Scottish Cup hopes are ended
Doune lose to St Pat’s
DOUNE CASTLE .............................. 0 ST PATRICK’S FP .............................. 3
Doune’s Scottish Amateur Cup journey ended at the third-round stage when they lost to a highly impressive St Pat’s side at Moray Park on Saturday.
The visitors were clinical up front, twice capitalising on first-half errors to secure a 2-0 lead that laid the foundation for what in the end was a comfortable win.
They started strongly, forcing a series of corners in the opening minutes and took the lead after 23 minutes with a stunning goal.
Kevin McElroy turned his marker 25 yards from goal and cut inside from the left. He unleashed an unstoppable half-volley that whistled past Callum Davison to nestle high into the net for 1-0.
A tenacious St Pat’s worked hard all over the pitch to deny the home side time on the ball, nullifying Doune’s normal passing game.
On 31 minutes, Andrew Gibson forced Gallagher into a decent take with a strike from distance. Davison then produced a remarkable save, somehow blocking a drive from point-blank range.
St Pat’s increased their lead on 40 minutes. As Doune started a counter-attack, a misplaced pass left the Castle backline exposed and St Pat’s capitalised ruthlessly, charging into the space before squaring for a tap-in finish for 2-0.
The visitors surged forward on the restart determined to kill the game. It came as no surprise when they made it 3-0 after 55 minutes. The ball was played into a congested Doune penalty box. The ball broke to a Saints forward who turned home from close range.
Both sides made a number of changes as the pace of the game became less frenetic, but with St Pat’s always in control.
Typical of their fortune on the day, Doune were denied what looked like a clear penalty after Christopher Macdonald’s shot on the turn cannoned off a defender’s arm. Doune enjoyed better possession in the game’s final quarter and put the St Pat’s backline under greater pressure, without seriously testing Gallagher.
They squandered perhaps their best opportunity with the game’s final attack. Callum Paterson powered into the box, but drove the ball wide of the far post, without testing the keeper.
Doune had no complaints about the final score-line, having been outplayed for long spells by an impressive and clinical St Pat’s side.
Doune Castle: Davison, Paterson, D Innes, Duncanson, Nelson, Gibson, Smith (Macfarlane), McClure, Macdonald, Inglis, Hurst (Macdougall) Substitutes (unused): Brown, Gillespie, Ferguson