Sandys 3
Doune Castle 1
(East of Scotland Amateur Cup)

A frustrated Doune exited the East Cup after a pulsating cup tie against the pre-tournament favourites. The Castle recovered from a woeful start, when they lost two early goals, to enjoy the better of much of the contest. Then, when Doune were probing for an equaliser, a clinical Sandys hit them with a classic sucker punch to seal the win.

Lukasz Duszynski created an early opening for Sean Wilbert with a pinpoint cross-field pass. Wilbert’s low drive from the edge of the area was taken low to his left buy the Sandy’s keeper.

After 4 minutes, Sean Wilbert won possession inside the Castle half and surged forward. He hit the ball on the run from 22 yards but his shot failed to trouble the keeper.

Against the run of play, Sandy’s took a controversial 1-0 lead after 7 minutes.

The referee dubiously penalised Doune for a hand-ball some 22 yards out in a central position. The home team’s initial effort struck the defensive wall but broke straight to another Sandy’s player. He made it 1-0 sending a low raking drive from 16 yards beyond Callum Davison into the far corner.

Sandys were buoyant at that stage and charged forward. They made it 1-0 on 14 minutes.

The Doune defence headed clear a corner from the right. The ball was played back to the far post where the Sandy’s centre-back was left unmarked. He took full advantage to nod into the net from 8 yards.

Doune regained their composure and started to pass the ball around with a confidence that clearly unnerved the home side.

After 16 minutes, Niall McClure found Alan Inglis in the box with an angled cross from the right. Inglis saw his 14-yard header saved low to the keeper’s right.

4 minutes, later, Ross Macfarlane won possession on the halfway line with a strong challenge. He moved it forward to Alan Inglis. Inglis turned and looked to chip the keeper from 24 yards. His effort slipped inches the wrong side of the crossbar and slithered down the wrong side of the net.

2 minutes, later Ross Macfarlane again found Alan Inglis, this time with a free-kick angled in from a wide-right position. Inglis glanced a header from 12 yards that the keeper did well to save at the right-hand post.

Doune continued to press. Andrew Gibson saw his shot deflected wide of the right-hand post after excellent lead-up play from Alan Inglis and Christopher Macdonald.

After 32 minutes, Christopher Macdonald forced an outstanding save from the home keeper. Macdonald’s curling free-kick from 25 was destined for the top corner until the keeper leapt to punch clear.

Niall McClure was next to test the home defence. His shot on the turn from 16 yards was saved, Christopher Macdonald hammered the rebound towards goal only to see a defender make another important block.

After 40 minutes, Alan Inglis hammered a 35-yard free kick towards the top corner only to see the keeper leap to his right to make a tremendous save.

After enjoying such a sustained period of pressure, Doune looked to have shot themselves in the foot after 43 minutes. As the Sandys centre broke clear in the box, Jonny Coubrough brought him down with a lunging challenge from behind. To his and Doune’s relief, the referee judged the Sandy’s player had handled the ball in the build-up and awarded the free kick to the Castle.

Doune made it 2-1 within 25 seconds of the re-start.

Christopher Macdonald gathered wide on the left. He skipped inside the fullback before slipping the ball to Lukasz Duszynski. With two defenders pressing him from behind, Duszynski turned quickly to deceive the keeper from 14 yards with a low strike that flew into the net at the near post for 2-1.

Given their dominance at the end of the first period, Doune looked take control of the tie, only to suffer an almost immediate counter from Sandys.

On 48 minutes, what looked like a hopeful punt upfield fell between two Castle defenders. Callum Davison raced from his line, but was left stranded when a Sandys forward latched onto the loose ball to lob the advancing keeper for 3-1.

Doune nearly reduced the deficit on 61 minutes. Alan Inglis released Christopher Macdonald wide on the left. Macdonald drove into the area before drilling a low drive that slipped inches wide of the far post.

3 minutes later, Niall McClure nodded down a Ross Macfarlane free kick. Christopher Macdonald unleashed a ferocious 18-yard strike that was heading for the top corner before it glanced off a defender’s head to deflect over.

After 69 minutes, Lukasz Duszynski turned the full-back inside out and slipped the ball to Alan Inglis. Inglis thumped a powerful low drive towards the far corner only to see the keeper dive to save.

A minute later, Doune were denied a clear penalty. Lukasz Duszynski ghosted past one defender and looked to weave inside the centre-half. As Duszynski turned the defender stopped him in his tracks with blatant body-check. To Doune’s fury, the referee dismissed their claims.

In the latter stages, a street-wise and experienced Sandys side interrupted play at every opportunity as they looked to manage their 2-goal advantage to the final whistle.

With 8 minutes remaining, Doune passed up another golden opportunity.

Niall McClure found Alan Inglis with a free kick into the area. Inglis knocked the ball down to the inrushing Christopher Macdonald. Macdonald struck the ball on the run, but saw his right-foot drive rebound off the keeper’s legs to safety.

Doune fought till the end, but an experienced Sandys managed the remainder of the time effectively to secure their progress into the next round after a tumultuous cup-tie.

Doune Castle: Davison, Macfarlane, Docherty, Coubrough, D. Innes, Gibson (Kerr), Wilbert, McClure, Duszynski, Inglis, Macdonald Substitute: Tully

Match Preview

Match details

Match date

Kickoff

Team Sponsors