Rose keep final hopes alive after narrow loss

LOCHEE UNITED goal hero Jon Voigt sounded a note of caution ahead of next weekend's Emirates Scottish Cup semi-final, second-leg clash.

The substitute's 80th-minute header gave the home side victory at a packed Thomson Park.

Voigt was grateful for the goal but wary of next week's decider, saying: "It was great to come on and score so quickly, but I think we'll have to score again next week at Linlithgow. They will come at us in front of their home support and we'll be under pressure so a strike next week would give us breathing space."

Neither side wanted to commit themselves too much, meaning the star performances came from both defences. Lochee's main attacks came from long-kicking keeper Ian Ross. He launches his kicks like Exocet missiles deep into the heart of the penalty box. Lochee take a huge advantage whenever this happens and it was Linlithgow keeper Steven Pinkowski who felt it more than most.

Time and again he had to come forward and punch the ball away from the strikers powering in on him. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, especially in the first half when he clearly punched the ball into his own net but was saved by the referee blowing for a foul on his behalf.

The first half never caught fire with no clear-cut chances from either side, although Lochee did have the bulk of the play. In front of a big travelling support, Linlithgow were offering poor entertainment. The second half had better to offer. Linlithgow keeper Pinkowski made a meal of yet another missile from Ross within five minutes of the restart but he redeemed himself with a clutch at the ball from the rebound.

Neither side were impressive with nerves showing from both sets of players. Passes were going astray with chances few and far between. Both managers injected fresh legs in an attempt to liven things up a bit with only one making his presence felt. Lochee sub Voigt, on for the out-of-form Phil Hagen, was pushed up front to take advantage of Ross's kick outs. However, with ten minutes to go, it wasn't a kick out from Ross that gave the game the boost it needed, it was a piece of magic from Lochee striker Gary Middleton. He picked up the ball in the old inside right channel. His marker, John Adam, faced him but Middleton turned him inside out three or four times before Adam could back off. That was all the time Middleton needed to send over a perfect cross into the heart of the visiting defence.

Sub Voigt, standing all alone, powered a header back across the keeper into the back of the net for a priceless opener.

The crowd thought for a minute that, that goal would open the game up but it wasn't to be. There was no more scoring as both sides looked like settling for that scoreline.

It was a typical Scottish Junior cup semi-final with both teams afraid of losing.

Lochee boss, the former Dundee United player Raymond McKinnon, was delighted with the result. "It wasn't a great spectacle but we believe we have the players to go that one step further," he said.

"I think we need a goal next week and that would make it difficult for Linlithgow. We feel this is a good year for us and we go into the game next week with a lot of confidence."

Linlithgow manager Dave Baikie said: "We never turned up for this game. Too many players didn't perform to their usual standard and we paid the price.

"People will say that it's only half-time but we will need to improve dramatically next week or we are out. We have time before the game next week though to hammer out a solution and get the players back on track. Saturday's game wasn't what Linlithgow are all about. We have a great support who expect more than that.

"We need a quick goal next week to settle the nerves and give ourselves a chance. It should make for a better game next week."

Lochee United: Ross, Krobot, Watson, Hay, Thompson, Alexander, Abbott, Cargill, Middleton, Blackwood, Hagen (Voigt), Subs, Bannon, Heggie, Thomson, Kirk, Brown.

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