MATCH REPORT: GLENCAIRN 3-3 ARTHURLIE (ARTHURLIE WIN 4-3 ON PENS)

Saturday 11 November 2023 14:00

Scottish Junior Cup Round 3

Rutherglen Glencairn 3-3* Arthurlie

*Arthurlie win 4-3 on penalties

Scorers

Glencairn: Woodhouse (12), Collins (64), Durham (67)

Arthurlie: MacNeil (15), Dykes (pen 45), Roulston (50)

Red Card: McGuire (Glencairn 82)

ARTHURLIE marched on to the last 16 of the Scottish Junior Cup after a hard-fought win over Rutherglen Glencairn at the Hamish B Allan Stadium in the third round.

Following a topsy-turvy 90 minutes and a penalty shootout, it was the Barrhead men who got the better of the spot-kicks against a table-topping Championship side who had put up an excellent display against their Premier Division rivals.

After a slow start to the game, with only sporadic moments of quality, the home side found themselves in front on 12 minutes with pretty much the first attack of the game.

Allan Woodhouse was afforded far too much space on the right wing and, after drifting inside unchallenged with the ball, he curled a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Arthurlie found an equaliser just 3 minutes later when Scott Law weakly parried a Mark Docherty cross into the path of Michael MacNeil to turn home.

Law was the hero on 20 minutes, though, superbly parrying wide a Lee Roulston shot that looked destined for the top corner.

The Glencairn goalkeeper again denied ‘Lie on 37 minutes, this time getting down well to turn a 22-yard Conor Bolger free-kick round the post.

With half-time fast approaching, the visitors were given a golden opportunity to take the lead when Dylan Dykes was upended in the box following nice work on the left from Max Kerr and Jordan Leyden.

From the resulting penalty, Dykes stepped up and made no mistake with a shot that went high into thet net to given Arthurlie the half-time advantage.

Five minutes after the restart, that advantage was extended, a Docherty free-kick from the right of the penalty area being turned home by Roulston at the back post.

The home side pulled one back on 64 minutes when substitute Dylan Collins waltzed through the middle and unleashed a shot from the edge of the area that gave Max Clarke no chance.

Just 3 minutes later the scores were level, Mason Durham heading home a corner at the back post.

Collins missed a great chance on 75 minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround, getting on the end of a cutback inside the box, but blazing his effort way over the bar.

Arthurlie were struggling to get any sort of grip on the game by this point, the home side doing the vast majority of the attacking and the visitors having to resort to long balls.

With 8 minutes remaining, Glencairn were dealt a blow when they were reduced to ten men, Sean McGuire seeing a second yellow following a late challenge on Kerr.

Following the red card, Arthurlie looked the likelier winner, but despite some huffing and puffing from both sides there was to be no winning goal and the match headed to penalties.

From the spot-kicks, Glencairn’s Dominic McLaughlin stepped up first but crashed his effort off the bar before Dykes gave Arthurlie the lead. With the second pair of penalties, Austin Sime was successful for the home side before ‘Lie skipper Docherty restored his side’s lead.

Durham then levelled the scores and Arthurlie’s Bryan Wharton became the second player to miss when he opted to go for power and sent the ball flying over the bar.

Roan Fitzpatrick and Leyden made no mistake with the fourth set of kicks before Clarke became the hero for the visitors with a save from Dylan Collins and Roulston successfully tucked away the final penalty to give Arthurlie the victory.

Arthurlie team: Clarke, Magee, Wharton, MacNeil, Sugufara (McPherson 68), Kerr, Roulston, Docherty (c), Leyden, Bolger (McGuigan 74), Dykes

Subs not used: McCallum, Anson, Bradley, Mallon (GK)

Glencairn team: Law, Fitzpatrick, Meechan, Chrystal (Blane 62), McLaughlin, Maguire, Gear (Sime 84), McGuire, McManus (Collins 62), McKay (Durham 62), Woodhouse

Subs not used: Miller, Doherty, Dunsmore