PROTEST LODGED
The Board of the Football Club confirm that a protest was lodged with the match referee following the conclusion of the game, in accordance with the SFA Cup Competition Rules. The club shall confirm this in writing to the Scottish Football Association on Tuesday morning. It shall then be a matter for the SFA to deal with. The club understand that the SFA Emergency Committee shall meet on Wednesday morning, but the club have indicated to the SFA that we do not seek a replay.
Brechin City 2 Hamilton Accies 1 (a.e.t.)
Scottish Cup Round 4 (replay)
Glebe Park, Brechin
Monday 28 January 2008
Accies came back down to earth with a solid bump after the excitement of their late win at Broadwood. With Simon Mensing unavailable as he was not an Accies player when the original match was played, the manager turned to teenager Alan Love as a replacement for the injured Tom Parratt. There were some changes further forward too, with Tony Stevenson, Xavier Barrau and David Winters all starting the game.
Accies got stuck in from the beginning on the tight heavy pitch and went ahead after 12 minutes with a well taken goal by Mark McLaughlin. Xavier Barrau swung in a free kick from the left and Richard Offiong headed it into big Marko's path. The big man volleyed home from 8 yards to give Accies a very welcome lead. Accies came agonisingly close to doubling their lead a few minutes later when skipper Alex Neil fired in a low shot from just outside the area. It was netbound but Craig Nelson dived to flick the ball up and onto the crossbar. Richard Offiong's effort from the rebound was also saved but he was penalised for offside in any event.
The home side were not undaunted by this and the Accies goal came under severe pressure on several occasions, with one shot going just over the top and another couple being blocked. Accies were probably quite happy to be ahead at the interval but the lead was not to last for long. Charlie King took advantage of a defensive error after 48 minutes to sprint towards Tomas Cerny's goal and he made no mistake with a cool finish.
Accies had the better of things for most of the second half but genuine chances were thin on the ground. Mark Gilhaney and David Graham certainly brightened up the evening for Accies when they came on and Graham had a couple of late chances to grab that vital second goal. Both came within a minute or so; the first came when he was sent clear on goal but dragged his shot wide and the other was a header that he aimed straight at Nelson.
Chris Swailes sustained a nasty chin injury that meant he required treatment and a fresh shirt. Before he could re-enter the field he was yellow carded by referee Nicholls for attempting to rejoin the game without permission. He joined three Brechin men in the referee's notebook as the home team struggled to cope with the Accies forwards. Alex Neil was also cautioned later in the game for hauling down a Brechin forward just inside the Accies half.
The game went into extra time with Accies still having most of the play but the Brechin defence holding firm. It took a freak goal to win the match, with Kevin Byers's shot lopping over Tomas cerny into the corner of the net. It was pandemonium now and Accies flung all they could at the Brechin defence. Right at the end, Accies won a corner kick and goalkeeper Tomas Cerny went forward for it. The corner was cleared and thumped upfield, where a Brechin forward fought for possession with James McArthur with all the other players running back to get involved. As the Brechin fans encouraged their man to shoot towards the empty net, the referee spotted some "violent conduct" by Chris Swailes and the big Englishman was sent packing.
It was a bad end to a sorry night for Accies and they will now have to concentrate on their league campaign.
Brechin: Craig Nelson, Richard Walker, Dyer, Ward, White, Fusco, Byers, Janczyk, Paton, King, Darren Smith. Subs: Calum Smith, Scott Walker, Adam Nelson, Stuart Callaghan, McCluskey.
Goals: King 48, Byers 112.
Hamilton: Cerny, Love (Gibson), Easton, Stevenson, Swailes, McLaughlin, Winters (Graham), McArthur, Offiong, Neil, Barrau (Gilhaney). Subs: Twigg, Halliwell.
Goals: McLaughlin 12.
Sent-off: Swailes
Referee: S Nicholls
Att: 696
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