Albion Rovers 5 v 2 Elgin City

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4 pics of Gordon Lennon scoring!

Thanks to "The Lours" for the majority of the above pics!

Attendance : 180

Albion Rovers ~ Donnelly (14 Pen), Lennon (19), Chaplain (60, 64), Savage (71). Elgin City ~ Kaczan (56), MacKay (88).

On paper not the most mouthwatering prospect but this 2nd round challenge cup match turned out to be a rip-roaring goal fest that Albion Rovers dominated but the visitors contributed much to also!

Within the minute of starting a lapse in Rovers defence gave Chris Finnigan the ball 5 yards outside the area, perhaps as he wasn't expecting it he lost it as quickly as it arrived. Shortly afterwards Craig Campbell had a free header which was woefully wide of the mark.

Finnigan was again a thorn in Rovers side when he advanced goalward with Gordon Lennon shadowing and making it difficult to get a shot in. He did however manage a shot across Jamie Ewings who just managed to get down to make a one-handed save.

Rovers came into the match in 13 minutes when Joe Savage cut the ball back to Felvus whose shot was well saved by Renton. The stopper couldn't hold the ball which went to Martin McBride who failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

In 14 minutes Martin Johnston downed Scott Chaplain in the City box and Mr. Hardie didn't hesitate to award the penalty which Ciaran Donnelly confidently rammed home. [Pictured above in 2 photos]

Savage on his own then providing Chaplain with the ball came close before Rovers went further ahead. Savage was deeply involved in the build up with saw the ball reach Lennon whose shot from the edge of the City 6 yard box was untroubled by defenders and it was two.

A MacKay shot from distance was easily mopped up by Ewings. A Kaczan foul provided a free-kick which McBride put past the assembled Elgin wall but it failed in the end.

A long ball to the Elgin goalmouth was subject of an attempted clearance by Renton who instead hit it off Chaplain who sent the ball goalward but the 'keeper managed to scramble back to block.

Elgin showed they had some fight left when Kaczan battered the ball off the near post from 5 yards in a tight angled shot in 35 minutes. Steve MacKay should have done better when he ran unchallenged up the wing and having no less than 4 colleagues awaiting the cross he managed to give it to the lone defender in the area.

Doyle being gifted the ball and disappointing with a weak effort and Savage cutting through the defense to have a good shot equally well saved finished the half. As the teams headed for the tunnel 'keeper Renton deliberately bodychecked a teammate presumably in relation to Savage being untroubled in his advance upfield moments earlier.

Half-Time

The second half started with MacKay hitting a free-kick which Jamie Ewings expertly punched clear. Johnston brought a diving save out of Ewings after Lennox had risked a penalty with his ultimately failed attempt to stop the ball getting that far.

In 56 minutes the visitors pulled one back when the defence looked like spectators allowing MacKay's corner and a Mark Booth shot rebounding gave Kaczan an easy tap-in. Johnston's attempt a minute later saw his strong hit go straight to the custodian of the Rovers goal.

Rovers were far from finished and once more it was Savage who was in the thick of it working on the wing to cross the ball a yard from the goal, as nobody interrupted its progress it went out the other side for a throw-in. On the hour mark Scott Chaplain belted a low ball into the back of the net to restore a 2 goal lead for the homesters.

It took the prolific scorer just 4 more minutes to bag another when he latched onto a Savage pass to make it 4 - 1. In 71 minutes Joe Savage was rewarded for all of his creative work when McBride's attempt rebounded to the striker and he gladly wellied it nearly bursting the net!

Numerous substitutions by both sides were followed by another Elgin goal. MacKay beautifully struck a free-kick from 25 yards into the top left-hand corner of the Rovers net with just 2 minutes remaining.

Summary

An excellent performance by Albion Rovers, albeit against the bottom team in the division. With slightly more luck this match could have ended up 10 - 4.

Albion Rovers : Ewings, Moffat, Lennox (Chisholm 79), Lennon, Donnelly, Friel (Creaney 73), Doyle, Chaplain, Felvus (Sim 73), Savage, McBride. Subs Not Used : Walker, Thompson.

Elgin City : Renton, Kaczan, Dempsie, Easton (Main 74), Dickson, Hind (Low 69), Finnigan (Charlesworth 52), Campbell, Johnston, Booth, Mackay.  Subs Not Used : Knight, Cooke

Referee : Colin Hardie

Man of the Match : Joe Savage

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