With the recent weather causing havoc across the North-East in recent weeks, Rovers were delighted to be able to utilise the fantastic new 4G Facilities at Macduff Sports Centre as they welcomed Tollcross Thistle, one of the strongest amateur sides in Edinburgh, for a 4th Round Scottish Cup Match.  Injuries continued to limit Rovers selection with Coull, Fisher, G.Smart & Brown ruled out by injury with Wood (suspension) and Findlater (work commitments) also unavailable whilst recent signings R.Walker and Pugh were both cup tied having featured in earlier round for Burghmuir and Tarves respectively.
 
The match, Rovers’ first for four weeks, kicked off under the floodlights on a tremendous surface.  It became very clear early on that the visitors were an extremely capable side as they looked to build from the back and utilise the width of the big park at every opportunity.  To the credit of the Rovers players though they kept a great shape as they limited the away side to possession in areas that caused no danger.  As the home side began to settle, they grabbed the lead with their first move of the match.  It started out in the left back position with the ball being worked to right back Chalmers who fed into the feet of Stewart who in turn send Bremner scampering down the right hand side.  Bremner’s cut back was precise allowing Keith WALKER to slot the ball home without breaking stride across the keeper to give his side the lead.  The flow of the match continued to see Tollcross dominate the ball but again the defensive shape of Rovers, and the work rate limited the clear cut chances.  The home side would have two free kicks in promising areas but both Bremner and Walker were off target before Milne dealt with two long range efforts in quick succession.  The away sides main threat was coming from their talented left winger as he twice got into good areas but seen his final ball go unrewarded.  With the half drawing to a close the visitors would have a great chance to get back on level terms after a slack clearance however the shot was dragged wide with only keeper Milne to beat.
 
The half time talked focused on the need to keep the defensive shape, increase the work rate even further and utilise the pace on the break to frustrate the visiting side.  And again the first twenty minutes of the half followed a similar pattern with the home defence, well aided by the rest of the team, restricting Tollcross to long range efforts despite their dominance of the ball.  Again it was the left winger who looked most likely to create, and he flashed a couple of great balls across the face of the box that again no visiting striker gambled on as their frustration began to grow.  Rovers then had a superb chance to kill them game on the counter with twenty minutes remaining after Stewart broke and expertly fed the on rushing Bremner who seen his powerful effort tipped over the bar when perhaps he had time for a touch.  The visitors then looked odds on to level as they broke through the inside right channel but the striker somewhat bizarrely opted to square the ball and Graffin was on hand to produce a superb block.  It was now backs to the wall for Rovers as they introduced Smith for Vasey who had gotten through a power of work.  With time running out the away side began to over commit but continued to find the home side in no mood to concede, and with minutes left Keith WALKER waltzed past two away defenders to rifle the ball home on his weaker left side to send his team mates into raptures and secure his sides passage into the 5th round.  They should have added a third in added time but Ritchie somehow headed over the bar from close range when it seemed easier to score however this proved to be irrelevant.
 
This was a quite fantastic result for Rovers, given the four week inactivity, as they negotiated an extremely difficult tie against a talented side to advance to the 5th Round of The Scottish Cup, a feat the club have never managed before.  The players deserve immense credit for their tactical awareness, and work rate, to restrict the away side to few clear cut chances throughout the match.  The reward is a home tie against Cambusbarron Rovers (CAL) or Ferguslie Star (SAFL) on Saturday January 13th 2018.
 
Rothie are back on domestic duty this week (23/12) when they travel to face Cove Thistle in the 2nd Round of the AFC Trophy.  The match, at Catto Park, kicks off at 13:30.