Late penalty puts United out of cup

Cumbernauld United...... 0

Beith Juniors............... 1

Emirates Scottish Junior Cup

Second round replay

THIS replay may not have been as enthralling as last week’s encounter but both sides did give a good account of themselves.

United unfortunately, really got the raw end of the stick when McLean, three minutes into injury time, fell over as Craig Hill tackled him in the box and the Ref in his questionable wisdom gave Beith a penalty kick, converted by McLean to get his side through to round three.

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The United side were a match for the super league side and had them in trouble at times and were unlucky not to net on a few occasions.

Beith opened by attacking the United goal but Davie Buchanan halted an attack and cleared the ball out of play. The first 20 minutes saw Beith keep the pressure on United’s defence, but the home side didn’t yield.

United then had their turn to pressure the visitors and forced three corners in quick succession and keeper Robertson had to earn his corn at this stage

United’s Paul Thomson then had a shot diverted for another corner as United kept Beith rearguard on red alert. The half ended with Beith forcing two corners but United kept them out in what was a very evenly fought first 45 minutes.

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The second half began with United on attack and then Beith broke upfield and Beith’s Lang was spotted in the clear. He took the pass from the right but shot over United’s crossbar when he should have netted.

It was end to end stuff and Beith’s sub, on for Downs in the first half, worked hard in midfield and had to be well policed by the United rearguard. Beith netted through Reid but the linesman was well placed to flag for offside prior to him netting.

The last 20 minutes saw United attack and Robertson had to palm away a Phil Barclay 25 yard effort away for a corner. Then Nico Petrucci had an effort palmed away for another United corner.

At this stage it looked like a penalty kick showdown until that dubious penalty kick award to Beith.

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So, United go out in round two. But it took two games for Beith to gain victory over them so now its the league and the West of Scotland Cup that’s left for United and it’s the league that really takes priority.

But well done to the United squad for a good team effort and commiserations to Craig Hill for being wrongly accused in the penalty kick incident, with some Beith players believing he was.

CUMBERNAULD UNITED: Buchanan, Barclay, Hanlon, Petrucci, Hill, Jarvis, Gibson, Thomson, Burns, Steel, J. Boyle

BEITH JUNIORS: Robertson, Dunlop, Wilson, Staunton, Sheridan, Lang, Hardy, O’Keane, Downes, McLean, Reid.

This Saturday, United meet Ardrossan Winton Rovers at Guy’s Meadow in a Stagecoach West of Scotland Super League First Division match. Kick-off 2 pm.

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