Shotts Bon Accord 1 Auchinleck Talbot 2
Tommy Sloan insists Auchinleck Talbot have set their sights on more Scottish Junior Cup glory after moving menacingly into the semi-finals of the competition this afternoon.
The Beechwood boys had to come from behind in North Lanarkshire but did just enough to set up a last-four showdown with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy next month.
Ally Martin's controversial penalty gave the home side the lead and they had chances to add to their advantage before Bryan Boylan levelled for 'Bot just before the interval.
With the wind at their backs in the second half, Sloan's troops were on top with Craig McCracken's scrappy effort proving decisive in the 73rd minute after Shotts had keeper Johnny Murdoch sent-off.
Still, Shotts were off target with headers from dangerous set-pieces in the closing stages and the final whistle would have come as a relief to Auchinleck's travelling army of fans.
For boss Sloan, it was a case of job done as his side continues its fight for silverware on multiple fronts.
He told Ayrshire Football News: "I'm delighted. It was a really tough one, we had to come from a goal behind, but I thought overall we deserved it in the end.
"They put up a really strong fight. There was a great physicality about them and that caused us a lot of bother, especially in the first half.
"Bryan's goal just before half-time was crucial as we went in feeling a wee bit better about ourselves as we knew we had the conditions in our favour in the second half.
"And Craig's trundled one into the net. He gets into the areas that count and I'm delighted for him."
He added: "We have a great history in the Junior Cup and we'll be trying hard to get to the final again. We're taking it as seriously as any competition."
Martin scored from the spot in the 13th minute after the referee spotted an infringement from 'Bot keeper Andy Leishman.
"I've not seen a penalty given for ungentlemanly conduct before," remarked a bemused Sloan. "It looked like a tangle of legs to me and luckily enough we have managed to overcome that so I'm not going to say too much."
Shotts had a goal ruled out for offside before Paul McGeough nodded over from a Josh Watt corner midway through the first half.
In the 41st minute, 'Bot equalised when a free-kick into the box wasn't cleared and Boylan fired home from around 12 yards.
A huge moment in the tie arrived in the 70th minute when Murdoch handled the ball outside his area and was red-carded.
Derek Barnes took over between the sticks with Shotts down numerically and his first task was to pick the ball out the net after Graham Wilson's resulting free-kick struck the wall and fell nicely for McCracken who converted.
Shotts twice came close late on. Craig Crawford should have done better with a header from a free-kick by Martin Shiels whose corner in the sixth minute of injury time was nodded wide by Scott Faulds.
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