Scottish Junior Cup Second Round
Saturday, September 21st 2024
Match report from Ross McGowan
Thomson Park welcomed a return to knockout action this afternoon as West Of Scotland
Second Division side Lanark United arrived for a Scottish Junior Cup second round tie.
The Moor Park side currently sit 5th in their league with four wins from eight but endured
a 3-1 South Cup defeat to Cumnock in their last outing. Lochee’s runaway start to the
season was brought to a halt last weekend with a 2-0 Midlands League defeat away to
Broughty Athletic. With both sides looking to get back to winning ways today’s contest
promised to be a competitive affair.
Lochee were quick out of the traps as they went in search of an early opener and they
came within a whisker with only two minutes played. An expansive diagonal ball out right
found Bobby Linn who fizzed a great low ball across the face of goal but Kerr Hay’s
outstretched foot could only direct the ball narrowly over the bar.
The Bluebells were then gifted an opportunity when Bobby Linn was alert to intercept a
miscued kick out from Muir in the Lanark goal. Linn threaded a through ball for Kerr Hay
who took one touch before getting his shot off but Muir made amends with a smart stop.
But having made a positive start Lochee were floored by a sucker punch when a long
ball forward saw Connor Irvine beat the offside trap before squaring to Jordan Fraser
who held his nerve and found the bottom corner to put Lanark 1-0 up.
Lochee kept their cool and responded well with Kerr Hay engineering space for himself
down the left and cutting back for Callum Moore at the edge of the box but Muir tipped
his shot agonisingly onto the post.
But Hay was in the mood to make a nuisance of himself and his persistence soon paid
dividends. Receiving the ball at the angle of the Lanark 18 yard box with his back to
goal it looked as though he still had much to do but he showed great balance and street-
craft to bully and roll his marker before racing to the byeline and firing an inviting low ball
across goal for George Johnston to stroke home at the back post and pull the game
back to 1-1.
Back in the contest, Lochee looked to get on top of the visitors as Callum Lamb made a
driving run through the middle into Lanark territory but he ran out of steam at the crucial
moment and Muir saved easily.
However, Lochee seemed intent on doing it the hard way and with half-time approaching
Lanark picked a good passing move through the Lochee midfield and with the defence
unable to clear the danger Irvine once again set up Fraser at the edge of the box to fire
low and hard from 18 yards out and put Lanark back ahead at 2-1.
That was how the sides went in at half time and while Lochee will feel that the two goals
they conceded were soft, the reality of the opening 45 was that Lanark took their
chances.
Lochee looked to get on the front foot early in the second period when a Bobby Linn
cross from the right seemed to take Callum Lamb by surprise in the middle and the ball
spun away to safety.
But the Bluebells soon grabbed a much-needed equaliser courtesy of a ruthlessly
executed counter-attack from a Lanark corner. After clearing the initial danger Callum
Moore motored through the middle with the visitors’ defence exposed before slipping a
perfect pass into the path of Callum Lamb who had made a lung-bursting supporting run
on Moore’s right shoulder and took a composed finish under pressure to square the tie
at 2-2.
The momentum was now with Lochee and they came close to taking the lead with what
would have been a candidate for goal of the season when Callum Lamb hung up a cross
at the back post where Kerr Hay leapt into an acrobatic bicycle kick that whistled inches
past the upright.
Lochee continued to press for a winner with gaffer Dougie Cameron throwing Ryan
Paterson into the fray off the bench and Paterson was involved immediately down the
right setting up Lamb to fire just wide from the edge of the box.
Then with ten minutes to go Lochee carved out a glorious opportunity once again
breaking out from a Lanark corner but with Bobby Linn through on goal Muir made a
terrific low save with his left foot to keep his side alive.
Lanark weren’t done as an attacking force by any means though and with the game
becoming stretched Lochee keeper Jamie McCabe was forced into a diving save to his
left from a long range shot before Louis Joyce blocked the rebound.
The game was now wide open and had the feel of the final round of a heavyweight
boxing bout as both fighters looked to land the knockout blow.
Lochee continued to swing haymakers as Ryan Paterson delivered a terrific cross into
the box but Muir tipped Linn’s header over the bar.
Then in the closing seconds the Lochee defence got themselves into an awful mess with
Gracie picking the ball up for Lanark in a dangerous position but firing narrowly over the
bar.
Despite the breathless finish to the game, 90 minutes of football were not enough to
separate these two sides and the nerve-shredding spectacle of a penalty shootout was
required to decide the winner.
With the players shooting towards the enclosure, Kerr Hay led by example dispatching
the opening penalty into the net. Callum Moore was next up for Lochee and there were
gasps from the home supporters as he squeezed one into the bottom corner despite
Muir getting a good hand on it. Ryan Paterson then silenced some ribbing from the
visiting support with a confident spot-kick. With the shoot-out scores poised at 3-3 there
was then high drama as Louis Joyce rifled his penalty into the top corner but was
ordered to retake with the referee’s whistle having not sounded. Joyce showed nerves of
steel to tuck the retake into the opposite corner before the turning point of the shootout
came with Jamie McCabe diving low to keep out Lanark’s fourth kick. That gave Bobby
Linn the opportunity to seal the victory and he sent Muir the wrong way to give Lochee
the 5-3 shoutout win.
Both teams will probably pick the bones out of the match and point to chances they
could have scored or things they could have done better. But in truth this was just a
really good cup tie between two sides who believed they could win and gave it
everything. Lanark gave Lochee a a good scare today and we wish them well for the rest
of the season.
Callum Lamb was the heartbeat of the Lochee midfield this afternoon and supported the
attack well. Bobby Linn grew in influence as the game progressed. But today’s man of
the match was Louis Joyce who was hard as nails as always at fullback, constantly
looked to drive Lochee out of defence and was ice cool under pressure in the penalty
shootout.
Our reward for today’s victory is a 3rd round tie away to Dyce Juniors scheduled for 19th
October.
Next Saturday we travel to the Falkirk Stadium for a Scottish Cup first round tie against
East Stirlingshire.
As always – COME ON THE CHEE!!!
