Scone Sconed

Scottish Junior Cup 1st Round
Scone Thistle I Culter 3 H-T 1-0
Scorers: Scone: Darren Gray 45. Culter: Lewis McKimmie 48, Andrew Smith 68 (O.G.) Ryan Stott 85.

 

Culter progressed to the 2nd Round of the Junior Cup with victory over a stuffy Scone side but it was by no means a piece of cake. The Old Capital of Scotland was a gey dreich place to be but the Deesiders did enough to ease past their less fancied opponents on a pitch that would have would have provided enough grazing for a herd of buffaloes.

Culter started on top and won a free kick on the edge of the area but Allan Youngson’s effort was tame and Dave Winton saved with consummate ease. Moments later Ryan Stott went on a mazy run but his cross was picked out by the young Thistle ‘keeper before the same player shot wide from a decent Cohn Craik pass. Dod McBain then picked out Allan Youngson but his stinging shot was blocked by Paul Anderson. Scone got their first attempt in the 14th minute when Darren Gray tried his luck but the ball got caught up in a clump of grass and trundled harmlessly into the arms of John Farquhar in the Culter goal. A few minutes later Hugh “Shug” Robertson tried to bend a free kick into the net but he only succeeded in directing the ball straight to the ‘keeper before a Dod McBain corner was headed wide by Ryan Pressley. The visitors might have gone ahead on the half hour mark when Allan Youngson shrugged off his marker but his well placed shot cannoned off the post and away to safety. With the torrential rain beginning to ease Thistle went into a shock lead when the impressive Darren Gray was left unattended in a suspiciously offside position and he raced into the area before stroking a grounder past the Culter goalie.

The Deesiders started the second half up the hill and were unlucky not to equalise when Andy Sim burst through but his final ball eluded the inrushing Culter forwards and skidded behind for a goal kick. Andy Sim then picked out Shug Robertson but he was tackled deep in the area and despite loud calls for a penalty a corner was awarded. Justice was done when Dod Mc Bain’s flag kick was met by Lewis McKimmie who crunched a header high into the net. The home side were beginning to feel the pressure as Culter mounted wave after wave of attack and in one build up Lewis McKimmie picked out Andy Sim who sent Ryan Stott free but the Scone stopper pulled off a fine save to deny the Culter winger. Culter crept into the lead in the 68th minute when Dod McBain sent in a telling cross and with a posse of visiting players waiting Andy Smith turned the ball into his own net from two yards out. Scone should have been level half a minute later when Scott Ballingall rushed through but with the goal gaping he fluffed his effort and shot pitifully wide. Culter then sent on Murray Rattray for Ryan Pressley and it paid dividends when the Culter skipper sent Ryan Stott free with a long ball and the wee man thundered into the box before striking a crisp shot past the stranded Scone ‘keeper. This sent the Culter support into raptures but killed off any ambitions Thistle had of getting something from the game.

Culter: Farquhar, Sim, Craik, M. Robertson, Garioch, Pressley, McBain, H. Robertson, McKimmie, Youngson, Stott.
Substitutes: Rattray, Cooper, B. Smith, M. Smith.
Referee: Gavin Harris.