When the draw for the Scottish Cup was made it’s safe to assume nobody at Falkirk wanted to face Rossvale, as the league leaders currently sit ten places above us and have been in impressive form this season. However, that’s who lady luck decided to place between us and the next round.
Rossvale started extremely well, pinning Falkirk back right from the start. In the opening sixteen minutes Falkirk goalkeeper Rachel Docherty made several good saves and the home club survived a strong penalty claim when captain Chelsea Raymond appeared to handle a shot in the box. You felt a goal was inevitable and it duly arrived in the 17th minute when no less than four Rossvale players were left unmarked at the back post and their number eighteen headed home. It should have been two in the 23rd minute when Rossvale’s most dangerous player, number fourteen, ran clear of the defence, evaded a challenge from Docherty and then shot wide when all she had to do was roll the ball into the empty net. It was only delaying the inevitable though as the second goal arrived on 28 minutes. A poor defensive clearance went straight to the Rossvale number twentyfour and she volleyed it into the net.
With almost half an hour gone, the game looked over. However, two minutes later Falkirk got a freekick within range of the Rossvale box. Dead ball specialist Lauren Simmons stepped up with a record of having already scored several times this season direct from freekicks. She did it again, admittedly helped by a poor attempt at a save from the Rossvale keeper. Falkirk were back in the game.
Whatever manager Craig Muir said in his team talk at halftime made a massive difference as Falkirk came out looking like a completely different team. They chased, harried, closed down and managed to keep the ball up the other end of the park for long spells to give their beleaguered defence some respite. Rossvale were still very dangerous going forward but for every question they asked, keeper Docherty had an answer. She had several saves which later led to the Rossvale staff giving her man of the match as she kept the Glasgow side at bay. Midfielder Claire Taylor couldn’t have been far behind as she tacked everything that moved while the movement of striker Eva Rule caused problems any time she went near the Rossvale defence.
Rule would be involved in the decisive moment of the game. With three minutes to go, she latched onto a through ball and shot home to level the tie and ensure that it went to extra time.
Our girls suddenly had a spring in their step while Rossvale looked leggy. As extra time began we were winning most of the 50/50s and Rossvale chances were nowhere near as frequent as they’d been previously. Just over halfway through the first half, the ball was threaded through to Ellie Murray. Despite playing two levels above where she usually does, the Falkirk High School pupil turned inside her marker, drove into the box and got her shot away a second before she was clattered to the ground in a heavy challenge. The challenge was too late. Her shot beat the keeper and put Falkirk ahead for the first time in the game.
You assumed Rossvale would come thundering out when the final fifteen minutes began, but in fact it was Falkirk who had the best chances. Rule had an audacious lob from well outside the box which beat the keeper only to be thwarted by a defensive header on the back post. Then with four minutes to go Falkirk got a penalty when a shot cannoned off a Rossvale hand. Unfortunately, midfielder Rhianne Ferguson put it wide. However, since coming on as a second half substitute Ferguson had played the through balls which provided the assists for both our second and third goals, so she played a pivotal role in a victory which few expected before kick-off. To be two down against the league leaders and beat them 3-2 is quite an achievement.
Well done to all our girls from everyone at the club!
Team: – Rachel Docherty, Amy Rafferty (repl by Megan Black), Chelsea Raymond, Laura Dickson, Lisa McIntyre, Charlotte Holden (repl by Rhianne Ferguson), Lauren Simmons (repl by Sophie Rupp), Claire Taylor, Emma Meaney (repl by Ellie Murray), Eva Rule, Zoe Taylor (repl by Aimee Duffy). Sub not used Sarah-Louise Waugh (GK).
