Vale make Coldstream pay the penalty for losing the lead

Published 25 Sep 2009 13:00 0 Comments

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Coldstream 2 v 2 Vale of Leithen (Vale won 2-1 on pens AET)

OF the many paths you can take in life, going from sinner to saint is at least better than the other way around.

In the 26th minute of this game, the sight of a Mike Stewart pass back sneaking under the studs of Vale keeper Darren Walker and rolling into the net to hand Coldstream a lead they barely deserved, was almost too painful to look at.

But just over an hour later, Walker had redeemed himself by being the object in the goalmouth that the Home Park side couldn't get past during the penalty shoot out that was required to separate these sides.

Meanwhile, it was Stewart who held his nerve superbly to blast home the winning kick.

This was a cracking cup tie, full of incident and while it may not have been pretty at times, the fast pace and excitement never let up for the whole duration.

Coldstream held a half time lead thanks to Vale's defensive blunder which, it has to be said, came about largely due to a wicked bobble off the uneven turf. But the second half got off to a whirlwind start.

Two minutes after the restart, Vale were level as Vale's ex-Coldstream player Darren Gillon drove forward and chipped a ball into the area. Steven Dongo was standing in an offside position, but as arms were raised in appeal in the Streamers defence, Dongo stood aside to let Andy Martin gather the ball and slip it into the net.

A few minutes later, Vale had a chance to take the lead as they were awarded a penalty and Coldstream were reduced to ten men. Richard Baxendale was red carded for an off the ball stamp on Dongo, in the area.

Gavin Tainsh stepped forward to take the kick, but his weak effort was easily saved by Scott Lumsden.

Vale were left to rue this missed chance as Douglas Brydon, who had an outstanding game in the Coldstream midfield, nodded home a corner in the 67th minute to put the home side back in front.

Ten minutes later, Vale were awarded another penalty as Gillon was upended in the box by Aaron Punton.

This time the responsibility was handed to Aaron Somerville, who sent Lumsden the wrong way from the spot.

The remainder of the game saw Vale surging forward, with a Somerville shot rattling the crossbar and Ger Rossi unbelievably lifting the ball over the bar from a few yards out.

Into extra time, a glorious piledriver from Somerville crashed off the underside of the bar, Gillon headed a Martin cross inches over and Rossi was out of luck again as he turned a Tainsh ball onto the bar.

Douglas Brydon and Somerville netted their sides first penalties, but the next seven were all missed, with Craig Tyson blazing over for Coldstream and Walker stopping efforts from Jonathan Waugh, Jason Inglis and Mark Bolton.

For Vale, Martin hit the bar, Paul Lee blasted wide and Tainsh was again denied by Lumsden, before Stewart buried the final penalty.

Coldstream: S. Lumsden; D. McNulty, R. Baxendale, D. Brown (W. Lumsden 32), D. Brydon, A. Punton, C. Baillie (J. Brydon 83), C. Tyson, J. Inglis, T. Curtis (J. Waugh 61), M. Bolton.

Vale of Leithen: D. Walker; G. Tainsh, P. Lee, M. Stewart, J. Hall, P. Greenhill, D. Jones, D. Gillon, S. Dongo (G. Rossi 68), O. Sonko (A. Martin h-t), S. Moffat (A. Somerville h-t).

This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 25 Sep 09

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