Cruel end for West Lothian

WEST Lothian Schools were dealt a defeat and denied a Scottish Cup semi-final place in the most painful way possible, succumbing to a Lanarkshire winner in the last minute of extra-time having dominated the under-15 Inter-District quarter-final at Ochilview, Stenhousemuir.

West Lothian had the better of the game's goal-scoring opportunities but managed to convert just one, a composed finish early in the second-half by St Kentigern's pupil Shaun Duncan that drew his side level in the contest.

Lanarkshire's Christopher Paton had opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with his side's first shot on goal, and the same man popped up to score a second goal on the counter-attack to leave West Lothian reeling.

The boisterous and bustling Jay Doyle was at the centre of the majority of West Lothian's attacks and created the first opportunity for himself just seconds into the game. After flicking the ball over the head of the last defender, though, Doyle blazed over a half-volley with the outside of his right boot.

His teammate Michael Adams found himself in a similarly close-range position moments later, but scooped his shot over the bar.

Andrew Davidson of St Margaret's beat the offside trap and sped down the right as West Lothian continued to pile on the pressure. His low centre into the box found Duncan who, sliding with Lanarkshire defender Callum Watt, toed the ball into the post before the defence cleared the danger.

At the other end, West Lothian defender Graeme Thomson (Inveralmond) denied Lanarkshire striker Sean McBride a shot on goal on 23 minutes with a great last-ditch tackle, but seven minutes later at the same end the first shot on Jordan Hamilton's goal was to break the deadlock.

Paton was left to roam towards the penalty area by a static West Lothian defence and his 20-yard strike, relying more on placement than power, found the bottom left-hand corner via the post.

Shortly before half-time, inspirational West Lothian captain Andy Black drove forward from midfield in search of the equaliser, but after beating defender Stephen Collins, the No.10 saw his shot blocked by Matthew Ferguson. The ball trickled away from the goalkeeper and fell to striker Doyle in a crowded six-yard box. The big West Lothian target man, with his back to goal, chose to carve an opportunity for himself rather than pass to a well-positioned teammate in space and subsequently shot wide on the turn.

After half-time, West Lothian midfielder Duncan pounced to hit the equaliser with the first chance of the second period. Breaking into the penalty area from the left the diminutive No.6 fired the ball low and hard into the near corner for the equaliser.

Doyle might have swung the balance completely the other way a couple of minutes later.

He showed great balance and skill to slalom past a forest of legs en route to the penalty area, but amid the screams for a pass either side of him he chose to beat one man too many and a poor final touch allowed the ball to roll into the arms of the goalkeeper. Next time he carried the ball forward, Doyle laid it into the path of strike partner and schoolmate Mark Tighe, but goalkeeper Ferguson saved brilliantly in the resultant one-on-one.

Doyle showed textbook technique just after the hour-mark but sent his volley straight at the goalkeeper, then West Lothian's defence was given a rare scare as Daniel Barnes' long-range effort was superbly tipped on to the bar by Hamilton.

On a frustrating afternoon for West Lothian, and in particular Doyle, the striker endured another wasted chance seconds before the end of regulation time.

With neither side creating much in the way of chances in extra-time, Lanarkshire's Paton of Uddingston Grammar School left West Lothian shell-shocked in the dying seconds with a close-range, opportunistic finish to win the tie.

Jim Bettley, the Lanarkshire coach, said: "We always felt a chance would come along and thankfully we took it, but we'll be hard pressed to find harder opponents than West Lothian."

West Lothian Schools: Jordan Hamilton (Linlithgow), Liam Tierney (St Margaret's), Jack McGurk (Bathgate), Dean Donaldson (St Margaret's), Graeme Thomson (Inveralmond), Shaun Duncan (St Kentigern's), Andrew Davidson (St Margaret's), Michael Adams (Linlithgow), Jay Doyle (St Kentigern's), Andy Black (Inveralmond), Mark Tighe (St Kentigern's), James Duffy (St Kentigern's), Sean McLaughlin (Linlithgow), Connor O'Mara (Deans), Richard Hutton (James Young), Jay Strang (St Kentigern's).

Lanarkshire Schools: Matthew Ferguson (Cardinal Newman), Callum Watt (Airdrie Acad), Adam Richardon (Biggar), Stephen Collins (Airdrie Acad), Luke Reid (Calderglen), Connal Muldoon (Holy Cross), Daniel Barnes (Cathkin), Andrew Horton (Airdrie Acad), Sean McBride (Calderglen), Scott Ferguson (Cardinal Newman), Christopher Paton (Uddingston GS), Greg Fernie (Airdrie Acad), Nathan McMullen (Cardinal Newman), Cameron Crowe (Uddingston GS), Craig Campbell (Airdrie Acad).