CityLink Scottish Cup: Round 3

  Dunipace 3 - 0 Yoker  

Dunipace added recent signing Danny Smith to their starting lineup for this Citylink Scottish cup tie versus Yoker, a game the home side went into full of confidence of progressing to the next round. With recent performances impressive, the defeat of higher league opposition on two occasions already this season and the pre-season tournament victory over the day's visitors, everything pointed towards a home win.

The game started at a typically high tempo for a Scottish cup tie, with neither side really managing to carve out any clear cut opportunities. It took Dunipace a good 10 minutes to get the ball down and slip into the passing game that has served so well this season and it was to bring the first opportunity of the game to the home side.

Cairney was felled on the Dunipace right and O'Brien whipped in a fantastic left footed cross that evaded the head of the on-rushing MacMillan by inches before whistling past the post. Minutes later, O'Brien delivered another onto the head of Oates who saw his header cleared by the goalkeeper for a corner. From the corner, the big centre half rose again to head just over.

Dunipace were starting to put pressure on the vistors, while defensively coping with everything that was being returned. Strachan in goal having only to make a few routine stops from half chances.

Wright was next to threaten the visiting goal, when another cross from the right found the midfielder's run unmatched but his header from 12 yards fell into the arms of the keeper.

It seemed only a matter of time before the home side made the break through and when it did come it did so from the penalty spot. O'brien lifting the ball in to Grant inside the box who took it down on his chest to be barged in the back by the defender. As stone wall a penalty as you'll see, but that didn't stop the away defence arguing the case with the referee.

Once the dust had settled Cairney stepped up and coolly sent the keeper the wrong way for 1 - 0 to the home side.

For a spell following the penalty, Yoker seemd to lose their discipline and were a little and were fortunate to keep 11 on the park when the centre forward kicked out at Oates once the ball had gone dead. The referee decided the punishment would only be yellow much to the confusion of everyone watching. Following that, another crude tackle on Cairney brough a yellow card for the Yoker midfielder, on this occasion the referee probably making the right call despite the calls for a red from the home side.

The second half saw Dunipace defending strongly and continuing to cause Yoker problems at the back. Rodger, who must be a nightmare for any defender at the minute, having another excellent game in the main striker role.

As the second half progressed, the expected onslaught from the visitors never really materialised with Cullen, Smith and Grant managing to break down most things before they reached the home defence. The rare attacks that did manage to get through snuffed out by the back line or Strachan in goal comfortably.

There was one moment of concern though, when on 65 minutes MacMillan kicked the ground while trying to make a clearance and twisted his knee. With his older brother already missing the first half of the season with knee ligament damage and Warner Devlin also struggling the last thing Dunipace need is another injury in defence. Last years Player of the Year tried to play on but had to be withdrawn in some discomfort 5 minutes later, replaced by Michael McCafferty. Hopefully it will prove to be only a strain and the stopper will be fit within a couple of weeks.

The injury though had little effect on the game, with Dunipace continuing to press the visitors and the second goal was to come from a familiar source. Cairney excellently skipped by one player on the right before beating the covering defender who dived in to chop the Dunipace man down in the box. Another penalty, another easy decision for the referee and another one the visitors unsurprisingly didn't agree with.

None-the-less Cairney steped up again to coolly dispatch his second spot kick to give Dunipace a deserved 2 goal lead.

Following the penalty Yoker did manage to carve out a couple of chances but on both occasions the attacker fired the ball wide of goal. And the one that he did manage to hit the target with Strachan expertly turned round the post. The referee though gave him no credit and pointed for a goal kick again bringing howls of disapproval from the away team.

Sean McCafferty replaced the excellent Grant with 10 minutes to go to give the midfielder, who's played every minute so far this season, a break. And McCafferty was to have the final word in the game when he raced onto a wonderful dummy by Rodger to confront the goalkeeper, calmly giving him the eyes before sending the ball in the opposite direction to complete the scoring. A great moment for young McCafferty and well deserved following his work so far this season.

Dunipace march comfortably into the 4th round of the Scottish cup, hoping for another kind draw that may allow them to progress further in the competition.