Match Report : Camelon v Whitletts
CAMELON 7 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 0
Whitletts Scottish Cup dream turned into a nightmare as they were swept aside by a very impressive Camelon at Carmuirs Park.
The East Superleague cracks brushed aside Vics’ as they showed just why they are amongst the favourities for the Cup but there is no doubt that defensive lapses by Whitletts contributed to their downfall.
The Mariners started strongly and had Whitletts pinned back in defence from the kick off and should have taken the lead in only the second minute when a Kevin Kelbie knock down set up Colin Leiper but the big defender could only fire wide from 10 yards.
The Vics’ midfield were swamped as waves of Camelon attacks saw them crumble and in the 16th minute Jordan Callaghan had to be alert to save from a Colin Allison header.
It seemed only a matter of time before the home pressure paid off and they made the breakthrough in the 20th minute. As the impressive Blair Batchelor broke forward, he wrong footed Derek McCulloch to create the space before firing low past Callaghan from 20 yards.
Two minutes later it was 2-0. This time the Vics keeper didn’t cover himself in glory as he watched a Kelbie free kick from 22 yards land in the back of the net.
Camelon were aware of the threat of Tony Balfour and Mick O’Connor and picked up a couple of yellow cards for fouls on Vics’ twin strikers but in reality the forwards got very little service throughout the game. Any chance Vics’ had of a fightback were all but gone in the 34th minute in the cruellest of fashions when an Batchelor cross evaded the diving figure of Allison only to strike the unfortunate Elliot Duffy and end up in the back of the net.
Whitletts continued to battle and Balfour almost gave his side a glimmer of hope when he turned the Camelon defence and only a superb fingertip save by keeper Richard Barnard denied the Vics hitman.
Then to compound Vics’ misery, from the resulting corner Camelon broke upfield and when the bounce of the ball beat McCulloch, Kelbie ran clear to fire low past Callaghan.
Despite their advantage there was no let up from Camelon and in the opening minute of the second period Martin Wright went close as he scooped the ball over the bar.
In the 53rd minute, the home side increased their advantage. A cross ball into the box came off the heel of Graham Longair and fell kindly to Kelbie who took full advantage to roll the ball into the net for his hat trick.
To their credit, Vics’ never gave up and the impressive Balfour and O’Connor fought for every ball that came their way and both were to be denied in the space of a minute by Camelon’s Alan Benton. First Balfour got to a long ball before the keeper at the edge of the box and his attempted lob was cleared off the line by the big central defender and moments later he repeated the feat this time to clear an O’Connor header.
At the other end Callaghan made a couple of fine saves to deny James Donaldson while Martin Lawrie twice cleared off the line in the same move to thwart first Allison and then Donaldson. Callaghan saved from Allison again and Derek Ure fired just wide as Camelon piled on the pressure, while a Wright effort came back off the top of the bar.
It was clear Camelon were seeking to increase their advantage and with 15 minutes remaining the impressive Kevin Kelbie rose at the back post to head home his fourth of the game.
Whitletts persevered and were unfortunate when O’Connor just failed to get on the end of a Balfour cross but the scoring was completed with eight minutes to go when substitute Craig Young headed home a Kelbie cross.
The last word almost fell to Vics’ when the perseverance of Tony Balfour saw him twist and turn defenders in the box but his curling effort flew just past the angle.
So Vics’ Scottish Cup journey comes to a shuddering halt but the scoreline should not detract from an impressive cup run that, against the odds, has seen them beat more fancied sides in Bathgate, Banchory, Benburb and Yoker and manager Steph McMillan has already started his preparations for next season for the next phase in the development of Whitletts Victoria.
Camelon
1. Barnard 2. Kelly (Bell 65) 3. McGown 4. Leiper 5. Benton (Fullerton 73) 6. Wright 7. Batchelor 8. Ure 9. Allison (Young 65) 10. Kelbie 11. Donaldson
Subs (not used) 13. Scott 17. Logan
Whitletts Victoria
1. Callaghan 2. Longair (Simpson 68) 3. Lawrie 4. McCulloch 5. Buchanan 6. Holland 7. Duffy 8. Cameron (Allan 59) 9. O’Connor 10. Balfour 11. Patterson (Nisbet 54)
Referee: Steven Kirkland
Whitletts Scottish Cup dream turned into a nightmare as they were swept aside by a very impressive Camelon at Carmuirs Park.
