29th May 2022 Linlithgow Rose 3 Gala Fairydean Rovers 1

 

It’s Sunday and another cup final. Today it is the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup between Linlithgow Rose and Gala Fairydean Rovers at the neutral Penicuik Park. The Qualifying Cup used to provide an opportunity for the finalists to compete for the East of Scotland Shield against  SPFL sides. Previously the shield was contested against Edinburgh City and. Berwick Rangers. With Berwick now in the Lowland League I assume that they will be replaced by SPFL newcomers  Bonnyrigg Rose. I left home at 12.10 to catch the 12.28 bus to Penicuik. However due to the Edinburgh Marathon today bus timetables were out of the window. As I crossed Lothian Road to the bus stop I saw a 47 to Penicuik coming up Lothian Road. I crossed to the bus stop and met Alan there. The 47 arrived after a couple of minutes and we got on for Penicuik. When we got into Lauriston Place we spotted another 47 just ahead of our bus. The two buses played leapfrog all the way to Penicuik and we arrived at the top for the ground just after 13.00 for the 14.00 kickoff. Alan decided to head into the ground but I went for a walk around the park. Alex texted me as I was walking and said he was in Penicuik and we arranged meet in the ground. i arrived back at the ground around 13.30 and paid my £5 entry fee along with £2 for  programme. I was disappointed that the programme had details of Bonnyrigg Rose players in the pen pictures which I suspect had come from last weeks Bonnyrigg v Auchenleck Talbot programme. I had a wander round the ground and met Alan at the fence at the exit from the ground. We took up a position there and were joined before the kickoff by Alex who'd been having lunch in Tesco.

Linlithgow have had a good season. Despite a poor start they put together a long unbeaten run and only a drop in form towards the end of the season meant they finished in third place of the EoS Premier League. An early season change of manager brought in Gordon Herd and he brought in a number of players from his previous club, Camelon. Strikers Mark Stowe and Alan Doherty have scored 42 and 18 respectively having been transferred from Camelon. Ryan Schiavone is on loan to Rose from Hearts with another former Hearts player Dan Buar in the squad although he did not make the team today. Gala Fairydean Rovers finished thirteenth in the eighteen club Lowland League but were well clear of the relegation zone. En route to the final of the Qualifying Cup they defeated champions Bonnyrigg Roe 5-1 in the forth round, Bonnyrigg's biggest defeat off the season. Gala managed by former Ross County player Martin Scott have made good use off the loan system and have two Hearts loanees, Sean Docherty and Aaron Darge in their side. Darge is the brother of Scotland rugby international Rory Darge, so sporting talent runs in the family.

The match started with Linlithgow looking the hungrier side and Alan Docherty did really well to turn away from two defenders and head towards the penalty box. He passed to ball to Connor McMullan who was fouled twenty-five yards from the goal. Docherty took the free-kick but shot past the post. Minutes later the two combined again but this time McMullan’s shot was saved by Josh Blair. Linlithgow went ahead after thirty six minutes when McMullan cut the ball back from the bye-line. Dochrerty took a  touch and then shot low past Blair from fifteen yards. Gary Them then had a header from a corner blocked by Blair and McMullan was unable to turn home the loose ball with Blair ground after colliding with his past making the save. Gala equalised a minute before half-time when Liam Campbell hit a long ball down the left for Zander Murray to chase. From the edge of the penalty area the striker shot past Ewan McMinn for a fine goal. 

If Rose had dominated the first half Gala came ouT fighting for the second half. Murray chased down a long ball and this time McMInn came out of his goal to clear by slicing the ball out of play. Ryan Schiavone then forced his way past two defenders but lost his balance allowing McMinn to palm the ball away for a goal-kick as his save came of Schiavone’s leg. Just before the hour mark Rose brought on top scorer Mark Stowe in an effort to change the flow of the game. McMinn again required treatment as he collided with his post after turning away a header from Murray. McMinn was back in action diving at the feet of Campbell to turn the ball away for a corner. In eighty-two minutes the Gala defence failed to clear a high ball into their penalty box. The ball fell to Docherty just outside the penalty box and his low shot beat Blair as it went off of the far post. Stowe than had a shot cleared of the line by Gala captain Gareth Rodger before Rose clinched the game in the last minute. A pass from Thom found Sean Heaver just inside the Gala penalty box. He sidestepped a defender before shooting across Blair into the net from around fifteen yards. The referee played a few minutes of injury time before blowing the final whistle to the delight of Rose and their fans.

Alan, Alex and I watched the presentation of the trophy to Linlithgow before heading out of the ground to catch a bus back into town. As soon as we reached the stop we saw a bus draw up at the stop before ours. Thankfully it was a 47 which takes a direct route into town rather than the circuitous route allowed by the 37. Alex got of at Teviot row while Alan and I continued on to Lothian Road. I walked along Fountainbridge home and was in the house by 18.00 after another good day out.

Teams

Linlithgow Rose: McMinn, Thomson, Thom, Allison, Heaver, Docherty, McKenzie, McMullan, Sneddon, Bremner, Allan.

Subs: Stowe, Ogilvie, Hare

Gala Fairydean Rovers: Blair, Jordan, Docherty, Large, Rodger, Wilkie, Aitchison, Campbell, Murray, Schiavone, Berry.

Sbs: Scott, Healey, Chalmers.