Scottish Junior Cup Fourth Round

IRVINE MEADOW 6

DUNBAR UNITED 2

By Stewart McConnell

A GLORIOUS hat-trick from man-of-the-match Con Boyle helped six-guns Meadow sweep aside the East League visitors.

Victory saw them coast into the last 16 and after a blistering display like this, they should fear no-one in the competition.

The rampant hosts dominated much of the match and have bagged 13 goals in their last three ties and conceded just four - impressive form indeed.

Before the match a minute's silence was impeccably observed in memory of tot Meadow Pipe and longtime club supporter Jim McInnes.

When the action got underway, Medda began well and in two minutes Dom Boyle shot across the face of goal from eight yards. Three minutes later at the other end Dean Ballantyne shot narrowly wide from 22 yards.

The hosts won a free-kick in 10 minutes after Ben Black was tripped on the edge of the box but the set-piece effort from skipper Ben Carson was saved by visiting goalie John Johnstone. Then two minutes a rasping 22-yard drive from James Marks was saved confidently by the visiting goalie.

Home 'keeper Shaun Newman made a confident stop to foil live wire Ballantyne from 16 yards in 16 minutes.

However the hosts made the breakthrough seven minutes later when Boyle blasted home from 12 yards inside a crowded goalmouth.

Medda missed a gilt-edged chance in 32 minutes when Marks teed up Ryan Carnwath on the edge of the box but he shot straight at Johnstone. However the hosts deservedly scored again in 37 minutes as Black twisted and turned on the edge of the box before shooting home from 12 yards. Then in 42 minutes, a Carnwath a header from eight yards hit the inside of the post but failed to drop.

A minute after the break a cross-cum-shot from 25 yards by Mark McLennan was well saved by Johnstone. However the visitors pulled a goal back in 52 minutes when Steven Tait shot in off the post.

But Medda restored their two-goal advantage two minutes later when Marks set up Boyle to thunder the ball home from 12 yards for his second goal of the afternoon.

The home side were coasting at 4-1 in 57 minutes as a well-flighted Carson corner-kick was headed powerfully home from eight yards by Darren Miller.

Marks headed a great cross from Black narrowly wide from eight yards in 63 minutes.

Brian McGinty's team were coasting at 5-1 in 69 minutes when Rhys Devlin headed home at the front post following another Carson corner-kick. Black raced Into the box and had his shot from 12 yards blocked by Johnstone Two minutes later.However Boyle completed his hat-trick in 73 minutes when he raced on to a long through ball and shot under Johnstone from 12 yards.

Darren Handling set up Ballantyne to shoot home from 12 yards for Dunbar in 85 minutes despite a suspicion of offside against the scorer.

A free-kick from 22 yards by Chris King was confidently clutched by Newman two minutes as Medda held on to easily book their place in the fifth round of the national competition.

IRVINE MEADOW: Newman; McLennan, McCrea, Buchanan, Miller, Devlin, Carson, Carnwath, Marks, Boyle, Black. Subs: McQuilken, Willet, Hannah, Gordon (gk).

DUNBAR UNITED: Johnstone; Thomson, Tait, Gillon, Szernis, Ingram, K Tait, Molton, Young, Ballantyne, Handling. Subs: Kean, King, Moffat, Harley, McCathie (gk).

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