Scottish Junior Cup 1st Round	21/08/2021 KO 2:30pm	Whitton Park, Broughty
Lochee Harp	2 (1)	Scobie, D. Blair
Glenafton Athletic	9 (4)	Fotheringham, Blyth, Bennie (2), Murphy (2), Ryan, McKee (2)

Glenafton travelled to face Lochee Harp in the Scottish Junior Cup 1^st round and due to work being carried out on Harp’s ground the match was played at Whitton Park, home of Broughty Athletic.

The Glens got off to a great start with a well worked opening goal on 10 minutes. Leon Murphy recovered the ball in the centre circle and played it back to Cameron Marlow to play a short forward to Sam McKee who then rolled it back to Alan Cairns on the left-hand side of the half-way line. The wing back took a touch before threading a long ball through a host of players to find Gregor Fotheringham who quickly turned and after a couple of strides drilled a low hard shot from 22 yards that squeezed in at the post beyond the reach of the diving keeper for his first Glens goal.

On 17 minutes the visitors doubled their lead with another flowing move. Marlow from half-way tight on the left touch-line clipped a high ball up the wing which was trapped by Murphy who gave a defender the slip before rolling it into the path of Fotheringham to match his run deep into the box. The midfielder then cut the ball back to David Blyth and after stepping aside of a defender lashed a low angled shot which although the keeper got both hands to it, could not prevent the ball bouncing over the line.

Harp hit back immediately and after stringing some slick passes down the right to take the ball into the box it was squared for the incoming Scobie to stroke the ball beyond keeper into Scott Johnston into the far corner.  18 mins| Harp 1 Glens 2.

Midway through the half Blyth’s shot was deflected over the bar and although the resulting corner was cleared Glens won a free-kick immediately afterwards which Marlow took quickly to Cairns who floated a high ball to the edge of the box where Craig Pettigrew got the jump on a defender to send high looping header into the six-yard box. As the keeper crouched down to gather the ball the incoming Sean Bennie slid in to force the ball over the line for his first Glens goal.

The Glens continued to press Murphy’s corner kick to the back post eventually fell for Blyth to blast a shot that was deflected over the bar. This time Murphy played a short one-two with Fotheringham before clipping the ball into the six-yard box where in a flash Bennie arrived to prod the ball into the net before the keeper got a sniff of the ball.   25 mins |Harp 1 Glens 4.

The hosts passed up a good chance to pull one back after a shot from close range was deflected wide of the post which resulted in back-to-back corner kicks that were cleared by the Glens defence.

At the other end Harp’s keeper did well to get down low and push away a well struck free-kick from Blyth.

HT Harp 1 Glens 4

The half-time oranges had tuned up the Harp who scored within a minute of the restart. A quick-thinking ball down the left wing was then rolled into the path of Dom Blair, breaking deep into box, to guide it home past the advancing Johnston.

On 53 minutes Glens restored their three-goal cushion with another classy goal. Cairns on the half-way line headed a Harp clearance down to McKee who squared it to Fotheringham with a cute back heel before breaking into the left-hand side of the box to gather the perfectly weighted return pass from Fotheringham and square that across the face of goal for Leon Murphy to take a touch before picking his spot from 10 yards out.

Soon after the keeper got down low at the near post to push away McKee’s shot from a tight angle.

Credit to Lochee they enjoyed a good spell of possession tinged with a degree of misfortune.  A shot from the edge of the box was deflected and crashed off and over the bar with the header from the corner-kick that following dropping over the bar. A slick move into the box saw Johnston make a great block with his legs and the attempt to fire home the rebound blocked by Pettigrew on the line. A fizzing shot from distance then warmed the hands of Johnston. Harp continued to press and a header from a corner slipped wide of the far post while Johnston was called into action to pull off another save from a thunderous shot.

With the rain now lashing down the Glens got back on the front foot in devastating fashion with four more goals in the closing 20 minutes.

Pettigrew from the centre-circle slipped the ball forward to McKee who turned and broke forward before sending a glorious slide rule pass into the box between two defenders for the inrushing Leon Murphy to bag his brace.  70 mins| Harp 2 Glens 6

Murphy then turned provider albeit at the second attempt after his back heel to substitute Jordan Ryan was blocked by a defender only for Murphy to block his clearance and Ryan snap up the loose ball before rounding the keeper to slot the ball home from close range. 81 mins| Harp 2 Glens 7

It was now Ryan’s turn to turn provider. After picking up a great ball through the middle from Pettigrew the big striker broke forward to the edge of the box before slipping a diagonal pass into the right-hand side of the box for Sam McKee to slam low and hard into the far corner. 82 mins| Harp 2 Glens 8

Johnston launched the ball up the right wing where it was headed on by substitute Sean McIlroy and snapped up by Murphy to twist and turn his way inside before threading the ball into the box for Sam McKee to slam it past the outrushing keeper. 88 mins| Harp 2 Glens 8

In the closing minutes of added time Harp’s appeal for a hand-ball in the box was waved and soon after a second yellow card reduced them to 10 men; joining a substitute that previously been ordered off from the dug-out.

FT Harp 2 Glens 9

GLENAFTON ATHLETIC

Glenafton Athletic: 1. Scott Johnson 2. Darren Curtis (20. Calum Thomson) 4. Sean Bennie 6. Craig Pettigrew 3. Alan Cairns 8. Aaron Miller 5. Cameron Marlow (16. Jordan Ryan) 11. David Blyth (17. Sean McIlroy) 10. Gregor Fotheringham 7. Sam McKee 9. Leon Murphy. Subs Not Used: 14. Ryan McChesney, 15. Scott Sherrie

LOCHEE HARP