2009
This Scottish cup 4rd round saw Kilbowie Union from the Strathclyde A.F.L visit Windygates on a overcast dreek day. An evenly matched game at the start with boths sussing each other out with sporadic attacking moves. Kilbowie began to settle into the game and started asserting pressure on Vale with corner after corner getting whipped in, when eventually a Kilbowie player smashed a half volley from just outside the box taking a wicked deflection on its way, beating Gardner in the Vale goal. Not long after that Kilbowie made it 2-0 with some shocking defending. The Striker seemed to ghost past the rather static Vale defence to slid the ball past a bewildered Gardner.
Half time Eastvale 0 Kilbowie 2
In the second half Eastvale piled on the pressure with chance after chance failing to find the back of the net. Kilbowie, to their credit, held out til 15 mins to go when after another appetising corner from Vale, Jamie Armit squeezed the ball passed the Kilbowie Keeper at his near post. Ward came on for O’Neil and proceeded to cause the KIlbowie defence problems hitting the post twice and missing a few others he would easily dispatch on another day. With Eastvale desperate for an equaliser they were spread thin at the back and break down the left wing by Kilbowie was ended when the Ref deemed Connelly illegally challenged the player inside the box.The penalty was fantastically saved by Gardner who kept Vales chances alive for a little longer.
But with darkness descending Vale gave a final push but Kilbowie held out and progressed to the next round,it just wasn’t going to be Vale’s day. We are bitterly disappointed to have exited the cup so early but we wish Kilbowie Union all the luck in the next round after a hard fought encounter.
Fulltime: Eastvale 1-2 Kilbowie
Eastvale: Gardner, O’Neil (Ward), Tucker, Haley, McLeish, Kennedy, Connelly, Armitt, Beau(Kirk), Douglas, Allan, Sub Not Used Laing, Coull, Mitchell
