Match Report

MATCH REPORT

Penicuik Athletic v Stenhousemuir at Penicuik Park, Penicuik on 26.10.19

William Hill Scottish Cup Second Round                  Att 1249

Penicuik Athletic 3 [Stevenson 51 pen, Marsh 56og, Stewart 83] Stenhousemuir 0

Penicuik Athletic – Swain, O’Donnell, Baptie, Young, Page, Connolly, Kateleza [Stewart 72], Jones, Watson, Tansey[b82] [McCrory-Irving 85] and Stevenson [b67]. Subs not used – Watt, Murray and Forbes.

Stenhousemuir – Smith, O’Neil [Scullion 60], Marsh. Halleran, McGuigan [McBride 65], Hopkirk, Cook, McLaughlin, Watters [Anderson 52], A.Munro and Gibson [b37]. Subs not used – Dykes, M.Munro, Potter and Marley

Referee – Lloyd Wilson                      Assistants – Jonathan Gall and Craig Stevens

After being the underdog in most cup games this season the Warriors for once were the favourites to progress when they were drawn against Penicuik Athletic in the Scottish Cup. It is far to say though that they didn’t cope with the task well and this led to a comfortable and deserved win for the home side,

The teams had not met in competition previously as Penicuik had only converted to the senior game a couple of years ago after playing in the juniors since their inception in 1888 and were one of the large number of the East Junior clubs to change status last season. They had done enough in that first season to be in the reorganised top division this season and had already sent out a warning sign with a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Lowland League side Cumbernauld Colts in the first round having already progressed through two preliminary rounds.   This game was described as the biggest in their history and although it was certainly the case with their senior status getting to the Scottish Junior Cup Final in 1970 really should rank higher.

The game was originally scheduled for the 19^th of October but had been postponed due to flooding as the area had been hit by a deluge that had actually closed some roads in the surrounding area.  The pitch was therefore quite heavy though green for this meeting which was witnessed by over 1.200 spectators with around a thousand from the Penicuik area.

There was a warning shot for Stenhousemuir in the first minute of the game when shots were exchanged and this was followed by a David Hopkurk effort that was saved by Kevin Swain. As the play progressed though Stenhousemuir lacked any real threat whilst Penicuik were allowed to settle in to their stride and took over the game. They were the more creative team in the first 45 minutes and really should have taken the lead during that period but Lumbert Kateleza shot past the post with the best opportunity after the visitors defence had been opened up.

Though the Penicuik support would have been happy with the performance in that half the more pessimistic must have been wondering if it would be a different story in the second period. There was a major change during the second half and that was that the home side were eventually rewarded for their efforts going on to score three goals which would leave the Stenhousemuir ranks despondent. The first goal came when Chris O’Neil was adjudged to fouled in the box and Craig Stevenson scored albeit at the second attempt converting a rebound after Graeme Smith saved. Worse was to come when David Marsh turned a corner into his own net and the final blow was to be dealt by substitute Sean Stewart who pounced on a slip before using his pace and dispatching the ball into the net.

It was thus Penicuik who advanced to the next round against Partick Thistle with a well deserved victory with a score line that was probably a realistic snapshot of the proceedings. Whether some of the Stenhousemuir players thought they would win easily or just didn’t turn up is open to conjecture but either conclusion will ring the alarm bells for the manager who suffered his first defeat since returning to the post and comprehensively ended any honeymoon period that he had.