HOW do you possibly sum up the impact Saturday's Scottish Cup second round tie will have on a club like Sauchie Juniors?
Financially, it will give the club a huge boost. The thousands of pounds of prize money will help a club continue the work done by countless volunteers throughout the first lockdown last year. Not to mention the fact the club's pie stand reportedly took more than five times the amount of money it does on a usual match day.
This is a community's club. The people involved in the everyday running of the club – manager Fraser Duncan, chairman Karl Rennie, jack-of-all-trades Matty Hollingworth and everyone else – will struggle to find the words to describe the pride, the delight and the emotions caused by the actions of the spectators.
The main stand was full. Fans arriving seconds after kick off struggled to find a seat. On the opposite side the standing area was full of a booming audience that serenaded and supported the players from the first minute to the last. The flares, the chants and the support from the club's development teams all carried these players as they took another historic step.
Make no mistake, this game will go down in history. Sauchie Juniors, in the second round of the Scottish Cup, for the first time ever, at home. Oh, and they won.
Duncan named a strong side but he was dealt a blow before the game began. Scott Davidson, a rock in the club's defence in recent weeks, was only fit enough to make the bench. In stepped Jon Tully who, donning the captain's arm band, was immense. Alongside him was David Cross with Will Greenhorn and Darren Carroll either side of them and Chic Bell in goal.
The midfield was made up of Jack Docherty, Grant Dickie, Brian Morgan and Danny Smith. Sam Davidson and Connor Kelly – the scorer of the winning goal in the first round against Fraserburgh – lead the team.
In modern football, especially on social media, the term 'world class' is thrown about far too often. However, when the first real chance of the match fell to Dunipace's Marty Wright, Bell's save was genuinely world class. Side stepping to his right following the direction of a cross, Wright's header forced Bell to shuffle along the other way. The keeper dived and somehow got a hand to the ball to scoop it away. With a goalkeeper making a save like that, when the score was still level, Sauchie must have had an inkling it was going to be their day.
It wouldn't be long before the home side took the lead. Danny Smith danced his way through the Dunipace defence and was eventually brought down. Stepping up to take the penalty, he sent the keeper the wrong way as he opened his body up and side footed the ball into the net.
As Sauchie looked to protect their lead, the visitors looked to equalise. Tully defended well and as Sauchie absorbed the pressure, they were able to break and should have scored more to put the game out of sight. First it was Docherty who found himself one on one with the keeper put instead of placing the finish he lashed it straight at David Kane who saved well. Morgan couldn't finish with the first time rebound.
Minutes later Kelly was too smart for the defender and waited for a bouncing ball to drop before smashing a good volley at goal but it went the wrong side of the post.
As the interval came Sauchie were undoubtedly the better side and should have been two or three goals to the good. Dunipace came out in the second half flying and put the pressure on once again as David Grant cut the ball back for Wright who blasted over the bar from five yards.
Shortly after Grant would score as a clipped ball went over Bell's head and the striker pounced to score. He should have added a second shortly after but Bell was out quickly and closed the angle to make the save.
Dunipace's pressure would be their downfall as Sauchie made the most of a counter attack. Davidson drove forward and played a great pass to Kelly who made his way into the box. A clever step over allowed him to touch the ball past a lunging Danny Ashe who brought the striker down, receiving a second yellow card in the process. Smith stepped up to take a second penalty and this time smashed it down the middle. The keeper got something on it but it didn't matter, Sauchie were in front once again.
From that moment on it was all about game management. Dunipace would have their chances but so did Sauchie. In the end, the Wee County side held on. Full time, 90 minutes plus stoppage time. 2-1. Third round.
Dumbarton await. Another historic day awaits, too. But Saturday was special. Whatever happens, those who were there will never forget. History made.
SAUCHIE: Bell, Carroll, Cross, Tully, Greenhorn, Docherty, Dickie (Kelly), Morgan, Smith, Davidson (Collumbine), Kelly (Cracknall). UNUSED: Davidson, Collumbine, Finlayson, Bryson, McMahon
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