Stenhousemuir ended Formartine United’s Scottish Cup run with a 3-1 victory at a chilly North Lodge Park.
United manager Stuart Anderson had no complaints about the outcome against the League Two side.
He said: “To lose a goal within two minutes of the restart was a terrible one to concede.
“It was a bit unlucky, the ball just hit our man and went in.
“I felt there wasn’t much in it for the whole game and I couldn’t say too much negatively to our players as they did everything I wanted them to do, but we’re disappointed to be out of the cup.”
United almost opened the scoring on the quarter hour mark when Jay Cantley dived to brilliantly push away a fierce Julian Wade volley and from the rebound Jack MacIver saw his net-bound effort headed off the line by Daniel Higgins.
Just before the break it took a brilliant and brave diving block by Stuart Smith to stop a thunderous 12-yard volley from Will Sewell from giving the visitors the lead.
Two minutes after the break Stenhousemuir took the lead, a whipped in corner kick from Matty Yates cannoned off the boot of Aaron Norris and flew past his keeper Ewen Macdonald.
Norris then missed a gilt-edged opportunity to equalise in the 65th minute when he fired wide with Cantley out of position and the goal gaping.
With five minutes to go Stenny doubled their lead when Michael Miller’s deep cross was turned in by substitute Adam Brown lurking at the back post.
There were two more goals in an action-packed final minute.
United pulled one back when Julian Wade stabbed the ball home from close range.
But straight from the kick-off Stenhousemuir killed off any hope of a home comeback when, with Formartine pushing an equaliser, Yates, all on his own, had the simplest of tasks to slot the ball past Macdonald from six yards.
Stenny manager Stephen Swift said: “Great credit goes to Formartine, they really asked a lot of questions of us, especially in the first half and they were unlucky not to go in ahead.
“We had to roll up our sleeves in the second half but even when they went 2-0 down, Formartine showed great spirit to pull one back before we finished them off with that third goal right at the end.”
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