Further cup success for Turriff Thistle
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AC Mill Inn Academy 2 Turriff Thistle 4
Turriff Thistle moved into the last 16 of the Aberdeen FC Trophy although they had to work hard to do so.
The Jags took the lead in the first minute from the head of Mike McCombie for his sixth goal in six games but could not capitalise on this early advantage despite having the majority of possession.
AC Mill Inn pegged Thistle back on 42 minutes after the award of a free-kick but the Jags regained the lead two minutes later through McCombie again after another set-piece.
Thistle continued to push forward in the second half but AC Mill Inn equalised again with a superb top corner strike just after the hour mark.
With the tie looking like heading for extra-time the Jags got their noses back in front when a James Mackintosh free-kick was deflected off a defender’s head and into the net.
Then a route-one finish by Michael Harris in added-on time secured the victory.
Thistle made only one change to their starting line-up from the previous week with Mackintosh coming in for the unavailable Ryan Catto, however, the full seven-man subs bench was reduced to five prior to kick-off with the news that Bruce Mair and Lee Stuart had been involved in a car crash on the journey to Stonehaven but, thankfully, finding out that both players were fit and well after the accident came as a great relief to all at the club.
The Jags took an early lead in the first minute when they won a corner straight from the kick-off that Dylan Buxton swung in for McCombie to rush in and head low into the corner of the net for the perfect start.
If Thistle thought that this was the start of an easy afternoon they were sadly mistaken as their Second Division opponents proved to be a well organised unit both in defence and pressing forward.
The Jags continued to create all the scoring chances and on 10 minutes Buxton set Nathan Fraser free on the right but his first-time cross was headed narrowly over the bar by Harris. Then on 15 minutes Buxton saw his fierce free-kick from just outside the box well saved low at the post.
Thistle maintained the pressure and on 17 minutes a Callan Reid through-ball slipped Harris in behind the defence but the home keeper was swiftly off his line to win the race.
Another chance went begging on 28 minutes when a Glen Morrison cross from the right was narrowly missed by inches when Fraser stretched for the ball a few yards from goal.
Jordan Ogg had been a virtual spectator for the entire first half but was eventually called into action on 37 minutes when he held AC Mill Inn’s first shot of the match low to his left.
Ogg was penalised for stepping out of his box while kicking the ball up-field, which, according to the official, had been happening all the first half. The resultant free-kick came to nothing as the ball was brilliantly blocked by McCombie in the defensive wall.
AC Mill Inn drew level on 42 minutes after the award of another free-kick wide on the left which was swung into a packed goalmouth and the ball eventually poked into the Jags net low at the back post.
Thistle restored their lead within two minutes when Regan Fowlie was barged over at the edge of the box for a much more clear-cut foul.
Buxton stepped up to take the free-kick which was deflected off the defensive wall directly into the path of McCombie who drove the ball deep into the heart of the net.
With the match turning into a stuffy midfield battle and both defences holding firm Thistle refreshed their line-up with Jonny Buist and Stuart Elphinstone coming on for Kian Beaton and Nathan Fraser on 54 minutes.
Buxton had a 25-yard attempt saved on 58 minutes before a formation change to 4-3-3 saw Steven Wight replace Joe Bisset.
AC Mill Inn tied the match for a second time on 66 minutes with a superb 30-yard rocket that soared into the top right hand corner of the net giving Ogg absolutely no chance.
With some cup competitions going to extra-time after 90 minutes and others straight to penalties the Jags were keen to finish the tie within regulation time and nearly took the lead for a third time on 73 minutes when a Fowlie header from a Buxton corner scraped the outside of the post.
More changes were made on 77 minutes when Joe Stephen and Eythin Duncan joined the fray in place of Fowlie and Morrison.
Elphinstone challenged the home keeper to a high cross in the six-yard box and was penalised for a foul tackle when he received a boot from the keeper’s outstretched leg as he rose to hold the ball.
With five minutes left on the clock Thistle regained the lead in unusual fashion after Mackintosh was unnecessarily fouled in his own half.
The big defender rose from the deck to take the free-kick himself and launched the ball towards the AC Mill Inn goal. As the ball dropped towards the back post where the keeper was waiting to collect a defender rose in front of him and the ball deflected off his head and into the opposite corner of the net and put the Jags back in front.
Although there was very little time left both teams still battled hard with a 20-yard attempt from Wight at one end and a 40-yard effort from AC Mill Inn at the other both skimming the respective bars.
The icing on the Thistle cake came deep in added-on time when a long ball forward found Harris in the clear and, as the keeper rushed out to meet him, he calmly rolled the ball past him and into the corner of the net from just inside the 18-yard box to put the result beyond doubt.
This was a hard-fought cup victory for Thistle who were made to fight all the way by their Second Division opponents, however, the Jags history is dotted with cup defeats against lower league teams which was clearly apparent with the determination and the concentration maintained by the squad from start to finish.
