CUPAR HEARTS 4-0 WINDYGATES

Saturday 5th April 2008

This 3rd round Fife Cup-tie was kindly sponsored by Tam Neil. After beating Eastvale in the previous round a confident Windygates found Cupar Hearts in relentless form and the visitors were more or less down and out after 30 minutes when Fraser completed his hat trick. Possession was fairly even in the opening stages and first to show in front of goal was Halley for Cupar but his shot went wide.

Murry replied for the visitors after 6 minutes but his effort was also wide of the target. Pryde was given a chance to open the scoring for the homesters when he latched onto a poor clearance by Taylor but he eventually blasted over. Cupar’s first goal came after 13 minutes when Fraser got onto the end of a deep cross and his header bounced over the outstretched keeper and into the corner of the net.

Cupar’s other Fraser worked well with Pryde and forced a corner kick to keep the pressure on the visitors and this paid off after 21 minutes when Fraser scored his second. A neat through ball by Pryde to Fraser who beat the offside track and coolly slid the ball under the advancing keeper and into the net.

Ten minutes later Fraser got his third. McGuire for Cupar, who was having an excellent game, was heavily involved in the move and set up Fraser who then cleverly lobbed the keeper from 18 yards.

Just before the break Sibanda almost made it four with a brilliant strike from 36 yards but it flew just a fraction over.

At the break Cupar replaced Pryde and Gilfillan with Kirk and Donald. After the restart Windygates enjoyed a lot of possession but rarely made a threat on the Cupar goal.

Hearts captain Anderson did well in creating a move down the left and Fraser managed to cross his through ball right across the face of the goal and was missed by everyone. Kirk for Cupar was being brought into play a lot down the left flank, and Donald met one of his crosses but he couldn’t fully connect with a shot.

Another cross by Kirk moments later was safely gathered on the goal line by Taylor. Kirk and Sibanda both had efforts on goal as the game wore on but the score line remained the same.

In the remaining 15 minutes it was all Cupar. Donald fired over from Cupar yards then McGuire made a wall pass with Kirk and then fired a shot at the foot of the post.

Reilly entered the fray towards the end and his mazy runs gave the Windygates defence all kinds of problems but the hero of the day was Fraser when he bagged his fourth.

With 6 minutes to go the keeper managed a hand to the ball as he was being rounded but he couldn’t stop the big striker from tapping the ball home and in so giving Cupar a quarter final tie against Dysart at Duffus Park tomorrow. K.O. 2 P.M.

Ceres Butchers meat tray winner was Gary Roberts (Cupar). Thanks to Fiona and staff at the Westport Tavern.

Team: Rann, Milne, Gilfillan, Anderson (C), Sharp, McGuire, Sibanda, Fraser, Halley, Pryde and Fraser. Subs: G. Sharp, Donald, Kinhart, McLean, Reilly and Kirk.