Jeanfield Swifts AFC welcomed Dundee First Division side Occidental AFC to North Inch Community Campus for the North of Tay last-16 clash.

Jeanfield couldn’t have asked for a better start. Inside two minutes, K. Mitchell drove through the middle, skipping past a couple of challenges before slipping the ball into J. Jardine. The striker showed real composure, nutmegging the centre-half and curling a brilliant finish beyond the keeper to make it 1–0.

The Swifts continued to press, knowing a single-goal lead could be dangerous, but they gave the visitors little joy and controlled the tempo of the first half. Their dominance was rewarded on 42 minutes when R. Shillan delivered an outrageous diagonal ball from an advanced right-back position to the left of the six-yard box. Jardine’s first touch killed the ball dead before he drove at goal and smashed an unstoppable effort into the far corner to double the lead.

The in-form striker wasn’t finished there. On the stroke of half-time, K. Brown won the ball high up the pitch and fired a low cross into the box, where Jardine reacted quickest to flick the ball home and complete a superb first-half hat-trick.

Second Half

Jeanfield came out flying once again and effectively killed the game just three minutes after the restart. A. Abboud flicked on a goal kick into the path of the onrushing Jardine, who showed excellent control with his chest before finishing clinically at the far post to make it 4–0.

Occidental struggled to regain any structure at this point, and Jeanfield continued the onslaught. On 59 minutes, a cleared corner was recycled back into the box and dropped at the feet of N. McNicol. He showed great awareness to lift the ball over a defender, finding A. Abboud unmarked just two yards out for a simple header and Jeanfield’s fifth.

With a raft of changes made, Occidental managed to carve out a couple of chances and pulled one back on 72 minutes after a shot wasn’t closed down and the rebound fell kindly to their striker. Unfortunately for the visitors, a heavy collision shortly after saw them reduced to ten men.

Jeanfield regained full control and rounded off an emphatic performance on 85 minutes. R. Shillan collected the ball just inside his own half and, with Pirlo-esque vision, spotted the run of R. Gillies down the left. His inch-perfect cross was met by Gillies, who powered a header home without breaking stride to seal a convincing 6–1 win.

Fulltime
Jeanfield Swifts AFC 6
Occidental AFC 1

J.Jardine ⚽⚽⚽⚽
A.Abboud ⚽
R.Gillies ⚽

Man of the Match was J. Jardine, whose ruthless finishing and four-goal haul inspired Jeanfield into the quarter-finals in style.

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