Annan win at Stranraer to reach Challenge Cup final

Apr 17 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Friday

ANNAN Athletic will host this season’s prestigious Challenge Cup final against either Dalbeattie Star or Queen of the South following their narrow 3-2 victory over Stranraer at Stair Park on Wednesday night.

Both sides fielded a sprinkling of their first team squad players with Danny Mitchell opening the scoring for the home side in 35 minutes.

Chris Jardine equalised three minutes before the break to send the teams in at the interval all square.

Five minutes after the restart Robert Campbell put the visitors ahead but Allan Murdoch levelled the match again in the 67th minute.

With all to play for and fifteen minutes left, Campbell scored from a tight angle to ensure progress into the final for the Galabank outfit.

The downside to the match was that Annan’s Nathan Muir was taken to hospital early on in the match with a suspected broken ankle, but the news is that the injury is not as serious as first thought.

A strong Dalbeattie Star side saw off neighbours Threave Rovers challenge in the second round of the same competition by 5-0 at Meadow Park with two goals from Lewis Sloan and singles from Hugh Cameron, Gary Redpath and Scott Milligan.

This results means that Star now play Queen of the South at Islecroft next Wednesday in the semi final with the reward for victory being a place in the final at Galabank.

In the South of Scotland League, Crichton went three points ahead in the league table over Threave Rovers following their five goals to nil victory over Mid Annandale.

Roman Soltys opened the scoring in the 18th minute with Davy Kennedy adding number two four minutes later to give the Hospital Park side a two-goal advantage at the break.

In the 54th minute, Soltys headed the home side’s third goal and scored again in the 72nd minutes to complete his hat-trick with substitute Darren Kirkpatrick wrapping up the three points for Crichton eight minutes from time.

In a close contest at Glencaple, Heston were unlucky to lose out to Nithsdale Wanderers by a single goal with Pat Lopez finding the winner for the visitors when he beat keeper Keiron McCulloch low at his near post for the only goal of the match.

Wigtown and Bladnoch kept on course for a third place spot by beating Creetown 3-0 at Castle Cary Park.

This game, played in a very strong wind, failed to produce a goal in the first 45 minutes but eight minutes after the re-start the visitors took the lead when an Alan Johnstone effort was deflected past keeper Roddie for the opener.

Four minutes later Wigtown doubled their scoreline when Barry Whyte converted a Martin McClymont corner kick from an acute angle at the near post and with 12 minutes left to play the game was over as a contest when Martin McClymont back headed a cross from the right to complete the scoring.

Results from Wednesday night:

Challenge Cup - Round 2: Threave Rovers 0 Dalbeattie Star 5.

Challenge Cup - semi-final: Stranraer 2 Annan Athletic 3.

South of Scotland League: Creetown 0 Wigtown and Bladnoch 3; Crichton 5 Mid Annandale 0; Heston Rovers 0 Nithsdale Wanderers 1.