Fraserburgh’s Scottish Cup campaign is over for another season – but the Broch bowed out after taking League Two Bonnyrigg Rose to extra-time in a pulsating cup-tie at Bellslea Park.
Bonnyrigg led with 10 minutes left thanks to Angus Mailer’s stunning 20-yard volley, but Fraserburgh full-back Ryan Cowie levelled with a 22-yard free-kick in the 90th minute to send the second round clash into the additional half-hour.
Bradley Barratt’s superb winner early in extra-time sealed victory for the Rosey Posey.
Fraserburgh boss Mark Cowie felt his side were unlucky not to take the tie to a penalty shootout, and said: “The wind did spoil it a bit, but I still think it was an entertaining game for the fans.
“I don’t think there was much between the two sides.
‘I don’t think we deserved to win the game, but it was harsh to lose it, and penalties is probably the way it should have gone.
“I can’t fault the guys’ efforts, but if anything I don’t think we did enough in the first half. We were playing with the wind at our backs, but I don’t think we troubled their keeper – and we actually played better against the wind.”
Right from kick-off it was obvious the strong swirling wind at Bellslea was going to make things very difficult for both teams.
There was little between the sides in the opening stages, but Bonnyrigg’s Callum Connelly should have done better in the 13th minute when he volleyed straight at Joe Barbour in the home goal from just inside the box.
Shortly afterwards, Rose’s 6ft 5in French striker Alieu Faye almost got on the end of a Barratt right-wing cross as the visitors threatened again.
Rose took the lead in the 80th minute when the ball fell to Mailer on the edge of the box and the full-back’s thunderous volley flew into the top corner.
However, in the 90th minute, the home crowd erupted when Ryan Cowie sent a free-kick up and over the wall, and the Bonnyrigg keeper could not prevent the last-gasp equaliser which sent the match to extra-time.
One all ⚫⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/HWihSnjmbF
— carhandle (@carhandle) October 28, 2023
In the fifth minute of the additional period, Barrett fired the visitors ahead with a superb 25-yard angled drive after the Broch failed to clear their lines.
In the closing minutes, Broch substitute Sean Butcher twice fired high over the top from 10 yards, and – to compound the home side’s misery – defender Bryan Hay was shown a straight red card for an over-zealous tackle on Connolly with three minutes left.
Rose manager Robbie Horn said: “I thought Fraserburgh had a couple of opportunities they might have taken in the first half, but I thought we dealt with the conditions really well.
“When we got to 1-0 ahead and it’s in the 91st minute, we thought we could get over the line, but credit to Fraserburgh – they’re a really good side who kept going and they got their late equaliser.
“But we showed a good reaction to go on and win the game.”
Brechin denied penalty in thwarted fightback against Spartans
Brechin City’s hopes of progressing to the third round of the Scottish Cup came to an end at Glebe Park, with visitors Spartans emerging with a 2-1 win from a hard-fought and closely-contested encounter.
With the sides going in at the interval level-pegging at 0-0, it was all to play for in the second-half.
It was Spartans who got their noses in front four minutes into the second period when Bradley Whyte was in the perfect position to steer the ball into the top of the net.
And they doubled their advantage 15 minutes later when Michael Allan was in the perfect spot at the back post to squeeze the ball home following a Cammy Russell cross.
City now had it all to do and they pulled a goal back with 11 minutes remaining when Hamish Thomson headed home a Grady McGrath free-kick.
However, disaster struck just a minute later when skipper Euan Spark was shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge on Rhys Armstrong.
Brechin kept pushing for the equaliser and they were denied what appeared to be a stonewall penalty in the dying minutes after substitute Liam Duell was sent sprawling in the box.
🎥 🏆 @BrechinCityFC v @spartansfc
Spartans reached the Third Round for the first time since 2017 with a win over ten-man Brechin City yesterday.#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/iuQ0hokm7d
— Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) October 29, 2023
City boss Andy Kirk said: “The result is very tough to take.
“Spartans managed certain situations better than we did, but ultimately it came down to a couple of mistakes on our part which led to their goals.
“Credit to the players for working hard to get back into the match, which they managed to do with Hamish’s goal.
“I’m completely baffled as to why we weren’t awarded a penalty towards the end when Liam Duell was brought down in the box. I think everyone in the ground thought it was a penalty apart from the referee, but that’s football and we just have to get on with things.”
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