The East Superleague cracks brushed aside Vics’ as they showed just why they are amongst the favourities for the Cup but there is no doubt that defensive lapses by Whitletts contributed to their downfall.
The Mariners started strongly and had Whitletts pinned back in defence from the kick off and should have taken the lead in only the second minute when a Kevin Kelbie knock down set up Colin Leiper but the big defender could only fire wide from 10 yards.
The Vics’ midfield were swamped as waves of Camelon attacks saw them crumble and in the 16th minute Jordan Callaghan had to be alert to save from a Colin Allison header.
It seemed only a matter of time before the home pressure paid off and they made the breakthrough in the 20th minute. As the impressive Blair Batchelor broke forward, he wrong footed Derek McCulloch to create the space before firing low past Callaghan from 20 yards.
Two minutes later it was 2-0. This time the Vics keeper didn’t cover himself in glory as he watched a Kelbie free kick from 22 yards land in the back of the net.
Camelon were aware of the threat of Tony Balfour and Mick O’Connor and picked up a couple of yellow cards for fouls on Vics’ twin strikers but in reality the forwards got very little service throughout the game. Any chance Vics’ had of a fightback were all but gone in the 34th minute in the cruellest of fashions when an Batchelor cross evaded the diving figure of Allison only to strike the unfortunate Elliot Duffy and end up in the back of the net.
Whitletts continued to battle and Balfour almost gave his side a glimmer of hope when he turned the Camelon defence and only a superb fingertip save by keeper Richard Barnard denied the Vics hitman.
Then to compound Vics’ misery, from the resulting corner Camelon broke upfield and when the bounce of the ball beat McCulloch, Kelbie ran clear to fire low past Callaghan.
Despite their advantage there was no let up from Camelon and in the opening minute of the second period Martin Wright went close as he scooped the ball over the bar.
In the 53rd minute, the home side increased their advantage. A cross ball into the box came off the heel of Graham Longair and fell kindly to Kelbie who took full advantage to roll the ball into the net for his hat trick.
To their credit, Vics’ never gave up and the impressive Balfour and O’Connor fought for every ball that came their way and both were to be denied in the space of a minute by Camelon’s Alan Benton. First Balfour got to a long ball before the keeper at the edge of the box and his attempted lob was cleared off the line by the big central defender and moments later he repeated the feat this time to clear an O’Connor header.
At the other end Callaghan made a couple of fine saves to deny James Donaldson while Martin Lawrie twice cleared off the line in the same move to thwart first Allison and then Donaldson. Callaghan saved from Allison again and Derek Ure fired just wide as Camelon piled on the pressure, while a Wright effort came back off the top of the bar.
It was clear Camelon were seeking to increase their advantage and with 15 minutes remaining the impressive Kevin Kelbie rose at the back post to head home his fourth of the game.
Whitletts persevered and were unfortunate when O’Connor just failed to get on the end of a Balfour cross but the scoring was completed with eight minutes to go when substitute Craig Young headed home a Kelbie cross.
The last word almost fell to Vics’ when the perseverance of Tony Balfour saw him twist and turn defenders in the box but his curling effort flew just past the angle.
So Vics’ Scottish Cup journey comes to a shuddering halt but the scoreline should not detract from an impressive cup run that, against the odds, has seen them beat more fancied sides in Bathgate, Banchory, Benburb and Yoker and manager Steph McMillan has already started his preparations for next season for the next phase in the development of Whitletts Victoria.
Camelon
1. Barnard 2. Kelly (Bell 65) 3. McGown 4. Leiper 5. Benton (Fullerton 73) 6. Wright 7. Batchelor 8. Ure 9. Allison (Young 65) 10. Kelbie 11. Donaldson
Subs (not used) 13. Scott 17. Logan
Whitletts Victoria
1. Callaghan 2. Longair (Simpson 68) 3. Lawrie 4. McCulloch 5. Buchanan 6. Holland 7. Duffy 8. Cameron (Allan 59) 9. O’Connor 10. Balfour 11. Patterson (Nisbet 54)
Referee: Steven Kirkland