The great Harry Houdini would have been proud of Linlithgow escape act in this match for with
just eight minutes remaining Rose were trailing thier opponents from fife by two goals to nil 
and seemed to be heading for a cup exit but again proved that football can be a funny old game

 Linlithgow were reduced to the bare minimum of players for this game with injuries and 
suspensions having taken thier toll. Lochgelly fielded thier first choice side which had earlier 
had beaten Boness in the same competition. Right from the kick off Rose went for it and began to 
run riot the fans were expecting a comfortable victory but all to soon a familiar pattern began 
to emerge as Rose spurned chance after chance but you felt the goal was bound to come. Jimmy 
Crease missed a couple and Ian Cruickshanks missed a sitter of a header.  Lochgelly produced 
little in the way of attacking football and Ian Mclaren was a spectator in the Rose goal for 
most of the first half which also saw three Albert players go into the referee`s book. But 
despite all the pressure the half time score remained level at 0-0 and left the home support 
wondering how the Rose could have 95% of the play and not find the net.


HALF TIME LINLITHGOW 0-0 LOCHGELLY

The home side began where thay had left off in the first half however there were signs 
that the players were becoming frustrated as the chances went astray. In the 68th minute 
Rose were pushing forward tring to find the opening and as so often happens were hit on 
the break a long ball from the Albert defence found thier man on the wing and his cross 
was headed home. The home support were stunned however worse was to come as a brilliant 
through ball sent in a Lochgelly forward who slotted past Mclaren with ease. Rose were in 
disarray and Mclaren produced a superb one handed stop to keep the score at 0-2. Lochgelly 
were now a completely changed side and only some sterling work at the back by Steel and 
Mcmeechan held the Rose together. With time slipping away Rose sent on Norrie McCaffer and 
Jocky Miller was pushed forward to help out the attackers.
  
And then it all began to happen!  There were just eight minutes left on the clock when 
Rose got the breakthrough they had been looking for all day. Cruickshanks broke down the 
right and left the ball for Dsvidson to cross where Crease met it to power a header at 
goal the keeper could only parry it and Miller followed up to slot home and give Rose a 
chance. A minute later the ground erupted after a brilliant run by McCaffer saw his pass 
turned in by Brown to level the scores. The lochgelly heads were down and with seven 
minutes to play Linlithgow went in search of the winner. Rose kept cool and played the 
kind of football that would draw the Albert defence out of position. And in 87 minutes 
they got thier reward as Brown again got in behind the Albert defence and scored the 
clincher. If the place had been in uproar at the equaliser then it went completly haywire
at that one. The Lochgelly players were in disbelief as the last couple of minutes
were played out and at the final whistle the Rose players went Bananas with a mixture of 
joy and relief. While the Albert players obviously still did not believe what had happened.
  
  Best for the Rose were McLaren, Steel McMeechan and Davidson. If this is what the side could 
do in ten minutes what could thay do if they played for the full ninety.

FULL TIME LINLITHGOW 3-2 LOCHGELLY

Linlithgow Rose- 
Mclaren;  
Miller, Steel, Reynolds, McMeechan;  
Cruickshanks, Davidson, Love;
Ford, Crease, Brown.  
Sub.McCaffer