AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR

CUMNOCK HAPPY TO BANK ON BARCLAY

A 66^th minute poacher’s goal from top scorer Jordan Moore broke Hurlford United’s resistance to win Cumnock a never less than intense Scottish Junior Cup contest on Saturday but this Quarter Final clash between the Ayrshire heavyweights will long be remembered for a game-changing double save by Nock No 1 Jamie Barclay during the opening 45 minutes…or if you want it more precise…the 40^th .

The one time Clyde and East Stirling goalkeeper’s heroics between the sticks were hugely responsible for the knockout blow dealt to reigning trophy holders Auchinleck Talbot in the last round and he was at it again at Blair Park to ensure he and his team mates clinched a place in the last four.

Hurlford were already 1-0 up , totally against the run of play it has to be said, when their striker Kris Kerr cut inside from the right to unleash a powerfully struck swerving shot that looked goal bound until Barclay dived full length to make a blocking save which unfortunately or him only deflected the ball into the path of lurking Hurlford front man Marc McKenzie ,only eight yards out and having not a single Cumnock defender within touching distance .

A second score seemed inevitable particularly after McKenzie instantly returned the ball goalwards with a first time volley however Barclay belied his bulk to half get up and scramble across his goalmouth to somehow parry the shot away to safety.

His team boss Brian McGinty said later, “Aitchy (Cumnock assistant manager Stevie Aitchison) said at half time that Jamie deserved to get to the Scottish Final for that double-save alone and I think his words really struck a chord with the guys.”

Cumnock made an indifferent start to this last eight tie, dominating territorially but annoying McGinty, Aitchison and their supporting throng in the near 600 crowd by coming across as shot-shy whenever Hurlford keeper Martin McDonald was in their sights.

His goal undoubtedly led a charmed life in the early stages, firstly when he advanced too far of his line trying to deal with an over-hit ball forward and was stranded on the edge of his penalty box when an attempted Brendan Sharpe lob drifted a foot or so wide.

Shortly afterwards ,danger man Moore ran onto a through pass and actually rounded McDonald but got his feet in a horrible fankle and could only poke the ball sideways to Sharpe who was hustled out of possession before he could get a shot on target.

It seemed only a matter of time before the visitors would make a breakthrough but as so often happens in these instances, the previously under siege Hurlford duly took the lead in one of their rare forays upfield with 32 minutes on the clock.

The strong running Kerr cleverly held the ball up before passing inside to McKenzie who took one touch and one glance up before placing a wonderful curling shot into the postage stamp for 1-0.

McGinty’s men appeared to be knocked off of their dominant stride by this setback and but for Barclay would have fallen 2-0 behind however they took heart from this escape to finish the half strongly and net a 44^th minute equalizer when a forward pass reached Moore whose lay off to backing up team mate Findlay Frye resulted in a low drive finding the back of an unsighted McDonald’s net.

Nock midfield powerhouse Jamie Wilson who is 180 minutes away from making history through picking up a third Scottish winners medal with three different clubs after playing for Hurlford (2014 ) and Beith (2016) admitted afterwards,

“To be so much on top in the first half yet go in with the score all square at 1-1 was frustrating to say the least because we really should have scored more goals.

“Being so wasteful made the second half nervier than it should have been but thankfully we got there in the end.”

Both sides resisting the temptation to make changes during the interval was the cue for the game to turn on its head with Hurlford now on top and an outstanding tip over save by Barclay was needed to keep out a fiercely inswinging John Jack free kick; prior to Cumnock stopper Greg Ferry’s last gasp goal line interception prevented a certain tap-in score by the yet again lurking McKenzie.

Terracing onlookers were then unprepared for Cumnock breaking upfield nearing the hour mark to earn an anything but controversial penalty kick award from whistler Ross Clark, going by the lack of home team protests that greeted him adjudging Hurlford skipper Paul “Taz” McKenzie guilty of handling an attempted Ferry shot.

Forward stepped Moore to confidently grab the ball and the former Bellshill Athletic and Pollok hitman ,who both missed and scored from the spot against Troon last weekend, was errant once again as McDonald got down low to his left to comfortably hold the striker’s attempt before being swamped by a Taz led possess of team mates.

Undaunted by his glaring miss or perhaps extra fired up to make amends, Moore continued to be at the centre of all his side’s best attacking sorties and only a superb Ross Love goal line clearance foiled him when a well struck effort had beaten McDonald all ends up .

Hurlford were deficient in properly clearing their lines from this near thing which allowed Cumnock to work the ball out left from where their earlier goalscorer Findlay Frye turned goalmaker with a driven cross that Moore met front post to direct home for a 2-1 scoreline.

