[ritchiebaby]

This weekend sees the First Round proper get under way with 30 ties scheduled. This year's theme involves the 4 Rovers and I'll be following them to find out who is the last to return.

All the games in each Round will be decided on the day with extra time and then penalties if necessary. The Draw for the Second Round will take place on Sunday 29 September at 5pm.

Friday 27 September
Tynecastle v Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Dalkeith Thistle v Broxburn Athletic (LIVE ON BBC SCOTLAND AT 7.30 PM)

Saturday 28 September
Broomhill v Turriff United
Huntly v Wick Academy
Clachnacuddin v Nairn County
Dundonald Bluebell v Inverurie Loco Works
Fraserburgh v Rothes
Linlithgow Rose v Lossiemouth
Berwick Rangers v Cupar Hearts
Musselburgh Athletic v Darvel
Dundee North End v Tranent
Forres Mechanics v Jeanfield Swifts
Brechin City v Newtongrange Star
Formartine United v Whitehill Welfare
Clydebank v Girvan
Threave Rovers v Vale of Leithen
Cumbernauld Colts v Civil Service Strollers
East Stirlingshire v Lochee United
Albion Rovers v Auchinleck Talbot
Keith v Camelon Juniors
Buckie Thistle v Carluke Rovers
Brora Rangers v Cumnock Juniors
Burntisland Shipyard v Irvine Meadow
Strathspey Thistle v Sauchie Juniors
Gala Fairydean Rovers v Banks O'Dee
Deveronvale v Bo'ness United
Cowdenbeath v Rutherglen Glencairn
University of Stirling v Caledonian Braves
Dunbar United v Bo'ness Athletic
East Kilbride v Gretna 2008

[ritchiebaby]

First Round Results

Tynecastle 2 v 3 Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Dalkeith Thistle 0 v 4 Broxburn Athletic
Broomhill 0 v 1 Turriff United
Huntly 2 v 2 Wick Academy Huntly win 5-3 on penalties
Clachnacuddin 3 v 1 Nairn County
Dundonald Bluebell 1 v 1 Inverurie Loco Works Inverurie win 3-0 on penalties
Fraserburgh 8 v 0 Rothes
Linlithgow Rose 3 v 1 Lossiemouth
Berwick Rangers 4 v 2 Cupar Hearts
Musselburgh Athletic 1 v 0 Darvel
Dundee North End 4 v 0 Tranent
Forres Mechanics 1 v 2 Jeanfield Swifts
Brechin City 1 v 0 Newtongrange Star
Formartine United 2 v 0 Whitehill Welfare
Clydebank 3 v 1 Girvan
Threave Rovers 6 v 1 Vale of Leithen
Cumbernauld Colts 0 v 3 Civil Service Strollers
East Stirlingshire 2 v 3 Lochee United
Albion Rovers 1 v 2 Auchinleck Talbot
Keith 1 v 1 Camelon Juniors Keith win 4-3 on penalties
Buckie Thistle 2 v 1 Carluke Rovers
Brora Rangers 2 v 1 Cumnock Juniors
Burntisland Shipyard 1 v 4 Irvine Meadow
Strathspey Thistle 0 v 6 Sauchie Juniors
Gala Fairydean Rovers 0 v 1 Banks O'Dee
Deveronvale 2 v 4 Bo'ness United
Cowdenbeath 3 v 2 Rutherglen Glencairn
University of Stirling 0 v 2 Caledonian Braves
Dunbar United 1 v 4 Bo'ness Athletic
East Kilbride 2 v 0 Gretna 2008

My choice of teams to follow in this year's competition obviously proved a distraction for 3 of the teams, each losing by 1 goal. Threave Rovers will return for the next round, bucking the trend with a convincing 6-1 home victory. It'll be the end of November before Raith Rovers join the competition, so I'm hoping the Castle Douglas side can win through until then.

[ritchiebaby]

The Second Round Draw took place yesterday and is as follows.

These ties will be played over the weekend of 26/27 October
Auchinleck Talbot v Broxburn Athletic
Brechin City v Huntly
Brora Rangers v Formartine United
East Fife v Banks O’Dee
East Kilbride v Bonnyrigg Rose
Elgin City v Clyde
Forfar Athletic v Berwick Rangers
Fraserburgh v Turriff United
Hill of Beath Hawthorn v Bo’ness United
Inverurie Loco Works v Dundee North End
Irvine Meadow v Civil Service Strollers
Jeanfield Swifts v Edinburgh City
Keith v Clydebank
Linlithgow Rose v Clachnacuddin
Musselburgh Athletic v Caledonian Braves
Peterhead v Lochee United
Sauchie Juniors v Buckie Thistle
Stirling Albion v Bo’ness Athletic
The Spartans v Cowdenbeath
Threave Rovers v Stranraer

Threave Rovers are at home again against near-neighbours Stranraer in a winnable game and the two Bo'ness sides have been "rewarded" for two away wins in the First Round with another two away games.

