PENALTY DRAMA PUTS LIE IN FINALS

Published 13 May 2010 10:08 0 Comments

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ARTHURLIE made heavy weather of Saturday's trip to Ardrossan against a spirited Winton Rovers side.

Despite having a host of chances it took penalty kicks to see the Barrhead side through to this Saturday's semi-final.

On 11 minutes a ball into the home area was only partly cleared and John McLay sent in a cross-come-shot that forced Ross Stewart to touch the ball onto the bar and out for a corner.

Four minutes later, from a Callan Adam corner, Tam Murdoch's header was just too high to trouble Stewart.

After 26 minute the home side took the lead. A free kick into the home area was only partially cleared by Kieron Cannon and Graham Muir was on hand to knock the rebound home.

Two minutes later it was all square, a long ball from the back fell between Sean Winter and John Bradford with Stewart in attention.

All the players seemed to stop for a second before Winter reacted first to fire home.

Arthurlie had by far the better of the game now and although the home side always looked dangerous on the break the sides went in all square at the break.

Nine minutes into the second half and Arthurlie had strong claims for a penalty when Frank McKeown's shot seemed to be handled inside the home area, but the referee waved away the protests.

It was against the run on play that the home side went back in front when Muir was again the scorer after 67 minutes.

But then tempers flared after a mis-timed tackle by Lie's Pedram Ardallany.

On 70 minutes Arthurlie boss Mark Cameron replaced Murdoch and Adam with Joe Andrew and Gavin Duncan as he went all out for the leveller and two minutes later he was rewarded.

A scramble inside the home box saw the ball fall to Winter who hit a quite fantastic left-foot shot past the helpless Stewart.

Winter was back in the limelight three minutes later, however, after reacting to a bad tackle by Paul Stewart and was shown a second yellow and ultimately a red card which levelled the sides after a red card to Ardrossan minutes earlier.

With five minutes remaining a long ball down the left found Stewart who sent a brilliant lob over the young Barrhead keeper's head and into the net.

The tie was almost up when Andrew raced down the left and fired over a low cross that Billy Gilmour could only turn into his own net to give the Lie an equaliser.

As the match went straight to penalties Ardrossan took the first kick and scored while McKeown missed Arthurlie's first effort.

Scott Adam missed the home side's second before McLay levelled the contest.

Further counters by Barry Jones and Graham Muir for the homesters and Andrew and Ardallany for Arthurlie took it to the last two penalties.

Cannon's great save from Stewart meant Bradford's last kick sent the Barrhead side through, much to the delight of the players and supporters alike.

Arthurlie: Cannon, Ardallany, McLay, Lundie, McKeown, Murdoch, Winter, Johnston, Bradford, Malcolm, Adam.

On Monday night two first half goals from Craig Malcolm and an 80th minute equaliser from John McLay earned Arthurlie a draw away to Auchinleck in the league. Auchinleck dropping points means that Beith are this years super league champions while second place is a straight fight between Auchinleck and Arthurlie.

On Saturday Arthurlie will travel to either Irvine Meadow or Rutherglen Glencairn in the semi-final of the West of Scotland Cup.

This article appeared in Barrhead News 12 May 10

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