Bellshill through after yet another impressive cup win

Apr 7 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

RYAN CONNELLY hit a double as Bellshill Athletic surged into the D&D Programmes Central League Cup third round with a 4-2 home win over Carluke Rovers.

Connelly opened the scoring and, after John McStay equalised for Rovers, struck again, with luckless Carluke defender Adam Moffat turning the ball into his own net to give Bellshill a 3-1 interval lead.

Rovers pulled a goal back early in the second half but as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser Bryan Dingwall pounced to round it off at 4-2.

Bellshill boss Gerry Creaney said: “I made a couple of changes after a poor showing and, against an impressive side like Carluke, I think our performance reflects a good victory.

“I brought in full-back Gary Shearer, who brings a wealth of experience to the back four, and a young, tall, commanding centre-half in Ewan Murray, whom we’ve signed from Motherwell till the end of the season to give him some competitive experience.”

Rovers manager Whitey Moffat commented: “I was very pleased with our performance, especially as we only had 14 players who were fit and available – and three of them were goalkeepers!

“We were without Stewart Arnott, Stephen Ferguson, Mark Weir and John Savage, but young Steve Jackson, who broke a finger at training last Thursday, played with it wrapped up.

“This was also our first competitive game on a 3G astroturf pitch and I was pleased with the way we performed.

“But we gifted two of the goals and at 3-2, when we were pushing forward, they hit us on the break to score a fourth.”

John Boyack hit a spectacular double as Shotts ended Maryhill’s eight-game unbeaten record with a 4-1 win at Lochburn Park.

Maryhill were first on target, but Paul Burns set up the equaliser with a great diagonal pass that Steve Barker latched onto before firing home.

Paul Finnigan and Tom Hanlon linked in midfield to provide an opening for Boyack to smash in a right-foot volley, and he pounced again to send a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Mark Duffy completed the scoring five minutes later.

Saturday’s triumph stretched Shotts’ own unbeaten record to seven games.

Delighted manager Tony McInally said: “It was quite convincing and good to see us scoring again. We’ve been working on striking and crossing for a month now and it’s paying dividends, because we’ve hit 15 goals in three games.”

Graham Gracie was also a two-goal marksman as Larkhall Thistle sent Central League First Division leaders St Anthony’s spinning out of the cup with a 3-2 away win.

Alan Fleming fired Thistle into the lead from a Scott Dunsmore pass but Ants equalised and then went ahead at the break from a dubious penalty for handball.

Thistle stepped up their performance in the second half and drew level when Gracie scored from the spot after he had been upended in the box.

Ten minutes from time, Thistle were awarded a dubious penalty for handball and Gracie rammed home the winner.

Thorniewood United crashed out 6-3 against Super Premier League side Petershill, despite taking a first-minute lead when Chris Faulds tucked away a Stephen Mullen through-ball.

Petershill levelled on 40 minutes and young Andy Stewart unluckily deflected the ball into his own net inside first-half stoppage time. After Petershill made it 3-1 on 53 minutes Stewart atoned for his own-goal when he headed in a Faulds cross.

Goalkeeper Martin Fusari had to be substituted after an hour and replacement Steve Mather’s first task was to pick the ball out of the net as Petershill stretched their lead to 4-2.

The visitors added two late goals before Mullen pulled one back two minutes into stoppage time.

Forth Wanderers twice took the lead at Benburb but second-half defensive slips let the Bens in to grab a 3-2 win.

John Borris drilled a 20-yard volley into the net then, after Bens levelled, the home keeper parried a Hugh Kelly cross and it struck Barry Canning on the head before hitting the back of the net – a welcome fluke for Forth.

Benburb equalised with a simple back-post header and then a Craig Crawford pass across the 18-yard box was converted for the winner.

Manager John McGhee said: “On our first-half form. we deserved to win.

“On our second-half form, we didn’t deserve to win but their effort was brilliant.”

Stonehouse Violet slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Shettleston.