Elgin City’s thrilling Scottish Cup run to earn a shot at Aberdeen included goalkeeper Aidan Glavin’s six penalty saves against Clyde and a Ryan Sargent-inspired victory over League 1 Kelty Hearts
It’s a tale of a goalkeeper saving six penalty kicks and victory over the League 1 leaders.
Elgin City’s journey to reach Saturday’s Scottish Cup fourth round meeting with Aberdeen has been a thrilling one, encompassing two of Borough Briggs’ most memorable occasions of recent years.
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There weren’t exactly gasps of delight when City landed a home draw against League 2 rivals Clyde in round two - but it was a tie that was to hit the national headlines.
That was because of one young man, 19-year-old Elgin goalkeeper Aidan Glavin who had the match of his life.
In only his seventh game for the Black and Whites since joining them on loan from Kilmarnock, the teenager was a hero for his team.
Yet City would not be facing the Dons this weekend if defender Jack Murray had not popped up with an 88th minute equaliser to cancel out Jordan Allan’s first half strike for the Bully Wee.
The rest of the game belonged to Glavin. Firstly he saved Logan Dunachie’s penalty in extra time, a crucial intervention as neither side found the net in the 30 minutes and the tie went to a shoot-out.
What followed was a marathon that will be talked about for years.
Glavin saved Clyde’s second and third spot kicks but Elgin also missed two to take it into sudden death.
The home keeper repelled the visitors’ seventh and eighth kicks, only for his team-mates to miss with two opportunities to wrap up the victory.
When the shoot-out kept going, all 11 players who finished the game had to take a penalty including Glavin, who confidently slotted his home.
Finally, when the Killie youngster made his sixth spot kick stop to thwart Clyde’s 12th kick - indeed their unlucky 13th of the whole tie - Russell Dingwall stepped up to do what he failed to do with City’s opening penalty and fired it home to hand the Moray side a thrilling 8-7 success.
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That dramatic win earned the Black and Whites another home tie in the third round against League 1 leaders Kelty Hearts, who they had already faced in the other two cup competitions this season.
It turned out to be another pulsating contest, with a pumped-up Elgin triumphing 3-2.
A stunning Ryan Sargent header had the home side ahead at the break and although Kelty levelled in the second half, two brilliant breakaway goals by Dylan Gavin and Sargent again opened up a two-goal gap between the teams.
A late penalty, which Glavin couldn’t save this time, offered hope to Kelty but Elgin held on for a superb victory.
The fourth round draw was to give Elgin another home tie in round four, this time with the famous Dandy Dons.
