Tweeddale Rovers 1

Chirnside United 2

A FIRST defeat in twelve matches has resulted in Tweeddale Rovers being dumped out of the Beveridge Cup at the quarter final stage by the Border Amateur League’s top dogs, Chirnside United.

A goal in each half, from Jake Lough and Steve Shennan, had given Chirnside a comfortable looking lead despite a fairly even game. Grant Wilson scored a penalty in the final minute but it was too little too late.

Wilson stretched to get onto Craig Collin’s searching cross in the opening minutes but Martin Todd managed to make the save.

And Tweeddale were denied a penalty when Simon Warren’s attempted cross struck the hand of Duncan Morrison, but the referee was unmoved despite Morrison’s hand being in an unnatural position above his head.

An open, end-to-end match led to further chances for both teams, and Finlay Moffat made a brave last ditch tackle on Alan Jess after the Chirnside attacking midfielder had rounded keeper Bob Hall.

Ahead of the opening goal, Moffat made a similar block on Jess again, but this time the ball broke for Lough who was able to roll the ball into an empty goal which had been vacated by Hall.

From a Tweeddale corner, full back Moray Macleod struck low towards goal, only to see his effort blocked by his own team-mate in Scott Inglis.

Experienced striker Shennan came off the bench in the second half and extended the lead. When he moved the ball onto his left side on the edge of the box there did not seem to be great danger as Simon Warren was covering goal side. However, Warren crumpled under a rolled ankle which forced him to be substituted, allowing Shennan a free shot at goal which he gratefully took.

That crucial second goal effectively killed the tie as a contest, and when Tweeddale did manage to score there was not enough time left to go for a second.

The penalty was awarded when Chris Robertson, moved up front from centre back for a final push, was clipped in the box by Jamie Stobie.

Wilson tucked it away from twelve yards, but with less than a minute remaining there was little chance to go for an equaliser.

Tweeddale Rovers: Hall, F.Moffat, Dobie, C.Wilson, Macleod, Collin (MacDonald), R.Meikle, B.Meikle, Warren (Robertson), G. Wilson, Inglis. Not used: Smith, Bertram