Juniors round-up: Jags sting Rose in cup
JIM LISTER and Andy Carlin shared the Man of the Match tag as Bathgate progressed to the third round of the Fife & Lothians Cup.
In the only game in the East Region to beat the wintry weather, Lister bounced back from missing a first-minute penalty to score one goal and have a hand in the other two netted by the visitors.
Carlin's contribution at the other end of the park was equally important for Graeme Love's side. The goalkeeper saved a first-half penalty and made a brilliant double stop with the score at 2-1 in the closing stages.
With an orange ball being used and groundsmen constantly sweeping the lines, referee Steve Crichton's decision that it was worth going ahead with the game paid off – the snow went off before the break.
By then, incredibly, the game had seen three penalties awarded, with two of them missed.
After earning the first of those spot-kicks when he was hauled down in Bathgate's opening salvo, Lister's effort was saved by Paul Davidson but it didn't take long for the big striker to make amends.
Paul Riley found him with a ball over the top of the home defence in the 13th minute and, as he's done so often for Bathgate over the past couple of seasons, Lister made no mistake as he beat Davidson on this occasion with a left-foot shot.
Midway through the half, Bathgate were awarded their second penalty of the game when Lister's flick-on found Alex Lurinsky and he was brought down in the box.
On this occasion, Lurinsky decided to take on the responsibility and the former Whitburn man finished with aplomb as he sent Davidson the wrong way.
Brian McPhee almost made it 3-0 when he stooped to smack a header against the crossbar before Carlin started to earn his wages at the other end of the park.
A handball from Lurinsky gave St Andrews the chance to get back into the game but, though Stevie Fallon struck his spot kick well, it was kept out by the Bathgate goalkeeper.
Carlin was beaten, though, shortly before the break when Kris Maxwell latched on to a through ball before firing home and Jim Hardie's St Andrews side were certainly lifted by that lifeline.
Right at the start of the second half, Lurinsky felt he should have had another penalty after being brought down in the box but the referee was obviously not feeling as charitable by then as he had been earlier in the game. As St Andrews broke straight up the park, Carlin came to Bathgate's rescue with a terrific stop from Mark McGuigan after he'd been set up by Maxwell.
After being lucky not to be reduced to ten men when Gary Fallon escaped with a booking after needlessly getting involved in a touchline tussle, Bathgate did find themselves playing out the last few minutes a man down when Stevie Gupwell got his marching orders for a second yellow card.
While Bathgate had rarely threatened in the second half as the game became a battle in the middle of the park, they secured the win seconds later when Lister broke on the left, held the ball up before sending over a low cross which was hammered home from close range by substitute Graeme McLaren.
"In the second half we didn't do the things I'd asked of them at the break," said Bathgate boss Love.
"It wasn't a day for getting the ball down and playing it, and I said to them to try and get them turning. Up until we got the third goal we didn't manage that but, to be fair to them, they still deserved praise because it must have been horrendous out there. The referee handled what was a difficult match very well."
On Carlin's contribution, the former Hibs man added: "I can't speak highly enough of him. He's come back fitter this season and I don't think there's a better keeper in the Super League. His shot-stopping is immense and, at the same time, he's making the right
decisions as well."
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Weather for Bathgate
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
