Whitletts Vics - Match Report
BROXBURN ATHLETIC 1 - WHITLETTS VICTORIA 3
Whitletts Victoria produced a stunning performance at Albyn Park to cause a major upset and send East Superleague cracks Broxburn Athletic crashing out of the Scottish Junior Cup.
Few gave the Dam Park side much hope of progressing to the third round at the expense of a Broxburn side who had comfortably accounted for Maybole in the previous round but the Ayr side had other ideas as they swept aside their more favoured opposition.
Before the match both sides observed a minute silence to the memory of Peter Price, Ayr United’s record goalscorer who ended his playing days with the Vics but when the game got underway the quality of the goals scored by his former side were such that the great man himself would have been proud of.
Playing on Albyn Park’s artificial pitch, Vics took time to settle and get used to the surface as Broxburn looked for that early goal but the Ayr side soon settled and took an 11th minute lead when Raymond Buchanan rose to head an Eddie Graham free kick past Gary Maley.
With the wind at their backs, Vics almost doubled their advantage moments later when a long kick out from Ally McInnes found Tony Balfour who raced clear to fire past the advancing Maley but the strikers shot slipped narrowly past the post.
Broxburn were pressing forward but failed to threaten McInnes’ goal as the Dam Park side looked the more likely outfit to increase their advantage. Sean Ewart drove over from 20 yards and Buchanan again went close with another header that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
A second goal always looked on the cards and it came in stunning fashion with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Michael O’Connor flicked on a long ball which the home defence failed to clear and from 25 yards out O’Connor unleashed a stunning volley that beat Maley at full stretch.
Broxburn had to change things to have any hope of salvaging the tie and at half time manager Max Christie introduced Keiran Anderson who made an immediate impact as for the first time in the match the Badgers posed a serious threat to the visitors goal.
Within a minute of the restart the Broxburn sub lobbed McInnes only for his attempt to narrowly clear the crossbar. McInnes then made a superb stop to deny Anderson as he got down to his right to save the strikers angled drive and the substitute then tried his luck again from 25 yards with a free kick that went close.
The warning signs were there for Vics and in the 62nd minute Broxburn were awarded a penalty kick for a tug on the jersey of Alex Miller and Anderson stepped forward to drill the ball past McInnes from 12 yards.
For the first time, Vics looked vulnerable and Miller almost got the equaliser but fired wide after being set up by James Donaldson. McInnes then saved a Nick Locke shot from distance but with 16 minutes remaining Whitletts killed the tie as a contest with a sublime third goal.
In a superb move, O’Connor released substitute Sam McFall and as Maley came racing off his line, the youngster calmly lobbed the ball over the big keeper into the back of the net.
Moments later McFall shrugged off a couple of challenges to get on the end of a Chris Black pass only to find the side netting and with five minutes to go the former Tarbolton Amateurs player was denied by the woodwork as he controlled a Graham pass only this time for his chip over the keeper to strike the crossbar.
A deserved victory for Rikki Ryland’s side and the outcome was no more than they merited for a superb team performance
Broxburn Athletic
1. Maley 2. Willems (Blaikie 80) 3. M.Millar (Anderson 45) 4. J.Millar 5. Rarity 6. Young 7. Locke 8. Scott 9. Miller 10. McQuillan 11. Donaldson (Cormack 84)
Sub (not used) GK. King
Whitletts Victoria
1. McInnes 2. Longair 3. Ewart 4. Buchanan 5. Mullen (Anderson 66) 6. Black (McCarrison 88) 7. S. Kerr 8. Sloan 10. Balfour (McFall 70) 11. O’Connor
Subs (not used) 16. L. Kerr GK. Masterson
Referee: Craig Ferguson
Whitletts Victoria produced a stunning performance at Albyn Park to cause a major upset and send East Superleague cracks Broxburn Athletic crashing out of the Scottish Junior Cup.
Few gave the Dam Park side much hope of progressing to the third round at the expense of a Broxburn side who had comfortably accounted for Maybole in the previous round but the Ayr side had other ideas as they swept aside their more favoured opposition.
Before the match both sides observed a minute silence to the memory of Peter Price, Ayr United’s record goalscorer who ended his playing days with the Vics but when the game got underway the quality of the goals scored by his former side were such that the great man himself would have been proud of.
Playing on Albyn Park’s artificial pitch, Vics took time to settle and get used to the surface as Broxburn looked for that early goal but the Ayr side soon settled and took an 11th minute lead when Raymond Buchanan rose to head an Eddie Graham free kick past Gary Maley.
With the wind at their backs, Vics almost doubled their advantage moments later when a long kick out from Ally McInnes found Tony Balfour who raced clear to fire past the advancing Maley but the strikers shot slipped narrowly past the post.
Broxburn were pressing forward but failed to threaten McInnes’ goal as the Dam Park side looked the more likely outfit to increase their advantage. Sean Ewart drove over from 20 yards and Buchanan again went close with another header that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
A second goal always looked on the cards and it came in stunning fashion with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Michael O’Connor flicked on a long ball which the home defence failed to clear and from 25 yards out O’Connor unleashed a stunning volley that beat Maley at full stretch.
Broxburn had to change things to have any hope of salvaging the tie and at half time manager Max Christie introduced Keiran Anderson who made an immediate impact as for the first time in the match the Badgers posed a serious threat to the visitors goal.
Within a minute of the restart the Broxburn sub lobbed McInnes only for his attempt to narrowly clear the crossbar. McInnes then made a superb stop to deny Anderson as he got down to his right to save the strikers angled drive and the substitute then tried his luck again from 25 yards with a free kick that went close.
The warning signs were there for Vics and in the 62nd minute Broxburn were awarded a penalty kick for a tug on the jersey of Alex Miller and Anderson stepped forward to drill the ball past McInnes from 12 yards.
For the first time, Vics looked vulnerable and Miller almost got the equaliser but fired wide after being set up by James Donaldson. McInnes then saved a Nick Locke shot from distance but with 16 minutes remaining Whitletts killed the tie as a contest with a sublime third goal.
In a superb move, O’Connor released substitute Sam McFall and as Maley came racing off his line, the youngster calmly lobbed the ball over the big keeper into the back of the net.
Moments later McFall shrugged off a couple of challenges to get on the end of a Chris Black pass only to find the side netting and with five minutes to go the former Tarbolton Amateurs player was denied by the woodwork as he controlled a Graham pass only this time for his chip over the keeper to strike the crossbar.
A deserved victory for Rikki Ryland’s side and the outcome was no more than they merited for a superb team performance
Broxburn Athletic
1. Maley 2. Willems (Blaikie 80) 3. M.Millar (Anderson 45) 4. J.Millar 5. Rarity 6. Young 7. Locke 8. Scott 9. Miller 10. McQuillan 11. Donaldson (Cormack 84)
Sub (not used) GK. King
Whitletts Victoria
1. McInnes 2. Longair 3. Ewart 4. Buchanan 5. Mullen (Anderson 66) 6. Black (McCarrison 88) 7. S. Kerr 8. Sloan 10. Balfour (McFall 70) 11. O’Connor
Subs (not used) 16. L. Kerr GK. Masterson
Referee: Craig Ferguson