Jeanfield Swifts took on 1st Division Conference B side Glenrothes FC on Wednesday night, in the East of Scotland League Cup Group Stage.

It was a night to forget for the home side, who went 3-0 down in the opening 45 minutes, in a wet and windy Riverside Stadium. This deficit was too big to claw back despite an improved 2nd half performance, with a Kieran Stewart goal not quite enough to start a comeback. The visitors then killed the game off with a 4th a few minutes before full-time.

Glenrothes started the game on the front foot and took the lead 7 minutes in. Reece Brown found space on the edge of the box and powered a strike across Dalton and into the back of the net.

Jeanie then responded well, with a flurry of attacking chances. Paul Simpson came closest to pulling his side level, with a curling strike from the edge of the box. However, he could not quite hit the target and it sailed just wide of the post.

22 minutes in and the visitors were close to adding to their lead. Dalton was forced into action twice in quick succession, with the young keeper managing to pull off a couple of diving saves.

Glenrothes then doubled their advantage on 24 minutes. After some neat play out to the wing, an opposition player swung an inviting cross into the box, which was met with a diving header into the back of the net from Stuart Cargill at the back post.

Cargill then grabbed his second goal of the game to extend his team’s lead to a 3-goal margin 2 minutes before half-time. The former-Kelty Hearts man fired a free-kick into the bottom corner of the net from distance, leaving Jeanfield with it all to do in the 2nd half.

The first-half performance lacked the intensity of previous weeks and Swifts were not good enough in the first 45, this was punished by Glenrothes who were up for it and taking their chances.

Half-Time: Jeanfield Swifts 0-3 Glenrothes FC

Jeanie came back out the stronger of the two sides following the interval and had plenty of possession in the Glenrothes final 3rd, without perhaps creating that killer chance.

Jeanfield Swifts pulled a goal back 51 minutes into the game, with Kieran Stewart managing to fire the ball past the opposition keeper from close range, perhaps giving his side a chance of getting back into the game.

There was no doubt that Ross Gunnion’s side were having a better half than the first, but it felt like too little too late. The Glenrothes side were well organised and they rarely looked threatened.

The home side came close to a 2nd goal when they hit the bar on 75 minutes, a scramble in the box and a shot from the edge of the box almost found it’s way past the keeper, but sadly it was one of those nights and came crashing off of the woodwork.

Chris McLeish almost made it 3-2 with 5 minutes to go. The Jeanie number 9 was found unmarked in the box, but his header went narrowly wide of the far post. This was the last real chance of the game for Jeanie.

Glenrothes then put the game to bed in the 90th minute, after a quick counterattack Andrew Macallion was found free in the box, he powered his shot past the onrushing Dalton and into the back of the net.

Full-Time: Jeanfield Swifts 1-4 Glenrothes FC

Despite a horror show of a first half, 4-1 was probably a harsh scoreline for the home side. They were much improved after the interval and had a few decent chances to score, but when you are 3-0 down you need to take them and it just was not Jeanfield’s night.

After going all the way with The Spartans on Saturday, as well as playing Wednesday-Saturday 3 times in the last month, it felt as though that was taking its toll on the squad last night.

This result sees Glenrothes top League Cup Group A.