Depleted Comrie fail to clinch Cup winner

Nov 20 2009 by Our Correspondant, Strathearn Herald

Napier University 6 Comrie Rovers 4

COMRIE Rovers travelled to Edinburgh to face Napier University in the Scottish Cup on Saturday and despite putting up a spirited performance playing most of extra time with only nine men ended up on the wrong side of a 6-4 scoreline.

The game started well for Rovers as Reilly rose above the Napier defence to power home a header on 10 minutes to make the score 1-0.

Time and again the play flowed from end to end with the Rovers defence playing a high line but the referee not blowing for offside on a number of occasions and it was only the pace of David Sinclair which kept the score at 1-0. Keeper Raymond Stevenson also playing his part with a superb reaction save just as the game headed for half time.

The second half started badly for Rovers as they were caught at the back in what again looked to be an offside but the referee waved play on and Stevenson had to dive to push the ball wide. The Napier player floated the ball into the box and Clunie, under pressure from a Napier played headed the ball into his own net.

Rovers kept going though and had a couple of great chances for Brian MacLean and Peter Reilly but it was from an unlikely source that the scoreline was extended. Rovers broke away down the left through Alex Wylie and Barry Ward and Graham Abernethy picked up the ball before floating a lovely ball into the box. Kieran O’Donnell ghosted in front of the keeper and nodded the ball into the net to make the score 2-1. Within 10 minutes the scoreline was 3-1 as Reilly latched onto a through-ball and slid the ball past the keeper.

Shaun Ward replaced MacLean and within five minutes beat his man to fire the ball towards goal but it slipped narrowly wide.

Rovers were making all the play and long range efforts from Reilly and Scott Clunie tested the keeper but with 20 to go Napier pulled one back. A long high ball into the box wasn’t cleared and in the stramash a Napier played poked the ball into the net.

As the game wore on Napier pushed forward time and again but the Rovers defence appeared to be holding firm with only seconds to go when Napier won a free-kick just inside the Rovers half. The ball was floated into the box and again bounced about before it appeared to be punched into the net. The referee blew for a goal and booked Alex Wylie for dissent and the game went into extra time.

The first period of extra started badly for Rovers as Wylie headed a ball towards Stevenson in the goal and it was intercepted and driven home by a Napier player to make the score 4-3.

Things went from bad to worse as Napier scored a breakaway goal to make the score 5-3 but with only ten minutes in the game Rovers started to find some extra strength.

Rovers flooded forward and they got their reward with five to go as Abernethy broke in from the left and fired home to make the score 5-4. Napier took the kick off and broke forward but Sinclair and Muir held firm, the ball drifting to Stevenson who launched it upfield. Reilly sprinted clear but the keeper pulled off a superb save to keep the score at 5-4 and in the final seconds of the game Napier broke upfield, looking offside again and scored to make the final score 6-4.

Last Saturday’s match was sponsored by The Ancaster Arms who also provided training and match balls for the club. This Saturday Rovers are back on league business away to Kinrossie CSSA before hosting a race night at the Meadow Inn in Crieff.