Match Detail

Salters progressed to the quarter final of the Association Cup after beating St Vincents after extra time at a rain soaked Poltonhall. It was a similar match to when the two teams last met, both teams have periods on top and both playing some decent football.

At kick off the pitch was perfect, as good as any surface in the country. By half time it was flooded and by full time it was virtually impossible for the ball to roll at all.

Salters took the lead through an unlikely source. A Steven Illingworth free kick from fully 45 yards, against the right hand touchline went like a rocket right into the top corner. St Vincents pulled one back soon after, a good cross from the right hand side was brilliantly side footed home by the forward from 8 yards. Salters went ahead again; Steven Illingworth’s long free kick headed home by Paul Milligan. Again St Vincents came back and got level soon after. Salters went ahead for the third time, Paul Milligan bending a free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner of the net. There were other chances for both teams and plenty of corners as well. The best Salters chance fell to Paul Milligan who went through on goal towards the end of the first half, however the ball got stuck in a puddle and the goalkeeper saved easily. St Vincents could have scored after a huge scramble in the box which could have gone anywhere, however luckily for Salters it didn’t go in the net. A very good first half from both teams and the score at half time was 3-2.

The conditions were beginning to get extremely difficult. It was hard to keep your feet and the ball would hardly roll at all in one half of the pitch. The play continued to go from end to end and Salters had a couple of decent chances to kill the game off. The goalkeeper produced two magnificent saves to deny Paul Milligan, one low down to his corner and one tipping a header over the bar. Blair Mathewson had a half chance going through on goal but shot wide of the near post. However St Vincents never gave up and kept coming back at us, as the game opened up St Vincents got a late equaliser, the ball worked from left to right and the forward was left one on one with John Paget and made no mistake from 10 yards to make it 3-3. The last thing anyone wanted was extra time, however that’s what happened.

Salters had most of the play in extra time, and created a few chances. We got ourselves 4-3 ahead after a cross/shot from Paul Nelson was palmed out by the goalkeeper; Paul Milligan was there to poach his hat trick from 3 yards. Half time of extra time Salters had a one goal lead.

The second half of extra time kicked off and by now the pitch was a mess and covered in water. However both teams played on and Salters finally killed the game off. Darren Smith was excellent when he came on and he got a well deserved goal, advancing 30 yards with the ball, coming inside and unleashing an unstoppable left foot drive into the top corner of the net. Paul Milligan got another late goal, going clean through, rounding the goalkeeper and firing home from 10 yards.

After 120 minutes of football in torrential rain, on a pitch that resembled a lake and in freezing cold conditions both teams were knackered at the end and both had given everything they had. It was a great match to be involved in, with end to end play and both teams only interested in playing football. A typical cup match and Salters were delighted to win it.

Best of luck again to St Vincents, they are a good bunch of guys and a good footballing side.

Team: John Paget, Dani Muir, Steven Illingworth, Ryan Newton, David Jamieson (Darren Smith), Blair Mathewson (Steven Faughnan), Kevin Robinson (Mikey Thomson), Stephen Brown, Michael Jones, Paul Nelson and Paul Milligan. Sub not used: Kris Murdoch.