Scottish Cup drama as non-leaguers keep Rangers rematch dream alive and ex-Hearts defender scores hat-trick
How the third round action on Saturday unfolded
Those looking for the shock in the third round of the Scottish Cup had to go far north, up to the Aberdeenshire coast to Bellslea Park, where Highland League side Fraserburgh hosted League One outfit Annan Athletic.
The boys from The Broch are no strangers to the fourth round, having made it there in the 2017/18 campaign and hosting Rangers at their quaint ground. Perhaps they will land the Ibrox club once again after they took care of Annan in front of their own fans.
Connor Wood and Kieran Simpson were the heroes for Fraserburgh, who are currently in mid-table in the Highland League and managed by Mark Cowie. The pair both struck inside five first-half minutes to secure a famous 2-0 win against a side sitting eighth in the third tier of Scottish football.
Fraserburgh will be joined in the hat by Lowland League Broxburn Athletic after Nicky Locke’s extra-time header clinched a 2-1 win at League Two Stranraer. Jonathan Page had headed the visitors into a first-half lead and after Elliot Dunlop had equalised with eight minutes remaining, fellow substitute Locke pounced in the 97th minute.
West of Scotland League Clydebank will be there too after a 2-0 home win over Highland League Buckie Thistle, who finished with nine men. Hamish Munro was sent off for violent conduct eight minutes before the break and after Nicky Little had put the hosts ahead, Dale Wood followed him after a challenge which allowed Little to seal victory from the spot.
Former Hearts defender Brad McKay plundered a hat-trick as Highland League Brechin got the better of Lowland League Cowdenbeath 4-1 in extra-time and sixth tier Musselburgh beat Lowland League Bo’ness United 3-1 thanks to goals from Nathan Evans, Callum Donaldson and Craig Stevenson.
Otherwise, it was a disappointing afternoon for the non-league hopefuls with Irvine Meadow going down 5-0 at home to League One Stenhousemuir, for whom Euan O’Reilly scored a hat-trick, and Linlithgow Rose losing 4-0 on their own pitch to Championship Raith Rovers, in part due to Dylan Easton’s double.
Championship Livingston also proved too strong for Highland League Brora with Reece McAlear and Tete Yengi sealing a 2-0 win while Oli Shaw’s double saw Livi’s league rivals Hamilton beat Highland League Banks O’Dee 2-1.
The second-tier clash between Queen’s Park and Partick Thistle proved something of an arm wrestle with the Spiders eventually prevailing 7-6 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park.
Penalties were required too at Forfar, where the hosts got the better of Stirling Albion 4-2 in the shoot-out after a six-goal thriller in which the visitors led 2-0. Russell McLean’s treble proved the backbone of the League Two basement boys’ win despite a double from Adam Brown either side of Josh Kerr’s strike.
Second-half goals from Mikey Devlin and substitute Jamie Murphy eased Ayr through their all-Championship showdown with Morton while Dapo Mebude and Matthew Todd fired Dunfermline to a 2-1 success at Edinburgh City.
Ryan Sargent’s double helped League Two Elgin see off League One Kelty Hearts 3-2, with his 83rd-minute strike proving decisive, and Blair Lyons was cast in a similar role for Montrose in their victory by the same score at Peterhead, where Kane Hester scored twice inside the opening 16 minutes for the visitors.
Late goals from substitutes Declan Glass and Grady McGrath handed Cove Rangers a 2-0 home win over League One counterparts Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Kyle Doherty came off the bench to fire Queen of the South to a 1-0 win at Arbroath.
The Scottish Cup action is far from finished this weekend, though, with Dundee North End of the Midlands League hosting Championship bottom club Airdrieonians at North End Park.
The game is starting at 1pm so that use of floodlights can be avoided and managed by former Aberdeen and Cardiff City defender Kevin McNaughton, the club from the sixth tier of Scottish football are likely to make it uncomfortable for Rhys McCabe’s strugglers.
The round concludes on Monday night when Lowland League champions East Kilbride take on Championship leaders Falkirk at K Park, with the match being screened live on BBC Scotland.
“I think that's why they picked it for the television,” the Bairns manager John McGlynn said. “They normally pick somebody that's half decent away from home against somebody who could cause an upset.
“Obviously it would still be an upset but they have beaten Ayr United and Airdrie already this season. Two championship teams. That makes us very wary. It makes us plan and prepare and leave no stone unturned. They play good football. They play with a very attractive style.
“They build the game for the back and they normally start and play through the phases. They have a few players that were playing in League One and League Two last season. A few players that were playing with Stirling Albion last year ended up there amongst others.
“We've been planning and preparing for this game like we would have done if we were playing Celtic again. It is a level playing field for us to go out and do our best against them. On paper, we play well, they play well, we win.”
The draw for the fourth round, which is when the Premiership teams enter the competition, takes place on Monday night.
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