New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup Semi-Final

BEITH JUNIORS 4

DARVEL JUNIORS 0

A WARM-up injury to Ross McPherson meant a late shuffle to Beith’s already threadbare squad.

However they again responded in typical fashion with a fine performance to now take them into two cup finals in the next few days to complete a hectic season.

Darvel came into the match fresh from a training weekend in Spain and held their own for the first 15 minutes with a decent effort from Roddy Paterson going narrowly over the bar to counter a similar effort at the other end from Beith forward Andy Reid.

Joe Bradley and Darren Christie gradually took the bull by the horns for the hosts, opening up the visiting defence, who had narrow escapes when Andy Reid headed at keeper Markey from a good position followed up a few minutes later with Connor McGlinchey smashing a shot off the post after he burst forward.

Darvel held out until 21 minutes until Beith deservedly took the lead with a fine goal. A pacey attack saw Conner McGlinchey find Andy Reid, who then delivered a great cross for Thomas Collins to slam home a first time shot at the near post.

Beith kept the tempo up and chances were created thick and fast. Desperate defending and fine saves by David Markey from Collins, Reid and Joe Bradley efforts somehow kept the visitors in the hunt.

Darvel threatened only occasionally but when Ryan picked up possession in the Beith box he was squeezed out without without troubling Stephen Grindlay. The visitors were desperate to see half time only one behind and it seemed that could be possible after Keir Milliken headed wide in front of goal from a Bradley delivery.

However a defensive blunder doubled Beith’s lead a minute before the break when Markey and Findlay failed to deal with cross to the back post and the ball hit the latter and ended up in the net.

Darvel had a go at the start of the second half, playing down the slope but Greg Vernon missed the target with a header from a good position before Beith took control again. Darren Christie and Collins' pace continued to open up the Darvel defence and they killed the tie on the hour when Christie delivered another fine cross and Collins glanced his header home via the inside of the post.

Substitutions were made by both sides and the visitors were handed a great chance when substitute McManus found himself clear after a defensive mistake but keeper Stephen Grindlay made a fine stop to deny him.

Not surprisingly the tempo dropped in the closing stages but the hosts continued to dictate and gave their opponents a further lesson in clinical finishing after keeper Markey stopped a Collins shot with substitute Kenny McLean darting in to tuck away the lose ball.

Darvel tried hard throughout and played the game, much to their credit, without resorting to any unsavoury tactics and could learn valuable lessons from the whole experience. Further silverware is definitely not beyond this Beith side despite their missing personnel with players of the quality of Joe Bradley, Conner McGlinchey, Collins, Andy Reid and Christie to name a few who are well able to really hurt opponents when they are on their game.

BEITH: Grindlay; McGlinchey, Milliken, MacDonald, Middleton, Wilson, Christie, Bradley, Collins, Reid, Martin. Subs: McLean, Cunningham, Sheridan, N Docherty, Digney (gk).

DARVEL: Markey; Findlay, Gilmour, McCreadie, Walsh, Kirkwood, Ryan, Henderson, Paterson, Vernon, Fitzharris. Subs: Orr, McManus, Biggar, Armour, McWilliam (gk).