Recap

Blackburn United 2 (Heath 19mins, Campbell 44mins)
Easthouses Lily 1 (Russell 21mins)

A third appearance in the Scottish Cup for United began in positive fashion when Danny Campbell did well with a piece of hold up play that allowed him to lay the ball off to the supporting James Mildren but his shot was held easily enough by Hay in the visiting goal. Shortly thereafter Campbell was again the creator, slipping in Richie Hutton on the right but his pop was saved by Hay down low to his left. At the other end Russell got his head on a cross to set up Beattie but he couldn’t get his own header on target. The opening goal then duly arrived on nineteen minutes and it was Campbell who once more was at the heart of it, taking a long clearance down brilliantly and playing in Callum HEATH on the right who chopped his stride to create the space to curl an absolute beauty past Hay and into the left corner of the net. However, the lead was short lived and RUSSELL was strong to hold off a challenge as he barrelled into the box to pick his spot in the bottom right hand corner. A looped Campbell header from a Hutton cross was touched over as Blackburn looked to re-establish the lead but it was a terrific one on one black by Craig Saunders that prevented McBeth squeezing the visitors in front. However, just before the interval the United lead was indeed restored, Keiran Sweeney setting off on a run down the left from inside his own half and sliding a pass across the face of the box to CAMPBELL who took a touch and thumped a shot across Hay and into the bottom left.

The second half was more of a tame affair with Blackburn happy to allow the men from East Lothian possession without too much in the way of clear cut chances arriving, other than Russell curling an effort wide of the left hand post. Substitute Darren Gribben then presented the Lily rearguard with some problems without testing Hay too much. With some six minutes remaining both sides were reduced to ten men when Beattie lunged in on James Mildren with his boot up and studs showing, catching the full back high on the shin and causing a bit of heated pushing and shoving in the aftermath. Once referee Mr. Soutar was able to calm matters, his red card was deservedly brandished at original culprit Beattie as well as Campbell who had been first to take exception to his tackle. Once play resumed the final minutes were negotiated easily enough by Blackburn to progress into the first round proper of the national cup competition for the first time.

Blackburn United line-up: Saunders, Mildren, Lawrie, Cameron, Millar, Browne, Heath (Gribben 82), Howe, Sweeney (McClung 86), Campbell, Hutton Subs (not used): Young, Ferris, Baillie, King, Clements

Easthouses Lily line-up: Hay, Smith, Whyte, McQueenie, Meikle, Russell, McBeth, Hunter, Elliot, Janczyk, Beattie Subs: Sives, Kearney, Lennie, Connell, Brown, Currie, McDermott, Amos

Referee: Mr. Greg Soutar
Assistants: Mr. Ralph Gordon & Mr. Sean Duff