Their slender advantage should have been doubled with ten minutes left to play after Brendan Sharpe was put through on goal with only McDonald to beat but the big keeper saved with his feet to keep alive Hurlford’s hopes of saving the tie but Referee Clark duly ended them with his final whistle blast.

Hurlfod gaffer Darren Henderson was magnanimous in defeat when saying,

“ If their keeper doesn’t save Marc’s shot then we go 2-0 up and there’s no way Cumnock would have scored three times in the second half but that said we were never at it today and can have few complaints over the result..

“I didn’t think it was a clear cut penalty kick, but they missed it anyway, and their winning goal might have been more than a touch offside however maybe I’m guilty of clutching at straws when the truth is Cumnock were the better team.”

DARREN ‘S TEAM CAME UP SHORT

Joining the Ayrshire giants , who last won the Cup all of 34 years ago , as the last four standing in the showpiece tournament are near neighbours Glenafton, Rutherglen Glencairn and shock troops East Craigie who stunningly got the better of Shotts Bon Accord up on Tayside .

Rory Faulkener’s opening goal for the home side was cancelled out by an Ally Martin leveler from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time but the Tayside minnows continued to hold their own after the break and despite going down to ten men , snatched a spectacular winner through Chris Mudie to earn their place in Tuesday’s semi-final draw.

A brace of goals from top marksman Jack McIlveen ,one of them from a penalty award, eased Rutherglen Glencairn through away to Larkhall Thistle for whom Ryan Carlin netted while Glenafton were considerably more convincing winners after goals from Sam McKee, Scott McLean and Dylan O’Kane (2) secured a 4-0 victory over Bellshill Athletic.

Elsewhere, Beith are back atop the Premier Division pile after winning 3-2 away to Kilwiining Rangers , a defeat overseen by new manager Chris Aitken, however Chris Strain’s troops will doubtless be glancing over their shoulders at a third placed Auchinleck Talbot side after they extended their winning run of league games to eight with a 2-1 triumph over Pollok .

In other games, Cambuslang Rangers moved off the foot of the table thanks to a 4-3 triumph away to Irvine Meadow , Petershill went bottom after losing 2-1 at Clydebank and Rob Roy climbed marginally away from the basement area after Del McNab and Adam Martin scores earned a 2-0 win down at fourth bottom Troon.

No shortage of upsets in the First Division stakes where Drumchapel United’s 3-0 success over Benburb moved the Drum a point ahead of Kilbirnie Ladeside ,up into second top spot after inflicting a 3-0 defeat on fellow challengers St Cadocs while another of the main title contenders Gartcairn went down 1-0 against Neilston.

WEEKEND RESULTS: Scottish Junior Cup.Quarter Finals. Hurlford Utd 1Cumnock 2, Bellshill Athletic 0 Glenafton 4, Larkhall Thistle 1 Rutherglen Glencairn 2, Dundee East Craigie 2 Shotts Bon Accord 1, P.D.M.Buildbase Premier Division. Irvine Meadow 3 Cambuslang Rangers 4, Auchinleck Talbot 2 Pollok 1, Largs Thistle 5 Arthurlie 0, Troon 0 Rob Roy , Kilwinning Rangers 2 Beith 3, Clydebank 2 Petershill 1.PDM Buildbase First Division. Bonnyton Thistle 1 Thorniewood Utd 1,Gartcairn 0 Neilston 1, Cumbernauld Utd 1 Whitletts Vics 2,St Cadocs 0 Kilbirnie Ladeside 3, Rossvale 2 St Rochs 1, Drumchapel Utd 3 Benburb 0. PDM Buildbase Second Division. Maybole 2 Craigmark 2, Greenock 1 Muirkirk 2, Glasgow Perthshire 2 Maryhill 1,St Anthonys 0 Ashfield 3, Wishaw 3 Glasgow Utd 2, Ardeer Thistle 2 Forth Wanderers 0, Kilsyth Rangers 1 Yoker Athletic 3, Glasgow University 0 Renfrew 6. PDM Buildbase Third Division. Lugar Boswell 2 Royal Albert 1, Ardrossan Winton Rovers 1 Irvine Vics 2, Port Glasgow 4 East Kilbride Thistle 1, Lanark Utd 2 Kello Rovers 0, Dalry Thistle 1 Carluke Rovers 3,Vale of Clyde 2 Vale of Leven 1, Girvan v Saltcoats Vics 2 Lesmahagow 4, Newmains Utd 0 Girvan 3. PDM Buildbase Fourth Division. Campbeltown Pupils 0 St Peters 3, Easterhouse FA 4 Threave Rovers 3, West Park Utd 3 BSC Glasgow 0, Thorn Athletic 1 Harmony Row 0, Kilsyth Athletic 6 Rossvale Academy0,

Glenvale 2 Eglinton 1.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell