Macron Scottish Junior Cup Second Round

WHITLETTS VICTORIA 2

LANARK UNITED 2

THE Vics and the Yowes have to do it all again on Saturday after a thrilling Scottish Junior Cup tie at Dam Park.

But once again a needless red card and an inability to shut out the opposition with 10 men saw Whitletts failing to see off their opponents.

Injury-ravaged Vics gave a debut to keeper Gareth Watson who joined the Club in midweek, replacing the injured Martin Fraser and his goal was the first to be under threat when Ian Watt raced clear of the Vics defence but his angled shot evaded the far post.

The League Two side had started well and dictated the pace of the game, looking dangerous on the counter-attack but most of the play was in their own half and in 13 minutes, Vics had the ball in the net but Jordan Boyd’s header was ruled out for a push on a defender. Not that it mattered for with seconds the home side were in front. United keeper Martyn Meek failed to control a heavy pass back and Adam Forsyth nipped in to pinch the ball and net.

That lead didn’t last long and three minutes later it was all-square. Issac Kerr got on the wrong side of Watt as the striker raced into the box and the Whitletts defender pulled the strikers jersey. No doubt about the award and from 12 yards. Hugh Kerr sent Watson the wrong way.

The Yowes keeper Meek had been injured in the incident that led to the Vics goal and he was replaced by Gareth Hallford.

Vics goalie Watson’s poor kick out gave the visitors a good opportunity but the debutant recovered to make a fine save to turn behind Kerr’s shot. From the resulting corner again it was a fine save from Watson that denied Cameron Lawson at the back post and Raymond Buchanan cleared the danger.

A stunning 25-yard strike from Callum Ogston brought a fine save from Hallford, tipping the ball over the bar while another Louis Kerr free kick slipped just past but it was Lanark who had the final say of the half when a 22-yard strike from Daniel McHugh flew just over.

Whitletts started the second half strongly and after some good team work, Forsyth’s low netbound shot was only kept out by the heel of a Lanark defender. Issac Kerr then headed straight at the keeper while stand-in keeper Hallford again produced heroics making an outstanding save to keep out a Buchanan thunderbolt of a free-kick that caught a slight deflection on the way.

Lanark had rarely been seen as an attacking force up to this point and in 63 minutes, Whitletts finally made their pressure tell.

From a corner-kick, Hallford made another fine save to keep out a Buchanan header but in the stramash that followed inside the six-yard box, after an attempt had been blocked on the line, Forsyth was on hand to prod the ball over the line.

It was no more than Whitletts deserved.

However in 74 minutes, Vics were reduced to 10 men when Bobby Colligan was booked for simulation and having been yellow-carded earlier, was shown a red card by referee David Milton.

That gave Lanark some hope and they began to press forward looking for the equaliser. Such was their enthusiasm, manager Colin Slater was sent off after an altercation with Vics assistant Mark Ferris when trying to retrieve the ball from the technical area.

But Slater was celebrating moments later when from O’Donnell’s free-kick, this time Lawson powered a header past Watson to level.

The visitors were themselves reduced to 10 men in 90 minutes when Kerr received a second yellow for kicking the ball away after being given offside.

WHITLETTS VICTORIA: Watson; Colligan, Ogston, Millar, I Kerr, Buchanan, L Kerr, Boyd, Forsyth (McIntyre 87) George (A Kerr 71) Donovan (Condon 79). Subs (not used) Ewart, Fraser.