Elgin City 0 – 1 St Roch’s Ladies
50′ Stacy Higgins
Last week St Roch’s secured their spot in the last 32 of the SWFA Scottish cup with a 2 nil win away to Kemnay and now face a David and Goliath contest away to SWPL2 Title contenders Hearts on 12 June.
This week the cup action continued as the Ladies once more headed north, but this time for a Sunday afternoon clash with Elgin city in the Division 2 League cup quarter finals. Elgin are currently flying high in the Div 2 North League so this was an extremely tough test for the visitors.
Elgin started the game brightly, looking to spray passes around and to take an early hold of the game but the St Roch’s ladies were determined to show that they weren’t there just to make up the numbers and the opening twenty minutes was a fairly ding dong affair which is perhaps understandable given the stakes.
With both teams battling for control of the game, Elgin were presented with the first real opportunity to open the scoring shortly before half time when the ref felt there had been a hand ball in the box. The penalty was well struck and heading for the roof of the net but Nicolle Andrews in the Roch’s goal stood her ground and stretched high to palm the ball away over the bar.
Within a few minutes of the second half getting underway the momentum swung to the visitors when Stacey Higgins raced onto Caroline Docherty’s through ball and from the edge of the box she lifted the ball over the advancing keeper.
The goal was the culmination of a great back to front move. The solid visitors defence had mopped up another Elgin attack allowing centre back Steph McManus to send the ball forward to Docherty who in turn worked a sharp one, two with Claire Wright before picking out a sublime pass for Higgins to finish.
Within a matter of minutes St Roch’s came close to doubling their lead when Skipper Kate McManus headed an in swinging corner inches past the near post.
With Elgin now chasing the game and throwing players forward in search of an equaliser the visitors were looking to kill off the game.
Jillsy Campbell, along with Docherty and Higgins all came tantalisingly close to adding to the score but ultimately the disciplined and organised defending and non stop work from the visitors was enough to see them run out deserved winners. The ladies now look forward to facing Dundee Utd at James McGrory park on 29 May for a place in the finals.
Reported by St Roch’s Ladies
