OUTFOUGHT,OUTSCORED AND OUT OF CUP

BENBURB DISPLAY WAS NOT TO MARTIN ‘S LIKING

Marty Campbell has never been one to shirk away from telling it like it is therefore it’s no real surprise to hear him scathingly condemn Benburb’s performance in the aftermath of their 3-0 Southern Challenge Cup defeat at home to Rutherglen Glencairn on Saturday.

“I cannot for the life of me think of any positives “ was the seasoned Bens coach’s immediate reaction after he and No 2 Ian Gray overseen (gaffer Paul Lovering was on holiday) the Premier Division outfit’s abject humbling at the hands of their lower league opponents.

He went on, “ Starting away in such a lacklustre fashion was bad enough but if anything we then got worse as the game was played out and it would not be too wide of the mark to say I’ve never seen us so lacking in terms of aggression and our typical `in your faces `approach.”

“We handed the initiative to Glencairn on a plate and there’s no denying they fully deserved their win but the difference between the two sides was they played it like a Cup-tie and we didn’t!”

The Ru’Glonian visitors made the best possible start to proceedings by taking the lead just six minutes in when a half-cleared corner kick fell to Martin McBride just outside the box and his return effort through a crowded penalty area deflected kindly into the path of prolific Glens marksman Ryan McManus (looking at least a yard offside if truth be told) and he rifled a low shot beyond helpless goalkeeper Grant Hay.

Not long afterwards Hay was the Govan side’s saviour in preventing their 1-0 deficit from being doubled as he came rushing off his line to thwart the bustling Paul Brennan after the Glens front man was played clean through on goal.

At the other end , Glencairn No 1 Scott Law used his feet to keep out an Aaron Black shot but the half ended with Hay decidedly the busier of the two gloves wearers not least when he dived full length to parry away a netbound drive from Glens full back Roan Fitzpatrick.

A few choice interval words had a clearly fired up Benburb at least showing more intent upon the resumption however any hopes of getting back on level terms were put to bed when an attempted pass back to Hay with 20 minutes left to play came up woefully short allowing the lurking McManus to round the keeper and stroke the ball into the unguarded net for his and Glencairn’s second goal of the game.

Benburb heads were now visibly down and it was no real surprise when a third Glencairn goal arrived in 83 minutes through a well- directed shot into the far corner of the net by Matty Gear.

ANOTHER COUPLE OF GOALS FOR GLENS HITMAN RYAN

When the dust had settled ,winning team boss Joe Pryce praised his playing charges.

“ I’m delighted with our display against a very strong and tough to beat Benburb side “ he waxed.

“ We had changed things with the introduction of a few new faces yet despite some guys starting for the first time this season , our approach from first whistle to last was excellent.

The former defender added, “ The big plus for me was our clean sheet as we’ve been guilty of giving away cheap goals recently but today we never gave a sniff at goal to Benburb’s highly regarded front pair of Aaron Black and Declan McDonald.”

Benburb’s exit along with Darvel’s 2-1 loss away to Lowland League lesser lights Gretna 2008 for whom Robbie Ivison and James Armstrong were on the scoresheet were the big shocks of the Second Round though Drumchapel United losing out 2-1 against Ardrossan Winton Rovers and Petershill’s 4-1 elimination by Maryhill will also have raised a few eyebrows.

Aidan Ferris and Mark Curragh did the scoring damage for the Winton while the Drum’s response was a Kevin Fell counter while through at Lochburn Park, a Craig McGregor own goal, Andrew Skinner brace and Darren Jarvis score enabled Maryhill to knock out their higher league city rivals.

Pollok were by far and away the day’s highest scorers with a 13-0 cruise against hopelessly outclassed Saltcoats Vics , Auchinleck Talbot needed an 87^th minute Connor Boyd winner to overcome Blantyre Vics by a 1-0 scoreline and Hurlford United ran out 2-0 victors over newly managerless Cumnock (John Doyle was reported to have stepped down by mutual agreement in midweek? ) with Lewis Morrison and Paul McKenzie on target.

FERRY OFF TO A FLIER

Meanwhile, Irvine Meadow’s newly appointed gaffer Martin Ferry got off to a winning start thanks to Jordan Boyd heading home the only goal of the game away to Broomhill while Beith recovered from Nikky Little’s first half opener for Clydebank to win 2-1 at Holm Park through a rasping second half free kick by Carlo Monti and a last gasp Andy Monk strike.

Elsewhere, Johnstone Burgh’s clash with Kilbirnie Ladeside was abandoned after a serious injury to Blasties ace Jack Wilson while St Rochs inflicted a first defeat on the season on Glenvale with Jordan Thompson, Dylan Kennedy(2), Keiran Daw, Evan Galasso and Cammy Armstrong on the mark .

Best among the Friday night outcomes was St Cadocs besting Vale of Clyde 6-1 at New Tinto Park where the Tin Pail had looked set to make a game of it after Darin Walker’s goal had cancelled out Gary Muir’s 5^th minute opener for the Newton Mearns outfit,

Further scores from a Reece McGuire brace either side of Ross Taylor had the Premier new boys 4-1 ahead at the halfway mark and further additions to the scoreline were duly chalked up by Aidan Fellowes and Ger Stevenson.

