New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup

BLANTYRE VICS 0

BEITH JUNIORS 1

BEITH had to work hard to ensure their name went into the hat for the next round of the West Cup from a difficult bruising encounter at Blantyre.

Team selection has increasingly become a problem for John Millar with players unavailable through work commitments and injury with Tommy Martin and Kevin MacDonald joining that list since last week.

The pitch was passed playable in a morning inspection and despite it being less than conducive to silky soccer the players from both sides gave 100% and certainly couldn’t be faulted for effort.

After some initial sparring, Beith started to create some openings on the right-wing via Darren Christie and he was the creator of an early breakthrough when he skinned his marker and delivered a tempting cross for Richie Burke to head past keeper Law.

Ryan Docherty continued manfully following treatment after he was felled by a reckless challenge from Vics defender Jones who was fortunate to see only a yellow card for his crime. The visitors were unable to build on their good start with play bogged down in midfield and enthusiastic hosts battling to give their higher league opponents a bloody nose in every sense.

Scrappy play continued with neither goalkeeper greatly troubled with only Thomas Collins and Nicky Docherty shots blocked in the box of any real note before half time.

Vics opened the second half with a flurry before Beith substitute Ross McPherson stuck a quick counter-attack move in the net to be ruled offside in a tight decision.

Lively Vics forward Zeb then burst forward and tumbled under a fine tackle by Paul Frize as he prepared to shoot with referee Hardie well-placed to wave play on despite the hosts howling for a foul. Play swung from end to end and Vics goalie Scott Law produced a fine one-handed save to turn away an on target effort as Beith pressed.

The contest again became bogged down in midfield with Vics still enthusiastically chasing an equaliser and Beith now holding on.

Both sides made changes as time wore on but Beith could alter little in defence as they struggled on with both Docherty’s restricted with injury.

There was little goalmouth action at either end as Beith dug in. They ultimately protected their lead well over the closing stages with goalie Stephen Grindlay only having a deflected Murdoch shot to deal with.

BLANTYRE VICS: Law; Jones, McKechnie, Campbell, Murdoch, Coleman, Zeb, Kerr, Caldwell, MacKenzie, Brown. Subs: Allan, Byrne, Paterson, McLear.

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey, N Docherty, R Docherty, Sheridan, Bradley, Frize, Christie, Collins, Milliken, Burke. Subs: Cunningham, McPherson, McKenna, Digney.