RESILIENT Meadow overcame a worrying mid-second half wobble to subdue the spirited 10-men East Coasters in a totally enthralling tie to edge into the quarter-finals of Junior Football’s most prestigious competition.

Positively coasting at 4-1 early in the second half Stevie Rankin’s men made the mistake of thinking they had the match won and made the fatal mistake of taking their foot off the pedal and conceded two quickfire goals through uncharacteristically slack defending.

This meant the final 20 minutes were much more fraught than they should have been, with the visitors going all out to force a penalty shootout But much credit has to go to their stuffy and stubborn opponents who contributed so much to a hugely entertaining old-fashioned cup tie, Medda have come through two testing replays in the last round and you have to start wondering if their name could be on the trophy.

They won’t play their quarter-final until at least two weeks on Saturday as Girvan still have a replay with Rutherglen outstanding and the winners will face Bo’ness for the right to meet Meadow.

But they can relax in the knowledge that they are through and with home advantage you have to fancy their chances of making the semi-finals for the first time in eight years.

Medda took the game to their visitors from early on and in four minutes, Gary McCann set up Shaun Fraser but the striker’s shot from eight yards was well saved by Youssef Bejaoui. Just seconds later at the other end a Craig Killen cross into the box was hooked away by a home defender.Penicuik won a free-kick 25 yards out in nine minutes following a challenge from Marc Twaddle which resulted in a red card for the defender and Ryan Gay curled the setpiece into the top corner of the net to give the visitors a shock lead.

But just five minutes later another top quality strike saw Meadow level the match as the excellent Darren Miller teed up Mark Thomson to smash a 25-yard thunderbolt into the top corner of the net.

Still Penicuik kept plugging away and in 24 minutes a Greig Ross shot from 16 yards produced an excellent save from Stephen Hall. Then just a minute later the game had turned on its head as Medda seized the advantage. Paul Maxwell headed the ball on from just outside the box to inspired McCann who steadied himself before thundering home a drive from 12 yards.

Then in 29 minutes the hosts had a two-goal cushion as Miller slipped a fine through ball to McCann to drill home a shot from 12 yards.

A gilt-edged chance to put the game out of sight came Medda’s way in 35 minutes when Fraser set up Maxwell but the home number nine shot straight at the keeper.

Two minutes later a Maxwell header from eight yards hit the top of the net and went over.

It truly looked like game over as Meadow soared into a 4-1 lead a minute after the restart. Skipper Mark Campbell sent a fine through ball to Robert Halliday to crash home a shot from 10 yards.

Penicuik refused to buckle and in 54 minutes came close when a Keith Barr rocket from 25 yards was spectacularly tipped over the bar by Hall. Three minutes later the gritty visitors reduced the deficit as Charlie Brigain blasted home a 10-yard effort. Medda were starting to panic and they conceded a third goal in 66 minutes as a Gay shot was blocked but Barr blasted home the rebound from 12 yards.

Panic was setting in now and a minute later Hall had to be at his best to save a well-struck free-kick from Gay. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in 70 minutes when Darryl Young was sent off for a second booking. But this only seemed to galvanise them.

Medda were unlucky in 72 minutes when a 16 yard shot from Fraser crashed off the crossbar. Killen was then lucky to escape with a booking for a reckless lunge at Miller, who needed treatment before continuing.

In 77 minutes a McCann shot was kicked off the line by a visiting defender.

Penicuik always looked dangerous even until the final whistle and four minutes into injury time came the last throw of the dice as Bejaoui played a long free-kick to player-boss Craig Meikle to head just over the bar from eight yards.

IRVINE MEADOW: Hall; Darroch, Twaddle, Staunton, Campbell, Thomson, McCann, Miller, Maxwell, Fraser, Halliday. Subs: McLaren, Caddis, Bristow, Shepherd.

PENICUIK ATHLETIC: Bejaoui; Ross, McDermott, Young, Cunninson, Lister, Killen, Gay, Miller, Barr, Montgomery. Subs: McPartlin, Harris, Meikle, Brigain Hill.