Thistle lose out on Cup quarter final place
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Turriff Thistle 1 - Westdyke 2
Turriff Thistle failed to reach the quarter finals of the North of Scotland Cup by the odd goal in three despite taken an early first half lead through Bruce Mair and creating the majority of scoring chances over the 90 minutes.
Prior to kick-off winners of Turriff Thistle's kitbag sponsorship raffle which saw 30 local businesses taking part, Turriff Printing Services, were represented by Steve Barron at the Haughs to present Manager, Matthew Sim, and the playing squad with the new kitbags.
A spokesman for the club said: "The Club are delighted to add Turriff Printing Services to their list of sponsors and offer their grateful thanks to them and the other 29 business who generously participated in the sponsorship raffle held in December."
Back on the pitch, Westdyke moved forward in the competition scoring a very fortunate equaliser on the half hour mark then securing the narrow victory midway through the second half with a disputed winner scored by their striker who had received the ball in a clearly offside position.
With no game for the past three weeks the Jags were forced to make two changes to their starting line-up due to Club Captain, Mike McCombie suspended under the five yellow card rule and Stuart Elphinstone out with a back injury.
Glen Morrison came in at right back, in front of Jordan Ogg, and alongside Kian Beaton, Ryan Catto and Steven Wight in defence, Callan Reid was introduced to a three-man midfield with Joe Bisset and Dylan Buxton and Regan Fowlie, Michael Harris and Bruce Mair formed the triple attacking force.
The subs bench was made up of Lewis Cheyne, James Mackintosh, Joe Stephen, Mitchell Allan, Lee Stuart and Nathan Fraser.
Westdyke were quick of the mark from the kick-off and within the first minute a snap shot from the edge of the Jags box was well held by Ogg.
Thistle were unlucky not to take an early lead in five minutes when Mair burst through on the left and his low cross was met by Harris in the middle but his goal-bound shot was brilliantly saved at full stretch by the Westdyke keeper.
Both teams were playing attacking football, although Westdyke had the majority of possession, however, neither could find a way to breach the solid, well organised defences.
Another chance fell to the Jags in 15 minutes when an on-target shot from just outside the box by Mair was deflected for a corner.
Thistle took a deserved lead in 18 minutes, from a route-one move, when a pin-point long ball forward by Catto, deep in his own half, set MAIR free on the left and he powered into the box before driving a low shot through the keeper’s legs and into the net.
Westdyke continued to move the ball around confidently with pace in midfield but the Jags direct, incisive approach put more pressure on the visitors’ defence, however, they just could not produce that final ball and extend their lead.
Westdyke found the elusive equaliser on the half-hour, more through good fortune than by good football, when a scuffed cross from the right bounced immediately in front of Wight who could only react by heading the ball high in the air and it luckily dropped perfectly for the visiting striker to loop a header over the approaching Ogg and into the net.
The attacking football continued from both sides with the only clear scoring chance before half-time falling to Westdyke in 43 minutes when a header from a corner flew past the Jags post.
The first chance of the second half was created by Thistle in 48 minutes when a through-ball by Beaton found Harris but his low snap-shot was again well saved by the Westdyke keeper.
Westdyke hit back immediately and in 51 minutes they burst through on the right, however, the final shot zipped past the back post, then in 53 minutes a header from a cross from the right was well held by Ogg.
Westdyke took the lead in 72 minutes in controversial fashion when a long ball forward out of defence was picked up by the striker who was clearly offside behind the Jags back-line, however, play was allowed to continue and he nipped past Ogg and rolled the ball into the empty net.
Prior to the restart Stuart came on to replace Morrison who had been receiving treatment for a head injury at the side of the pitch over the previous 10 minutes and could not continue.
As the match moved into the final 15 minutes Thistle piled forward in search of an equaliser that would take the tie straight to penalties but the well organised Westdyke side protected their narrow lead and managed the remaining time confidently.
The Jags brought on Fraser for Mair then Mackintosh and Stephen replaced Catto and Reid due to niggling injuries to both but they could not break down their opponents who also had a couple of breakaway chances to extend their lead in added-on time which the Thistle defence snuffed out.
The Jags will be disappointed to lose another match after taking the lead then missing several chances to extend it and especially in the manner both goals were conceded with one through bad luck and the other a poor decision.
They will, however, have to accept these occurrences as it will be a long, long time before VAR is introduced into Amateur football.
