Super subs do the trick as Rose fight back to beat Lochee

THIS was a dress rehearsal for the forthcoming Scottish Junior Cup semi-final between these sides and on this showing we can look forward to a titanic battle.

Lochee took the lead in the 15th minute after Jason Alexander nutmegged his marker wide right on the touchline. His low cross found Craig Robertson at the near post and he squeezed the ball between the keeper and the woodwork.

In the second half Lochee were reduced to ten men on the hour mark when striker Gary Middleton was sent off after a second yellow. Then with 15 minutes to go Linlithgow boss Dave Baikie sent on all three subs to lift the game. Only five minutes later Linlithgow were level. Substitute Roddy McLennan forced his way along the 18-yard box before sending an inch-perfect pass to the unmarked Stevie Manson. He drove the ball past the keeper into the net.

And five minutes after that Linlithgow were in front. A Manson corner wasn't cleared and it fell nicely for John Adam who lashed the ball into the top corner from 20 yards. Then in the dying minutes they added a third. Lochee gave the ball away in their own penalty box allowing McLennan to drive a low ball to the back post where sub Paddy Flannery pounced to blast the ball home.

Lochee: Brown, Krobot, Watson, Hay, Thomson, Alexander, Abbott, Cargill, Middleton, Robertson, Hagen. Subs: Blackwood, Voight, Bannon, Kirk, Heggie, Ross.

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