Sauchie Juniors defeat EoS league rivals in cup second round

SAUCHIE JUNIORS bounced back from their opening-day defeat in the league by grabbing a place in the third round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup.

With Glenrothes coming to town, manager Fraser Duncan made five changes from Saturday’s game, notably a start for Tom Harrison from the club’s under-20s in place of the absent Ross Hutchison.

Sauchie made a blistering start, creating multiple chances in the game's opening minutes, including Ciaran Chalmers' opener with just seven minutes on the clock.

Stuart McDowall's cross from a corner met the head of the unmarked Chalmers, who nodded past Glens goalkeeper Laing.

The chances kept coming, but the home side could not convert any, a let-off for John Martin’s men, who had undoubtedly been up against it in the early stages.

Even without the ball, Duncan’s team looked lively, ensuring that the possession was quickly won back from the opposition and beginning attacks when they could.

The manager told Advertiser Sport regarding this tactical direction: “It’s one of the ways in which we have set up to play this year, we want to play with the high press and push to get the ball back as quick as we can.

“We tried this last year but with a couple of younger bodies, we are managing to do this better, we just need to be doing this in the correct way, which is happening, so it is good to see.”

Goalscorer Chalmers grimaced in pain following a bad tackle, and due to the extent of the injury, Sauchie was forced to make a change just 24 minutes into the game.

Duncan spoke of the injury: “He’s going to be at least three or four weeks, a bit of a setback to be honest but hopefully in the next week or so, we should have a few bodies back.”

But they scored again as another corner from McDowall landed at the feet of another summer recruits Aaron Isaacs who grabbed his first competitive goal .

Isaacs looked to have been injured in the process, however, following a high-raised boot, but after some brief treatment, the young striker soldiered on.

The second half started just as bright in terms of chances, with a close-range attempt from McDowall followed by a long-range effort from Isaacs looking for his second - both testing the man between the Glenrothes sticks.

Jack Fisher would get on the scoresheet, extending Sauchie’s lead to three, outjumping his man in the air to head home.

Just a moment later, visiting captain Lea Schiavone grabbed a goal back for his side - a fantastic strike from distance to shoot past the previously untroubled Keir Burt - to deny the Sauchie goalkeeper a deserved clean sheet.

Duncan continued: “I think we need to be more ruthless, we probably could’ve scored another two or three maybe, we have had the opportunities to do this.

“We’re maybe just not at that firing stage at the moment, but we’re definitely getting towards that stage so it is good to see the ball in the back of the net, my cry at the moment is that we need to get more to see teams off nice and early.

Duncan emphasised his delight in getting progression: “We said that before the game, it was important to get through and stay in the cup competitions as long as we possibly can, but overall, it’s great to get through to the next round and a great performance at times.”

SAUCHIE: Burt, Harrison, Thomson, McDowall (McNeil 80’), Kavanagh, Davidson, Williamson, Chalmers (Churchill 26’), Issacs (McDermott 76’), Cunningham, Fisher (Sludden 76’). UNUSED SUBS: Robertson, Tull.