Jeanfield welcomed Lochee Harp AFC to the Riverside for the North of Tay Cup third round. Despite a week of heavy rain, the pitch held up well and the game was given the green light.

The Swifts exploded out of the blocks. Just 30 seconds after kick-off, a move down the right saw R. Shillan feed M. Gillies, whose effort found A. Abboud at the back post, and the in-form striker made no mistake. Then, in the 6th minute, M. Gillies again broke down the right and delivered for R. Gillies to head home. The Gillies brothers combined—one claiming it was a shot, the other insisting it was a cross. We’ll let you decide.

Jeanfield continued to threaten, with A. Abboud inches away from adding a third when his glancing header drifted just wide from five yards out. Lochee pushed for a way back in, but struggled to create clear-cut chances.

In the second half, Jeanfield adjusted their shape to gain more control in midfield and slow down the visitors’ momentum. It worked until the 63rd minute, when Lochee struck down the right with a cross and a free header inside the box. Their tails were up, and just two minutes later they were awarded a soft penalty after a player went down easily. B. Blyth was booked for his protests—something that would come back to haunt him—but J. Welch produced a superb save to his right to keep Jeanfield ahead.

Lochee, however, kept pressing and levelled in the 70th minute. A headed clearance was sent straight back over the defence, and despite suspicions of offside, the Lochee attacker collected, turned, and finished—much to the frustration of the Swifts.

In the 80th minute, after a promising Jeanfield attack, Lochee countered and broke through on goal before being pulled down by two defenders. The referee initially produced a yellow for B. Blyth but, after a moment of confusion, realised it was his second and issued the red. Jeanfield were forced to battle through the final 10 minutes with ten men as they aimed to take the tie to penalties.

Jeanfield thought they’d won it in the 85th minute when a shot from a corner appeared to cross the line, but the referee ruled it had been saved. Moments later, Lochee were inches from stealing it themselves, striking the post after breaching the back line.

Fulltime
Jeanfield Swifts AFC 2
Lochee Harp AFC 2

A. Abboud ⚽
R. Gillies ⚽

Penalty Shootout

Both teams converted their first penalties. J. Welch then saved Lochee’s second, and their third clipped the post. Jeanfield scored both of theirs to move 3–1 ahead. Lochee pulled one back, but A. Abboud stepped up to bury the decisive kick and seal the win.

Fulltime (After Penalties)
Jeanfield Swifts AFC 4
Lochee Harp AFC 2

Penalty Scorers:
J. Jardine ⚽
M. Gillies ⚽
S. Philips ⚽
A. Abboud ⚽

Man of the Match was Jordan Welch who was outstanding once again in goal, with two penalty saves, sharp sweeping, and excellent distribution.

#coyjs