Match reports for 30/3/03

Falkirk GHG 2
Ellon Gordon 2
(Ellon won 4-2 on penalties)

The local side were surprisingly dumped out of the Scottish Cup at the first hurdle by Northern District side Ellon on Sunday, but it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying. Falkirk imposed their game on the visitors from the start and made a series of attacks down the right hand side where Iain Fraser and Douglas Nicol combined well. The game could have been settled after 20 minutes, but the Ellon goalkeeper was in inspired form to deny Watson, Dickson and Blakeley. The breakthrough did arrive during this spell, Stafford Dickson switching a penalty corner to Calum Taylor who shot first time into the bottom right corner. Until this point Ellon had hardly seen the Falkirk goal, but this didn't matter when slack defending allowed a ball into the box to be deflected in by the unmarked forward for an equaliser before half time. The second half started more evenly as Ellon played their way into the game, but it took a disputed decision to give them the lead. The Falkirk defence thought that a clearance had been stopped by an attacking foot, but with no decision from the umpire, Ellon countered to score. The remainder of the game was almost constant Falkirk pressure, but they were out of luck in front of goal. A catalogue of offences on the edge of the area brought no more than free hits, whilst Stafford Dickson and Ian Fraser both had goal bound shots deflected by Ellon feet, but no penalties were awarded. Michael Watson had a reverse stick shot saved by the keeper, before pulling a cross from Blakeley wide at the far post. With 6 minutes remaining, Dougie Blakeley fired a free hit to the back post where Watson guided it in from a yard. No further goals were to be scored and the game progressed to penalties. Ellon took their strokes well and despite a save from Scott Morrison, scored from 4. Falkirk missed their first 2, and despite scores from Taylor and Watson, were knocked into the consolation Plate.

Falkirk GHG II 1
EK Avondale 1
( Avondale won 3-2 on penalties)

Their run in the District Plate came to an end at Bathgate on Sunday when the team from East Kilbride held them to a 1-1 draw during normal time, Falkirk's goal coming from Neil McFadyen. Goals by Andrew Easton and Russell Heron were not enough to take them into the next round of the Plate.

Carnegie V 2
Falkirk GHG IV 2

This re-arranged Sunday game saw Falkirk go two up against their Fife opponents with goals from John Russell at a cleverly worked short corner, and from Barry Warner, after an excellent save by the Fifers' keeper. The second half saw Falkirk give up their lead with a poor performance and have to return with only a share of the league points.

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