Station halted by Falkirk

THE top amateur team in the Lothians, Uphall Station, were denied a Foster's Scottish Amateur Cup quarter-final as Falkirk Amateurs pipped their hosts 2-1, courtesy of a last-gasp penalty.

The West Lothian side were the sole Lothians & Edinburgh Amateur FA representatives remaining in the national tournament and enjoyed a superb run en route to the last 16.

After recording wins over Grangemouth, Gartcosh and Eastfield in the latter stages, though, Station came unstuck against Falkirk at Kirkliston.

Falkirk went ahead seconds before half-time through Scott McManus, but Uphall levelled early in the second-half with a Robert McGreagor penalty. It was another spot-kick, this time at the other end, that won the game for the Bairns, with Derek Colquhoun the match-winner.

Station should have taken the lead after a quarter of an hour after Alister Innes headed a cross from the left back across the face of goal, but Lee Manderson's subsequent header flew wide.

Falkirk goalkeeper John McEwen then pulled off a fantastic double-save on 18 minutes to deny Uphall. The latter stop was particularly spectacular, as the No.1 pushed away Derrick Drummond's sizzling volley.

Robert McGreagor, top scorer for Station this season with 13 goals, found himself one-on-one with McEwen moments later, but Falkirk defender Euan Donaldson, once a 90,000 signing for St Johnstone, executed a perfectly-timed challenge as the striker prepared to pull the trigger.

Instead, it was Falkirk who fully took advantage of one of the few chances they were allowed in a cagey first-half.

With seconds to go before the interval, McManus latched on to a corner from the left at the near post and sent an unstoppable first-time strike in off the upright, giving home goalkeeper Steven Vannet no chance.

Four minutes after the restart, though, parity was almost restored. Uphall winger Chriss Norris was tireless and his liveliness nearly paid off on 49 minutes. With no other option but to go it alone as he bore down on goal from the left, Norris cut inside and flummoxed the Falkirk right-back David Mackay not once but twice before blazing his strike from ten yards over the crossbar.

On 55 minutes, though, Uphall gained some tangible reward for their attacking efforts after Brian McPhillie was blatantly floored in the box. Robert McGreagor netted the resultant spot-kick with an emphatic finish into the top right-hand corner.

Craig Young's strike at the other end a couple of minutes later almost saw Falkirk regain the lead, but the 20-yard effort narrowly passed the top left-hand corner of the goal.

Uphall substitute Bamba Jobarteh, meanwhile, was left to rue a gilt-edged chance of his own on 73 minutes. Gary White's mazy run from the right culminated in a shot on goal from 30 yards, but the ball instead ran tamely along the ground to Jobarteh, whose shot on the turn from the 18-yard line went well wide.

In the dying stages, both sides were no doubt contemplating a replay in Falkirk, but defender Charles Wright clearly didn't fancy having to do it all over again. The Uphall No.5, finding himself on the wrong side of Falkirk's Dere Colquhoun, needlessly pulled down the striker and afforded Falkirk a glorious chance to win it.

A cool, calm Colquhoun rammed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner past Vannet to take the spoils and book his side a place in the last eight of Scottish amateur football's most prestigious competition.

Uphall Station: Steven Vannet, Graeme Blanche, George McGreagor, Charles Wright, Derrick Drummond, Brian McPhillie, Lee Manderson, Alister Innes, Robert McGreagor, Chriss Norris, Paul McHugh, Bamba Jobarteh, Sean McMillan, Thomas Smith, Mark Barrass, Gary White.

Falkirk Ams: John McEwen, David Mackay, Euan Donaldson, Jamie Chalmers, Neil Flemming, Scott McManus, Craig Young, Stephen Hutchison, Derek Colquhoun, Robert Swan, John McLean, Gavin McPherson, Steven Ferguson.