Rothes 0 Dalbeattie Star 1: History eludes Speysiders as they crash out of Scottish Cup
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ROTHES' search for a first third-round Scottish Cup appearance continues after they succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Dalbeattie Star on Saturday.
The Speysiders, playing at Mackessack Park after drawing in Dalbeattie, failed to break down a stubborn Star side and were made to pay when Dan Orsi headed home the winning goal.
Orsi's goal was the highlight of a drab match with the weight of history proving too much to shoulder for the home side who were unusually sloppy.
The visitors started the better of the two sides and very nearly took an early lead through Dylan Cairnie. Combative full back, Dean Brotherston found Cairnie with a teasing delivery but the Star forward saw his effort comfortably saved by Sean McCarthy.
Rothes responded with a chance of their own when Ryan McRitchie headed Alan Pollock's corner narrowly wide.
The home side had an Ali Stark intervention to thank for denying Star's Lewis Sloan with a brave goal saving challenge.
Dalbeattie may have travelled six hours for the match but the visitors showed no signs of fatigue as they went in search of an opener.
However, they struggled to fashion any clear cut chances and were fortunate not to fall behind after a goal line stramash.
Gary Kerr, leading the line in place of Craig Cormack for Rothes, couldn't force the ball over the line after Luke Holt in the visitor's goal blocked the target man's shot bravely at point blank range.
Aidan Wilson's slack header from 6 yards out on the stroke of half time summed up a poor opening half littered with errors.
The second half started in the same vein as the first with both sides cancelling each other out for large parts.
Rothes thought they had taken the lead after a rare moment of quality. Pollock's delivery was met by McRitchie who steered the ball into the back of the net to spark wild celebrations amongst the home support. However, the goal was ruled out after the linesman raised his flag for a marginal offside much to the frustration of the home support.
The home side brought Ross Gunn and Cormack on as they went in search of a winner. The changes made a difference with Jack's side laying siege to Star's box.
However, with ten minutes to go Star, who had looked out on their feet, dealt a game killing sucker punch. Bortherston's corner found Orsi before the winger powered an unstoppable effort beyond McCarthy to secure a tie at home to East Kilbride in the third round.
Rothes: McCarthy, Stark, Finnis, McRitchie, Milne, Robertson, Mackintosh, Pollock, Kerr, Brown, Wilson.
Subs: Cormack, Gunn, Harkness, Johnstone, Mackenzie.
Dalbeattie: Holt, Brotherston, Muir, Todd, McChesney, Dickinson, Orsi, McMahon, Currie, Sloan, Cairnie.
Subs: Park, Degnan, Graham, Emmerson, Potts, Smith.
Referee: Colin Whyte
