ALBA Challenge Cup Quarter Final Review
Monday 6th September 2010
The draw for ALBA Challenge Cup Quarter Finals had seen First Division sides out numbered five to three by their Second Division rivals, however the Semi-Final draw will see superiority restored in favour of the higher league.
Queen of the South were the most emphatic winners for the bigger boys with a 5-0 triumph over East Fife, Ross County had to settle for a 2-0 win over Forfar Athletic with Partick Thistle surviving a late scare to defeat Ayr 2-1.
Midfielder Paul Burns was the Man of the Match at Palmerston Park as he grabbed his first ever senior hat-trick to see Doonhamers progress to the semi-finals for the first time since they won the competition under John Connolly in 2002.
The opening half hour had been an even affair with on-loan Hibs youngster Kurtis Byrne impressing for the Fifers, however the match turned when Burns notched the first goal of his hat-trick on 32 minutes.
David Weatherston sent a free kick goalward and when the ball landed at the feet of Burns he sent home a fine shot from 16 yards out.
Burns netted again 90 seconds into the second half when he fired home a Ryan Conroy pass from the edge of the box and the tie was effectively over when substitute John Ovenstone headed in at the wrong end on 64 minutes.
Burns scored from close range to ensure he was taking the match ball home with 11 minutes left and deep into injury time Robert Harris curled in a free kick to complete the scoring.
Queen’s boss Kenny Brannigan said, “We have moved Paul into the middle of our midfield as opposed to playing out wide left. He has coped with it well as he has great quality and could play at a higher level.”
East Fife manager Steven Crawford said, “The first half had gone reasonably well, however we lost a couple of soft goals and then the gap in quality began to show. Hopefully we will have learned from it for our league affairs.”
Ross County made the semi-finals for the third consecutive year following their two goal success at Forfar in a game were both sides were reduced to ten men. Paul Lawson provided the class with a goal in each half with his chipped effort in 11 minutes being bettered by his run and shot from 25 yards out that sealed the win with just over 20 minutes left.
By this stage team-mate Martin Scott had walked for a crude challenge on the Loons’ Martin Fotheringham and he was quickly followed on the hour mark by the home side’s Michael Bolochoweckyj who dived in against Lawson.
County boss Derek Adams said, “It is a case of achieving what we set out to do and that was to win through to the semi-final of a competition we seem to like. I thought the sending offs were correct.”
Forfar boss Dick Campbell saw things differently saying, “I do not think either of them were sending offs. It is a good job I do not play these days as I would be sent off doing my warm up.”
Partick Thistle, with former Scotland defender Jackie McNamara making his comeback after six months out with a broken leg, raced into an early lead against Ayr at Firhill.
Kris Doolan nodded in a Paul Paton cross with just over two minutes gone and half an hour later Paton found Liam Buchanan and he supplied the ammunition this time out for Doolan to fire in a header to make it two.
Ayr decided to make a game of it and 9 minutes from half time Scott McLaughlin picked out Andy Rodgers and he sent a header into the net via the underside of the bar.
The Jags were denied a penalty just after half-time when Buchanan appeared to be fouled by Martyn Campbell and Ayr took advantage of that reprieve to try and force a leveller to take the tie into extra time.
Former Thistle favourite Mark Roberts came close a minute from time with Firhill goalkeeper Bryn Halliwell pushing aside a shot and then McNamara popped up on the line to deny Rodgers.
Partick boss Ian McCall said, “It was a great save right at the end from Bryn and it ensured we won the game. We should have had a penalty to make it 3-1 and some you get and some you don’t. If Ayr had scored to take the game into extra time I would not be as relaxed about it as I am now.”
Somerset Park boss Brian Reid had mixed emotions saying, “The goals we conceded were really poor and Thistle will not score two as easy all season. We came back into things and for the last 25 minutes we were well on top, in fact we battered them. It was a great save from their goalkeeper and I am not sure how he got to it as I was on my feet ready to acclaim a goal.”
Peterhead made it through to the semi-finals of the ALBA Challenge Cup for the first time yesterday as they saw off Stenhousemuir 3-1 at Balmoor. The Blue Toon were two ahead by half time and there was no way back for the Warriors when they lost another goal 5 minutes into the second half.
Dennis Wyness, a finalist in the competition in November 1999, opened the scoring after nine minutes when he picked up a pass from Martin Bavidge and shot low past Ally Brown.
Irish striker Connor Gethans put Neale Cooper’s side two up two minutes from half time when he fired in a Daniel Moore cross from the left.
There was certainly no chance of a repeat of the Ochilview side’s heroics in the last round when they beat Dundee when Wyness drilled in a third goal.
Substitute Pat Scullion helped set up Scott Dalziel for a consolation for Stenhousemuir with quarter of an hour left.