Glencairn’s reward for their stirring Cup win is a home tie against Penicuik Athletic after the Third Round draw was made on Sunday night .The full draw is as follows…

Ardrossan Winton Rovers v St Andrews United
Armadale Thistle v Albion Rovers
Auchinleck Talbot v Arniston Rangers
Beith v Arthurlie
Broxburn Athletic v Lesmahagow
Carluke Rovers v East Kilbride
Creetown v Ashfield
Cowdenbeath v Whitehill Welfare
Cumbernauld Colts v Irvine Meadow
Cumbernauld United v Forth Wanderers
East Stirlingshire v Caledonian Braves
Glenafton Athletic v Dundonald Bluebell
Gretna 2008 v St Cadocs
Heriot-Watt University v Tynecastle
Jeanfield Swifts v Largs Thistle
Johnstone Burgh/Kilbirnie Ladeside v Thorniewood Utd/University of Stirling
Kilwinning Rangers v Hawick Royal Albert
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy v Hurlford United
Linlithgow Rose v St Peters
Lugar Boswell Thistle v BSC Glasgow
Maryhill v Lanark United
Musselburgh Athletic v Berwick Rangers
Newton Stewart v Leith Athletic
Pollok v Camelon
Rutherglen Glencairn v Penicuik Athletic
St Anthonys v Dunbar United
Shotts Bon Accord v Kirkcaldy & Dysart
Stoneyburn v Kennoway Star Hearts
Thorn Athletic v Threave Rovers
Thornton Hibs v St Rochs
Tranent v Hutchison Vale
Troon v Abbey Vale

WEEKEND RESULTS: SOUTH CHALLENGE CUP. Bellshill Athletic 3 Dundonald Bluebell 7, BSC Glasgow 3 Caledonia Locomotive 2, East Kilbride FC 6 Maybole, 1 Caledonian Braves 3 Girvan 2(aet), Irvine Vics 1 St Anthonys 3, Yoker Athletic 0 St Peters 2,Clydebank 1 Beith 2, Carluke Rovers 2 East Kilbride Thistle 1, Abbey Vale 7 Royal Albert 2(aet), Arthurlie 4 Knighswood 0, Ashfield 4 Oakley Utd 1, Creetown 2 Whitletts Vics 1,

Benburb 0 Rutherglen Glencairn 3, Cowdenbeath 2 Kilsyth Rangers 0, Easterhouse 0 Rob Roy 3,Preston Athletic 2 Arniston Rangers 5, Hawick Royal Albert 2 Bathgate Thistle 1, Upper Annandale 3 Newton Stewart 4, Harthill Royal 0 Tranent 3, Auchinleck Talbot 1 Blantyre Vics 0, Lanark Utd 2 Cambuslang Rangers 1, Drumchapel Utd 1 Ardrossan Winton Rovers 2, East Stirling 2 Sauchie 1, Cumnock 0 Hurlford Utd 2,Musselburgh Athletic 7 Edinburgh College 1, Glenvale 0 St Rochs 5, Lothian Thistle 6 West Calder Utd 0, Kirkcaldy & Dysart 3 Kilsyth Athletic 1, Armadale Thistle 5 Livingston Utd 0, Craigroyston 2 Tynecastle 3, Kello Rovers 1 Glenafton 6, Lugar Boswell 4 Wishaw 2, Linlithgow Rose 8 Newtongrange Star 0,Thorn Athletic 5 Giffnock SC 1, Maryhill 4 Petershill 1, Hill O’Beath 1 Cumbernauld Colts 2, Pollok 13 Saltcoats Vics 0, Mid-Annandale 0 Lesmahagow 2, Broomhill 0 Irvine Meadow 1, Heriot Watt University 4 Edinburgh South 0,Largs Thistle 3 Dalry Thistle 1, Albion Rovers 4 West Park Utd 0, St Cadocs 6 Vale of Clyde 1, Inverkeithing Hillhead Swifts 0 Kennoway Star Hearts 2,Thornton Hibs 4 Rossvale 2, Gretna 2008 2 Darvel 1(aet), Vale of Leven 1 Kilwinning Rangers 2,Kinnoul 0 Jeanfield Swifts 5, Troon 1 Craigmark 1(Troon win on pens), Whitehill Welfare 3 Fauldhouse Utd 2, Leith Athletic 2 Haddington Athletic 1, Peebles Rovers 1 Dunbar Utd 2, Penicuik Athletic 3 Dalkeith Thistle 1, St Andrews Utd 2 Luncarty 1, Bo’ness Utd 0 Cumbernauld Utd 2, Edinburgh University 1 Berwick Rangers 4, Shotts Bon Accord 3 Bo’ness Athletic 3(Shotts win on pens), Threave Rovers 2 Bonnyton Thistle 1, Wigtown & Bladnoch 1Forth Wanderers 4, Broxburn Athletic 2 Whitburn 2(Broxburn win on pens), Camelon 4 Dunipace 2, Coldstream 4 Edinburgh Utd 3.

Regards

Jim O’Donnell