Dumbarton Harp earn cup replay after comeback

Nov 14 2008 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

DUMBARTON Harp proved themselves worthy of their cup replay – snatching victory and fourth round cup action in the dying minutes.

Brian Docherty’s superb 35 yard strike with less than five minutes to go topped off a Harp comeback which left Neilston wondering where they went wrong.

Neilston started the game fighting and were soon rewarded after their centre forward turned on a long clearance from the Harp defence to take a deserved lead.

Harp tried to bounce back and several long range efforts from Matty Holmes tested the visiting keeper, with Sean Cleary coming close later.

But a probing run from the Neilston wing back and subsequent cross was too much for the Harp defence to deal with and the striker made just enough connection with the ball to send his side two up.

For the second consecutive week, Harp found themselves two down after less than 30 minutes.

But undeterred, the Harp lads pulled themselves back into the match, and it wasn’t long before they proved the match wasn’t over as good work down the left from Matty Holmes and Neil Allen, who swung the ball into the box for Joe Holmes to lift it over the keeper.

Harp continued to probe in the second half and were duly rewarded on 70 minutes when John Paul McEwan pounced on a Docherty corner to level the scores.

Harp powered through for the last 20 minutes but their numerous efforts on goal proved fruitless.

Just as it seemed extra time was looming, a cross from Gardiner fell short of Cleary and McGuiness and luckily found the feet of Docherty who calmly converted from 35 yards with just minutes left on the clock.

The final whistle was met with cheers from the Harp team and management and sighs from a Neilston side shellshocked at losing after being two up.

Dumbarton Harp: J McFall (c), C Niven, N Allen, S Hutchison, J McEwan, S Dobbin, M Holmes, D McElroy, B O’Neill, S Cleary, J Holmes, S Gardiner, B Docherty, R McGuiness, S McIndewar, A Ward