike which soared past Horne into the opposite corner from where Telfer had struck.
Hibs again responded after this setback and David Paul spurned an excellent chance to claw one back when he shot straight at Kelly after leaving his marker standing.
Paul would come to regret that miss shortly afterwards when Andrew Black fouled Tom Walsh in the area and left the referee with no option but to point to the spot. Black was maybe a bit lucky to avoid a red card but nonetheless Rangers were on the brink of making it 3-0 just on the stroke of half time.
Dylan Dykes stepped up and calmly placed his penalty low to the 'keepers right and killed the tie off before the interval.
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Tuesday, 26 November 2013 00:00
Leith come back after half time deficit against Spartans
Written by Sascha Bolder
The home side had the better start and opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Nathan Brown lifted a free kick over Spartans’s defence and sent the ball into the path of Reenan Ward who swung the ball into the box from the left wing. The cross ball found Matt Aitchison who headed the ball to Lewis Mackinnon who netted into the left corner with a volley from 12 yards.
However, the home team was not to be in the lead for a long time. In the 11th minute, Alistair Hogg scored the equalizer for Spartans when he hit home from short range after a fine pass by Washe Manyathelo.
In the following, the match cooled down a bit. But ten minutes before half time, Andrew Dempster put the away side in front when he curled a free kick from 25 yards into the upper left corner of the net.
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