Darvel’s fairytale Scottish Cup journey came to a grinding halt at the hands of Falkirk tonight.
Everyone in the small East Ayrshire town was full of hope after an unthinkable giant-killing against Aberdeen.
And with a glamour Ayrshire derby at home to Ayr United lying in wait for the winner, a carrot was dangling for Michael Kennedy’s side. But it wasn’t to be as the Bairns showed their SPFL quality with a victory that proved comfortable in the end.
Gary Oliver, Callumn Morrison, Liam Henderson, Aidan Nesbitt and Craig McGuffie all helped themselves to goals as they cancelled out an Ian McShane strike which gave Vale hope.
Now the Honest Men and the Bairns will square up knowing they are 90 minutes from Hampden.
Falkirk had a chance after four minutes when Henderson got in a header from a corner but it was blocked on the line and, a couple of saves from Chris Truesdale later, there was a goalmouth scramble and the danger was cleared.
Darvel were dealt a blow after 20 minutes when attacker Craig Truesdale hobbled off and he was replaced by Andy Stirling.
The Bairns forced themselves ahead in the 23rd minute when Nesbitt fired a stunning through ball to Oliver who calmly finished.
And a minute later it was a sucker-punch double blow as Morrison slotted home to leave Vale with a mammoth uphill task.
Morrison had another great chance in the 37th minute as he burst towards the area and fired a shot at goal but Truesdale was equal to the effort and palmed it out.
Chris McGowan looked certain to pull one back for Vale just before half-time as he rifled a header at goal, but Bairns No 1 PJ Morrison pulled off a stunning save to keep his side’s two-goal deficit intact.
There were limited chances in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but then it burst into life when Coll Donaldson almost sent a looping header into his own net, but it went out for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, former Bairns midfielder McShane turned it home at the near post after an error from keeper Morrison to give Darvel a fighting chance.
It looked as if Vale had grabbed an equaliser in the 72nd minute during a goalmouth scramble but, despite the net appearing to bulge, the ball somehow didn’t go over the line.
Darvel were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute when McGowan was shown his second yellow card and almost instantly the Bairns restored their two-goal lead when Henderson’s looping header eluded Truesdale.
Three minutes later, Falkirk bagged another as Nesbitt curled a fine finish into the corner to put the game well beyond any doubt.
And McGuffie tapped home past the helpless Truesdale with two minutes left in the clash to seal a comfortable win.
The travelling faithful enjoyed their night as those in the home end applauded a journey which will never be forgotten.
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