Forfar 0 - 1 Linlithgow Rose: Junior side pull off cup shock

Linlithgow Rose celebrate their Scottish Cup triumph at Forfar. Picture: SNS

Striker Kevin Kelbie netted a 115th minute winner as the East Super League side upset League 1 Forfar.

That sets up a clash with Ross County and proves the romance of the Scottish Cup is well and truly alive.

This tie should have been played to a finish last week but an electrical fault in the floodlights saw the game cut short after just six minutes.

This time it was lights, camera action as there was no repeat of the Forfar floodlight failings or the flare-throwing from some away fans which marred last week’s tie.

While there were no sparks flying off the park there were also none on it, with just one chance worthy of note in the opening 45 minutes.

That came Forfar’s way after two minutes when Gavin Swankie’s corner was met by Michael Dunlop and his powerful right-foot strike crashed off the base of the post.

For the rest of the half, Linlithgow were content to sit back and soak up the pressure while Forfar attacked.

The hosts won a number of corners but failed to carve open the Rose defence. At the other end, Linlithgow had just one first-half opportunity with the final kick of the 45.

Kelbie tried his luck from 25 yards but snatched at the effort and the ball drifted towards the corner flag. Things, clearly, could only get better in the second half.

Linlithgow did more in the first two minutes of the second half than they did in the 45 that preceded it. Kelbie forced a point-blank save out of Darren Hill after Tommy Coyne flicked on a Conor Kelly cross.

Kelbie’s right boot began causing all sorts of damage and he was inches away from a stunning goal as he cracked a drive off the post from 25 yards. Suddenly the East Super League side believed they could produce an almighty shock.

Rose keeper Ally Adams kept his side in it with a stunning 63rd minute save to turn over Bryan Hodge’s long-range strike.

As the clock ticked down, Scott Martin’s looping header off the bar was the final chance of the 90 before the game headed into extra-time.

Adams was an extra-time hero for Rose with superb fingertip saves to turn over long-range strikes from Iain Campbell and Omar Kader. But the real match-winner was Kelbie who danced into the Loons box to blast beyond Hill and send his side into Scottish Cup dreamland.