[ritchiebaby]

BBC Scotland have decided to show live transmission of the local derby between Threave Rovers and Stranraer on Friday 25 October at 7.30pm.

[ritchiebaby]

Underdogs Threave Rovers lead Stranraer 1-0 at half-time in the first of the second round ties. Great play on the left wing followed by a composed pass saw the Rovers captain score with a sweet finish. The goalkeeper might have done better, but he was unsighted by two defenders in front of him and both let the ball through between their legs.

Some good football being played with the Rovers blocking just about everything that came their way. A good old-fashioned cup-tie between two committed sides.

[ritchiebaby]

Threave Rovers went out of the Scottish Cup after being 2 goals ahead against Stranraer. After being pegged back, the Rovers had a man sent off after the young lad stupidly got caught up in a melee after a Stranraer foul. Then Stranraer scored with the last kick of the game to get through to the 3rd Round.

Great substitutions from the Stranraer manager turned the game around and Threave gradually ran out of steam. Pick of the goals was a stunning strike for Stranraer's 2nd goal. The second half kept up the good old-fashioned Scottish Cup tie theme with plenty of drama allied to loads of effort and a fair amount of skill.

[ritchiebaby]

Second Round Results
Auchinleck Talbot 0 v 1 Broxburn Athletic
Brechin City 3 v 2 Huntly
Brora Rangers 2 v 1 Formartine United
East Fife 0 v 1 Banks O’Dee
East Kilbride 3 v 1 Bonnyrigg Rose
Elgin City 1 v 1 Clyde - Elgin City win 8-7 on penalties
Forfar Athletic 1 v 0 Berwick Rangers
Fraserburgh 3 v 1 Turriff United - after extra time
Hill of Beath Hawthorn 0 v 2 Bo’ness United - after extra time
Inverurie Loco Works 1 v 3 Dundee North End - after extra time
Irvine Meadow 3 v 0 Civil Service Strollers
Jeanfield Swifts 1 v 1 Edinburgh City - Edinburgh City win 5-4 on penalties
Keith 0 v 3 Clydebank
Linlithgow Rose 3 v 0 Clachnacuddin
Musselburgh Athletic 2 v 1 Caledonian Braves
Peterhead 6 v 3 Lochee United
Sauchie Juniors 0 v 2 Buckie Thistle
Stirling Albion 6 v 0 Bo’ness Athletic
The Spartans 1 v 2 Cowdenbeath
Threave Rovers 2 v 3 Stranraer

There are no more Rovers left to return until the Kirkcaldy version comes into tomorrow's draw, which takes place at 8pm with the ties due to be played over the weekend of Saturday 30 November.

[ritchiebaby]

Third Round Draw
Stranraer v Broxburn Athletic
Peterhead v Montrose
Linlithgow Rose v Raith Rovers
Elgin City v Kelty Hearts
Clydebank v Buckie Thistle
Musselburgh Athletic v Bo’ness United
Cowdenbeath v Brechin City
Cove Rangers v Inverness Caley Thistle
East Kilbride v Falkirk
Dundee North End v Airdrieonians
Queen’s Park v Partick Thistle
Banks o’ Dee v Hamilton Academical
Ayr United v Greenock Morton
Irvine Meadow v Stenhousemuir
Arbroath v Queen of the South
Fraserburgh v Annan Athletic
Livingston v Brora Rangers
Forfar Athletic v Stirling Albion
Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic
Edinburgh City v Dunfermline

It's baffling as to how one of the clubs involved (Dunfermline) can get the draw up on their website, but the Scottish FA can't. They're only good for FA in my opinion. The BBC have managed to publish the draw in the last couple of minutes , but it's too late for me. Well done, The Pars.

[Lord Snooty]

What's the tv game there then? Banks o’ Dee v Hamilton Academical?

[ritchiebaby]

The best game to watch will surely be Queens Park v Partick Thistle, but I think the BBC will want to go for another underdog. Maybe your pick or Rose v Rovers, even Cowdenbeath v Brechin might fill the bill as both of them have slipped out of the top divisions in recent years.