Shining Coyne slots a double

LINLITHGOW edged out Bathgate 2-1 in this Emirates Scottish Junior Cup quarter final replay thanks to a double from in-form striker Tommy Coyne to reach yet another Scottish Junior Cup semi final.

Manager Dave Baikie was delighted afterwards. "The two early goals gave us a great start but we became complacent and allowed them into the game. But it's great to be in the draw for the semis. Our back four were outstanding and never gave much away. We flagged a wee bit in the second half but that's when we needed the fresh legs."

In front of a crowd of 1200 Linlithgow started the game at pace. Last week's game started the same with Linlithgow forcing the Bathgate defence on their heels. This week though they were rewarded with two goals in the opening 20 minutes, both coming from Coyne.

The first after nine minutes came as a result of a Steve Manson corner. His long, deep cross was headed back across goal into the danger area by Scott Wilson. The Bathgate defence failed to clear the danger properly and Coyne pounced to blast the ball past the keeper from 10 yards.

Then, in the 20th minute, they were two up from yet another corner. Manson took it from the left hitting the bar with an in swinging curler. Again the Bathgate defence failed to clear the danger allowing Coyne to knock the ball over the line with keeper Andy Carlin trying valiantly to keep it out. Carlin received a knock on the head requiring lengthy treatment before continuing. Bathgate were shell-shocked but to their credit they came back fighting. Now it was Linlithgow's turn to soak up the pressure.

Bathgate pushed hard for a goal to give them a fighting chance but with striker Jim Lister sometimes stranded alone up front they needed someone to break from midfield and support their top scorer. But midway through the second half they made the breakthrough. Bathgate's recent new signing Steven Payne hit a super shot from 25 yards out forcing keeper Steven Pinkowski to spill the ball into the path of Lister who reacted like lightning to slide the ball into the net. That goal was all the encouragement they needed and only a couple of minutes later they almost drew level. A corner from the right was going in at the far post but keeper Pinkowski made a hash of clearing it, with Kevin Donnelly saving their bacon.

Linlithgow were tiring now and took of Gordon Herd, Roddy McLennan and Stevie Manson, bringing on Mark Bradley, Gary Livingstone and Stuart McArthur, but Bathgate did likewise with Brian McPhee coming on for Alex Lurinski, McPhee using all his experience to keep the Linlithgow defence on the back foot. Bathgate were trying hard to get the goal which would take the tie to penalties but with time running out became desperate and the fresh legs of Linlithgow's Gary Livingstone could have made them suffer. However when he did have chances he ran out of ideas. Afterwards Coyne said: "We were hanging on at the end but the damage was done in the first half. It was good to get a double and that gave us the start we wanted."

Bathgate boss Graeme Love was very disappointed to lose. "We gave away two soft goals but came back at them for the rest of the game. But too many of our lads didn't play as well as they can."

Linlithgow: Pinkowski, Donnelly, Virgili, Ward , Wilson, Smith, McLennan (Bradley), Tyrrell, Coyne, Herd (Livingstone), Manson (McArthur), Subs, McDermott, Flannery, Kelly, McPherson.

Bathgate: Carlin, Wilson (F Love), Neill, Hunter, Easton, Payne, Lurinski (McPhee), McColligan, Lister, Jack, McLaren, Subs, Fallon, Riley, Blaney, G Love, McCafferty