Doune Castle 2 Dalziel HSFP 6 (Challenge Cup Rd 1 - 22/02/2020)

Doune Castle 2
Dalziel HSFP 6

After enjoying the better of the first half hour, this match turned when Doune lost 2 goals in quick succession at the end of the first half. With Moray Park unplayable the game was switched to the all-weather surface at McLaren Leisure Centre in Callander.

Dalziel skipped into a 1-0 lead with their first real attack. Their winger outpaced Ross Macfarlane and cut the ball back. It found a team mate who drilled a low shot past Callum Davison from 14 yards.

The away side had unsettled Doune and came close to extending their lead 5 minutes later. Doune were relieved to see the effort flash wide.

Doune gradually settled into a rhythm and they almost equalised on 13 minutes. Ryan Duncanson switched play to Ross Macfarlane. He drove forward before sending over an inviting cross into the box. Christopher Macdonald rose to connect but saw his header fly wide of the left-hand post.

Dalziel latched onto a slack pass inside to create a shooting opportunity. Callum Davison dived low to his left to save.

Doune equalised after 20 minutes with a lovely goal.

David Innes started the move, sending the ball forward to Christopher Macdonald. He slipped it to Alan Inglis. Inglis threaded a pass to Sean Wilbert driving into the box from a wide right position. Wilbert lashed an unstoppable low drive across the keeper into the far corner from 16 yards to make it 1-1.

Graham McClymont was unable to convert a good chance on 27 minutes. On his Castle debut, Regan MacDonald spun through several challenges in midfield to split the defence with an angled pass that sent McClymont clear. McClymont was forced wide then saw his low strike from 12 yards hit the out-rushing keeper before being cleared.

Dalziel countered with a couple of quick attacks but failed to trouble Callum Davison. Then on 27 minutes the away side were awarded a penalty after David Innes was judged to have tripped a forward. The decision seemed harsh but Dalziel took full advantage, tucking the ball into the corner for 2-1.

After 42 minutes, Christopher Macdonald tested the Dalziel defence with a fierce in-swinging corner. Ryan Duncanson connected at the back post, but his angled, close-range header flashed inches wide of the post.

A minute before the break, Dalziel again demonstrated their threat on the counter-attack. A lighting run down the right saw the ball drilled across goal where their striker turned the ball home for an unlikely 3-1 half-time score line.

Christopher Macdonald saw an early effort turned around the post and Doune re-started determinedly after the break.

On 49 minutes, Macdonald curled a free kick up and over the defensive wall. The Dalziel keeper parried, but could only knock the ball towards Niall McClure standing one yards from the unguarded net. As McClure prepared to strike the ball the keeper clearly wrapped his arms around him and wrestled him to the ground. To Doune’s absolute dismay, the referee saw nothing wrong with the challenge and the ball was cleared upfield.

On 52 minutes, Christopher Macdonald saw the keeper hold his free kick effort from 25 yards after Alan Inglis had been hauled to the floor.

Doune’s vulnerability to the counter-attack was exposed on 55 minutes. After enjoying the bulk of the opening 10 minutes, they fell further behind. Dalziel finished clinically from close-range to make it 4-1.

On the hour, Murray Docherty angled a free kick from deep into the box. Alan Inglis saw his downward header flash narrowly wide.

After 63 minutes, Alan Inglis powered clear on the left. He advanced into the area before angling the ball across goal for Christopher Macdonald to side-foot home. Astonishingly, the referee decided Macdonald had strayed ahead of play and ruled the effort offside.

Dalziel seemed buoyed by this latest let-off and dominated possession. It was no surprise when they made it 5-1 after 73 minutes. Callum Davison could only parry a cross ball into the path of a Dalziel forward who netted easily for 5-1.

To their credit, Doune pushed forward. Ironically, having been on the receiving end of a string of dubious referring decisions, Christopher Macdonald was clearly in an offside position when he received a pass from Alan Inglis on 85 minutes.

Macdonald took full advantage. He sped forward, slipped the ball wide of the advancing keeper and slid the ball back across goal into the far corner of the net for 5-2.

With Doune committed to all-out attack, Dalziel punished their hosts with a sixth goal deep into added time. They broke clear and drove the ball past the exposed Callum Davison for 6-2.

Doune will look back on this game and rue missed chances, defensive slackness and with a sense of injustice at important decisions at key stages of the game.

Doune Castle: Davison, Macfarlane, McClure, Duncanson (Docherty), D. Innes, Gibson, Wilbert, McClymont, Macdonald, Inglis, McDonald (Marshall), Substitute: Tully