Star discover scoring touch in cup thriller

Published on Tuesday 1 December 2009 08:50

A VICTORY for composure saw Tynecastle Star win a place in the last 16 of the East of Scotland Amateur Cup with Heriot-Vale beaten narrowly at Saughton.

All five goals came in a bright second half as Star triumphed 3-2, after a drab opening 45 minutes had done little to warm the hearts of those on the touchlines on a bitterly cold afternoon at the artificial pitch.

Tynie coach Andy Gibson saw his side continue a positive start to the season.

He said: "We're now in the last 16 of the East of Scotland and the fourth round of the Scottish, where we are awaiting a trip to either Dumbarton or Aberdeen. We are also well-placed in the league, despite having played only five games because of all the cup matches we've had."

Goals by strikers Ian Hamlyn and Graham Barnardi, as well as a mesmerising individual goal by left back Jack White, handed Star victory and left Gibson satisfied with their progress in the tournament.

"I think we were true to our type of attacking football in the second half," he said. "We added more width to our game, and obviously by doing that you open up the other team. We've added some extra, more experienced players to the team and that's us now won seven out of our last seven games."

Heriot-Vale enjoyed the better of the first-half opportunities with Kyle Anderson and Michael Sime going closest, but Vale allowed frustration to get the better of them soon after the interval.

By the laws of physics, doubt should never have been cast on the validity of Star's opening goal by anyone within a 50 yard radius. Barnardi fed James Davenport on the right wing, and his cross was met by the boot of Hamlyn in the centre of the box at close range. The fizz of the ball as it flew into the top right-hand corner then cannoned back out off the stanchion supporting the net was what caused some confusion. The wild protests of the Heriot players – apparently arguing that the ball had struck the outside rather than the inside of the stanchion – should have been replaced by a momentary consideration that, from Hamlyn's striking position and given the subsequent flight of the ball, this was by no means possible, not even with a freak blustery wind. In any case, the referee was in no doubt that the ball had crossed the line.

Vale, as it happened, channelled their frustrations perfectly, equalising with a thunderous, instinctive shot directly from the resulting kick off. Pieyham Khosrowpour's shot sailed over goalkeeper Dennis O'Driscoll for an equaliser that, for the Heriot defenders may have meant rightful order restored. Amid clenched fists, the Heriot backline obviously did not bank on Star serving up a taste of their own medicine. From the second kick-off in a matter of seconds, Barnardi ran with the ball down the right with consummate ease, crossing for Davenport whose strike was well saved by Stuart Addison, and Barnardi himself surged into the area to meet the loose ball and net from a narrow angle.

Heriot's Sime stung the fingers of O'Driscoll with a rasping half-volley from the edge of the area, the goalkeeper athletically springing across to his left to beat the ball away as Vale chased the equaliser.

Star, though, were more patient and composed in their build up, and never were these two values more emphatically rewarded than with White's virtuoso strike – a goal that proved to be the winner – with 15 minutes remaining. The roving left back, steady and productive when advancing forward for the entire 90 minutes, displayed admirable close control in leading the ball from wide on the right and slaloming through the Heriot backline and into the penalty area, before placing his shot from 15 yards into the top left-hand corner.

Five minutes later, a riled Heriot-Vale struck a second goal to halve the deficit to one when Khosrowpour led a counter attack and laid the ball on for strike partner Michael South to sidefoot past O'Driscoll.

But, Star held on grimly for the win as Davenport cleared a Vale effort off the line and Heriot forward South struck the bar in the dying minutes.

Heriot-Vale: Stuart Addison, Keith Wilson, Michael Thomson, Gavin Cowan, Graeme Markham, Jason Nicholson, Michael Sime, Ian Ferguson, Pieyham Khosrowpour, Michael South, Kyle Anderson, Chris Smith, Stuart Johnston, Darren Brownridge, Stewart Veitch, James Paterson.

Tynecastle Star: Dennis O'Driscoll, Grant Robertson, Jack White, Andy Garland, Fergus Wilson, Murdo Steven, Soeren Schultz, David Gardner, Graham Barnardi, James Davenport, Marlon Bentley, Thabian Gilfillan, Barry O'Donnell, Steve Richards, Kevin McLaughlin, Ian Hamlyn.