John Hinshelwood's Match Report
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MARYHILL V
SUNNYBANK
4 - 3
13th December 2008
4 - 3
13th December 2008
Two goals in the
last three minutes saw
Maryhill progress to the
fourth round of the Scottish
cup in one of the most
exciting games seen at
Lochburn for many years.
Maryhill opened
brightly and almost took the
lead in the second minute. A
James McLernon free kick
appeared to be heading for
the top corner of the net,
but Sunnybank keeper Lee
Sweeney made a fantastic
save. They continued to
enjoy territorial advantage
, and forced a series of
corners before Mark McManus
let fly a 20 yard shot which
screamed inches past
Sweeney's left hand post.
For the visitors, a Jamie
McAllister 16th minute
header which was just off
target, was their first real
effort of note. Maryhill
made a deserved breakthrough
a minute later, however,when
James McLernon accepted a
pass from Alan McFadden, and
from just inside the box
sent a crisp, low shot into
the net. Sunnybank did not
take long to draw level,
when only four minutes
later, McAllister connected
with a long throw in to hook
the ball home from a few
yards out. It was a fast and
fiercely contested match at
this stage, with the
visitors starting to gain
the upper hand. James Fettes
came close with a header
which was just two high,
before Maryhill regained the
lead in the 32nd minute.Sub
Leyton Slack, who had just
replaced the injured Mark
Sideserf, swung over a cross
from the left, and Willie
Sawyers headed home. The
same player almost increased
Hill's lead three minutes
later, but Sweeney brought
off another fine stop from
his headed effort.Sunnybank
finished the half the
stronger team, however, and
Maryhill were relieved to
head in at half time still
in the lead.
Another Sawyers
headed attempt seven minutes
after the break saw Sweeney
bring off yet another
exceptional save, but it was
the visitors who scored
next, stunning Maryhill with
two goals in two
minutes.First Scott
Johnstone forced the ball
over the line after Kevin
Montgomery had made two
great stops, then David
Greig scored the goal of the
game when his 20 yard free
kick flashed into the net
giving Montgomery no chance.
It looked all over for
Maryhill as Sunnybank took
control, and things looked
even bleaker when they were
reduced to ten men with
nineteen minutes
remaining.Roland Fabiani,
who had been booked in the
first half, was too rash
with his challenge on Edward
Esson, leaving referee Greg
Aitken no option but to send
him off. This seemed to spur
Maryhill on, and they
gradually began to put the
visitors' defence under
pressure. Sawyers was in top
form, and was very unlucky
with two efforts, first a
close range header, then an
opportunist lob which went
just wide with Sweeney
desperately scrambling to
get to the ball.Sunnybank
almost put the game beyond
Maryhill's reach, but Kevin
Montgomery did well to block
a strong shot from sub
Stephen Jack.With time
running out fast, Maryhill
grabbed the equaliser three
minutes from the end. James
McLernon did well to hold
off challenges from three
defenders to send a low
cross into the box. The ball
was cleared, but only as far
as Bryan Smith who drove a
low 18 yard shot into the
net. It was all Maryhill
now, but just as it was
looking as if a trip to
Aberdeen would on the agenda
for next week, Willie
Sawyers blasted the ball
home from inside the six
yard box in the final
minute to give Maryhill a
memorable victory.
MARYHILL-:Montgomery,
Wilson, Wright, Fabiani,
Barr, Smith, Sideserf (
Slack 25 ), McManus,
McFadden, McLernon( McInnes
89 ), Sawyers.
SUBS ( not used )-:
Pacitti, Stanley, Quinn
BOOKED-: Fabiani
(43), Wilson (75), Sawyers
(82)
SENT OFF-: Fabiani (
71 )
SUNNYBANK-: Sweeney,
Thomson, Fyfe, Campbell,
Shand, McAllister, Greig,
Johnstone, Esson, Fettes,
Wyness ( Jack 72)
SUBS ( not used )-;
Elliot, Thomas, Henry,
Annand
BOOKED-: Fyfe (19 )
REFEREE-: Greg
Aitken
Scorers-: Maryhill-
McLernon ( 17), Sawyers (
32, 89 ), Smith ( 87)
Sunnybank-:
McAllister (21), Johnstone (
56 ), Greig ( 58 )
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