Website designed and maintained by Jim Dick Penicuik Athletic 1 v 1 Glenrothes Juniors   Penicuik Athletic: Bald, Gallagher, Draper, Meikle, Reid, Gay, Brigain, Barr, Harvey Thomson and Knight. Subs: Smith, Roxburgh, Reilly, McPartlin, Sub g/k Porch. Glenrothes Juniors: Collier, Simpson, Lee, Shields, Bissett, Napier, Simpson, Thomson, Murray, Martin and Shaw. Subs: Moffat, Campbell, Reilly and Hush. Referee: James Campbell, Assistants Aleks Lukic and Jack Cunningham For the third year in a row, Penicuik came out of the hat in the first round of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup but the difference this year was that the tie was at home. The visitors, Premier League rivals Glenrothes reached the fifth round last season while Penicuik went out in a first round replay to Kilwinning Rangers. McDermott was unavailable meaning Draper dropped back into defence and Thomson was preferred to Roxburgh as Harvey's partner in attack. Penicuik started brightly and in the fourth minute Meikle and Harvey combined to create an opening for Knight. The tone for the afternoon was set when Collier produced a terrific one handed save to push Knight's curling shot past the post. Draper's corner came to nothing as the ball curled out of play at the far post. In reply, Simpson made a good run from midfield for Glenrothes but Martin blazed his shot wide from Simpson's pass. Murray then produced a surging run which was halted by a foul challenge by Barr.  Simpson's free kick from just outside the box was touched onto the post by Bald and went out for a corner. It was played short but Simpson over ran the ball and out for a bye kick.A flurry of activity around Collier's goal didn't provide the breakthrough as Brigain's left foot shot after a sweet passing move involving Barr and Gay was saved by Collier. Brigain pulled rank on Barr to take a free kick just outside the penalty area but the ball flew over the cross bar. Barr then had a shot pushed wide by Collier at full stretch as the Glenrothes defence refused to buckle. In the seventeenth minute Martin for Glenrothes had an effort blocked before Bald easily saved Murray's follow up shot from the edge of the box. Meikle and Reid were breaking up any of Glenrothes attacks with timely interventions and Penicuik were trying to pass their way out of defence through Barr, Gay and Brigain. Knight was fouled by Shaw back helping his defence but again the free kick flew over the bar. Penicuik were competing fiercely for every ball and were upset when a throw in award went against them deep in the Glenrothes half. The referee lectured Gay before cautioning Brigain for his contribution to the protest. Glenrothes were relying on long clearances with Collier launching some huge kicks. Shaw tried a speculative shot which drifted wide after a pass from Martin following another long Collier clearance. Penicuik were straight back up the park and this time, Bissett tripped Thomson right on the edge of the penalty area. Draper's left footed free kick flew over the bar. In Penicuik's next attack Harvey passed to Barr but Collier was on hand to save Barr's effort. Bald came rushing out of his goals to cut out a long through ball as Glenrothes tried to relieve the pressure. On the break, Martin had a run in from the left but shot past the post. On the half hour mark Penicuik again played their way into the Glenrothes penalty area and Barr released Draper on the left. His shot came back off a post but Thomson could only hit the rebound wide. Harvey then won a corner which came to nothing as Penicuik kept up the pressure. Reid conceded a corner when Shaw was set free on a quick Glenrothes break but the Penicuik defence cleared Simpson's kick. A bounce ball was awarded when Harvey was caught with a water bottle after play had resumed and Martin tried a speculative shot from distance trying to catch Bald off his line but the ball drifted well wide. Draper had been prominent in dealing with the tricky Shaw and even found time to link up again with his forwards. Passing between Knight and Harvey created space for Draper to cross from the left but Harvey headed the cross straight into Collier's hands. Penicuik kept up the pressure and Thomson was next to get a lecture after a foul on Barr but the first half finished goal less as Penicuik could not find a way past Collier. Half Time: Penicuik Athletic 0 v 0 Glenrothes Juniors Penicuik kicked off in the second half and immediately forced their way upfield only for Thomson to be flagged off side much to the anger of the spectators in the enclosure beside the Assistant. Meikle conceded an early free kick but Reid was on hand to head Simpson's free kick clear. The ball came back in but Bald easily held Murray's weak header. A neat passing movement between Knight, Brigain and Harvey saw the Penicuik centre forward's shot deflected for a corner which came to nothing. Martin chased down a long ball and collided with Bald who had rushed out of his goals but the Penicuik defence cleared Martin's free kick. Glenrothes right back Gavin Simpson who had his work cut out coping with Knight, was replaced by Moffat with five minutes of the half gone. In Penicuik's next attack, Collier had an easy job to catch a Gallagher cross but a minute later produced a great one handed save from a Harvey left shoot shot. Loud appeals for a penalty were turned down when Knight turned the loose ball back into the danger area. Shaw was spoken to for a push on Meikle and both teams were using the long ball as play became disjointed. However, with fifteen minutes of the half gone Penicuik missed another golden opportunity to score. Knight headed Barr's chip narrowly past the post. Glenrothes seemed to take heart and strung a few passes together before Moffat's lob from a Simpson pass dropped over the bar. Penicuik were soon back on the attack and won a couple of corner kicks in quick succession. From the second one taken by Draper, Meikle's back post header was net bound before a deflection knocked the ball against a post and out to safety. The deadlock was finally broken in the seventy first minute. Barr found Knight in space on the right with a curling pass and the Penicuik danger man showed neat skill in beating a defender and cutting the ball back to the penalty spot. HARVEY neatly controlled the ball before driving a left foot volley in to the net to register his hundredth competitive goal for Penicuik and give his team a well deserved lead. A fight broke out between two Glenrothes defenders and Shields was yellow carded before play resumed. Glenrothes replied with a corner kick but Reid easily cleared Simpson's kick. Penicuik came back with a Knight snapshot which was held by Collier before Roxburgh replaced Thomson for the home team. The substitute was hardly on the park when he created Penicuik's next chance. Good play between Gay and Knight released him on the right and when his chip came across the face of goal Harvey looked sure to score but his header back across goal passed agonisingly on the wrong side of the post. With twelve minutes remaining the visitors made a double substitution taking off Shaw and Bisset as they had to abandon their defensive tactics to salvage something from the game. Immediately, Reilly's through ball forced a rushed clearance from the Penicuik defence as Murray homed in on goal. Smith replaced Barr for Penicuik before a dangerous Roxburgh run along the bye line was stopped at the post when Collier grabbed the ball from under the attacker's feet. Glenrothes were still fighting and Gallagher headed a right wing Martin cross out for a corner. Thomson shot past the post as the Penicuik defence didn't clear properly. Gay was booked for a blatant trip breaking up the next Glenrothes attack as the visitors upped their efforts and shortly afterwards the Penicuik man picked up a knock in a fierce midfield challenge. One minute into injury time the ball was given away on the half way line and quickly pushed forward to MARTIN wide on the right. He sent in a high looping cross and Bald attempted to push the ball over the bar but only succeeded in deflecting the ball over the line for the equalising goal. Penicuik made desperate attempts to repair the damage but Knight sliced his shot past the post. A late corner for Penicuik was headed wide by Reid as the referee brought the game to a halt after playing four minutes of added time. Penicuik are now faced with a trip to Fife for the replay if they are to retain an interest in this year's competition.  Result: Penicuik Athletic 1 v 1 Glenrothes Juniors.   My thanks to John Fraser for the match report and to Tony Graham for the match photographs Scottish Junior Cup 1st Round