Jamie Tough was raking bunkers and Ian Welsh was also missing for Galaxy who had Nathan Keddie and Michael Pirie available again. Third choice Fordoun keeper Martin Pearson pulled on the number one shirt and having finished the spring cleaning which forced him to miss training midweek, captain; Andrew Stirling was able to play. Michael Pirie took Jamie Tough's place at centre half and Michael Deans made his first start in place of Ryan Murray who sported a red nose after being punched in a fracas with a girl at Montrose's notorious Yard nightclub the night before.

Marykirk were confident going into this cup quarter final and were already planning their semi final trip to MCT on the clubs Facebook page. Fordoun were also in good spirits and were boosted by the appearance of former Galaxy stars Stuart Maxwell and Paul Cargill amongst the travelling support.

Fordoun started brightly and took the lead in two minutes when a corner was swung in from the left and knocked down for Craig Thomson to tap in. Any ideas of a comfortable afternoon evaporated when Marykirk equalised in the 8th minute after Martin Pearson pushed away a free kick only for a Kirk attacker to knock the ball back over his head into the net. Then two minutes later another shot from distance escaped the grasp of Martin Pearson and the home side had a 2-1 lead.

Fordoun were in shock and struggled to get going again but did get an equaliser in 26 minutes when Kevin Hector cut in from the right and finished well. A minute later Fordoun regained the lead when a Roy Welsh free kick was knocked down by Craig Thomson and Michael DEANS forced the ball home. A quick break allowed Fordoun to extend their lead when Martin Pearson sent the ball long for Michael Deans who played it on to Craig Thomson ; he in turn rolled in Dean McComiskie who made no mistake with his finish.

In the 35th minute the referee played the role of Easter Bunny when he gifted Marykirk a lifeline. A Marykirk attacker pulled the ball out of the air with his arm but when no foul was given a brilliant shot was hooked over Martin Pearson and in off the Fordoun post. The referee then awarded another soft free kick on the edge of the Fordoun box and Marykirk took full advantage by curling a free kick over the wall to level the score.

HT 4-4

The second half saw Marykirk run out of steam as Fordoun took control. The next goal came in 50th minute, with substitute Nathan Keddie warming up, Roy Welsh, the midfielder he was about to replace, stepped up and scored a great free kick. The substitution was delayed and Galaxy increased their lead two minutes later when Craig Thomson was chopped down in the box by the home goalkeeper and Kevin Hector dispatched the resultant penalty.

There was another bizarre refereeing decision in 58 minutes when Dean McComiskie cut the ball back from the bye line for Craig Thomson to tap in, only for the referee to blow for an offside decision which had players of both teams laughing. Fordoun made a double change when Nathan Keddie and Lloyd Davies replaced Roy Welsh and Gavin Norrie. Fordoun continued to press and Marykirk must've feared the worst when the striker with the finest goals to games ratio in Welfare League football, Mark Forbes, came on to replace Craig Thomson.

It wasn't Mark Forbes but his strike partner Dean McComiskie who got the next goal to make it 7 and Nathan Keddie wrapped up the win with a cheeky back heel to make the final score 8-4. The referee denied Marykirk the chance of another goal when he deemed an attacker offside despite seeming to set off from his own half.

FT 4-8

It was an unconvincing win but a win none the less for Fordoun who will need to play a lot better to have a chance of beating in form MCT at Broomfield in the next round on the 22nd April. The leagues midweek fixtures begin this week with Fordoun playing Black Abbot in Montrose on Thursday and Marykirk not in action until they travel to play Hudsons in Brechin the following Thursday.

Fordoun: Pearson, Norrie (Davies), Cuthill, Pirie, A Stirling, Deans, R Welsh (Keddie), R Stirling, Hector, Thomson (Forbes) & McComiskie. Unused: Murray