ETHX Energy Scottish Junior Cup Third Round

IRVINE MEADOW 6

BLACKBURN UNITED 1

by Stewart McConnell

SIX guns Meadow steamrollered the West Lothian visitors to sweep into the last 32 of the national competition.

A ruthless second half performance which yielded four goals helped ease the pressure on manager Stevie Rankin and his under-achieving players.

And it offered cause for optimism that they can turn things around following a desperately disappointing start to the season which has seen them rooted to bottom spot with just four points from six games.

Granted they were playing a side currently two levels below them but to score six goals against any team in the Scottish Junior Cup is pretty good going.

This was back to the Meadow we have seen over the past two seasons with some great passing and movement on the ball.

Rankin's sense of relief was palpable after the game and he said: "The second half performance was fine although the apprehension and tension about the players was incredible and the player felt it. At 1-0 we were doing well but they scored but we got there. I am not under any pressure. Expectations to win games as the manager are very high. Our new signing David Sinclair did very well in the middle of the park and Michael Keenan was equally solid and I was delighted Ross McPherson got a couple of goals as he was been out injured for a period of time."

Sinclair made his debut after joining on loan from Stirling Albion until January and his experience could prove invaluable.

Blackburn created the first chance in five minutes when Calum McDowall ran into the box but shot well wide from 12 yards.

Meadow seized the lead three minutes later when McPherson sent a precision pass to Gary McCann whose shot was saved by Connor Shaw but the winger glanced home the rebound from six yards despite the best efforts of a visiting defender.

As Medda continued to impress McPherson shot narrowly over the bar from 20 yards.

However Blackburn surprisingly levelled in 16 minutes when the unmarked Darren Cooke was allowed to run into the box and shoot low under Graeme Shepherd and into the net from 12 yards.

Meadow came close a minute later when a strong 12-yard shot from McPherson produced a superb reflex save from Shaw.

Blackburn were unlucky in 26 minutes when Danny Campbell had room in the box but shot narrowly wide from 12 yards.

The hosts had a great chance in 27 minutes but McPherson shot inches over the bar from 12 yards. Yet another opportunity was scorned two minutes later when Shaw smothered a effort on the edge of the box from new signing David Sinclair.

Once again Shaw denied Medda as he made a stunning save to foil McPherson from 10 yards in 38 minutes. Then minute later Shepherd made an acrobatic save to keep out a netbound lob from Darren Cooke.

Medda restored their advantage in 41 minutes when Deas shot home from six yards after McCann's cross into the box had not been dealt with by the visiting rearguard.

Meadow got off to the perfect start less than a minute after the break when a Deas shot from 20 yards took a deflection off a Blackburn defender and landed in the back of the net.

Blackburn came close in 57 minutes when Darren Cooke crossed to Fraser Spence who shot narrowly wide from 12 yards.

Medda had another opening in 66 minutes but a Liam Finnigan header from six yards was easily saved by Shaw. McCann then teed up Deas to shoot just over the bar from 25 yards in 72 minutes.

Meadow sealed the win in style in 75 minutes when McCann sent a precision pass to McPherson to bludgeon home from 10 yards.

Then in an almost identical move in 80 minutes McCann released McPherson to drill into the net.

Meadow blasted into a 6-1 lead in 87 minutes when McCann made a darting run and shot in off the post from 20 yards.

Best for Medda were McPherson, McCann and Sinclair.

IRVINE MEADOW: Shepherd; Girvan, Halliday, Evans, Twaddle, Keenan, G McCann, Sinclair, McPherson, Deas, Finnigan. Subs: Maxwell, Fraser, Wilson, Bolton, S McCann.