Lanark United 2-2 Carluke: Carluke win 3-1 on penalties to lift Clydesdale Cup

Penalty kings Carluke Rovers landed the Clydesdale Cup at Moor Park on Monday night after a dramatic 3-1 shootout success which followed a 3-3 draw over 90 minutes, writes Craig Martin.
Carluke Rovers players and management with Clydesdale Cup after Monday nights victory over local rivals Lanark United (Pic by Kevin Ramage)Carluke Rovers players and management with Clydesdale Cup after Monday nights victory over local rivals Lanark United (Pic by Kevin Ramage)
Carluke Rovers players and management with Clydesdale Cup after Monday nights victory over local rivals Lanark United (Pic by Kevin Ramage)

Rovers - who had also beaten Lesmahagow on spot kicks in the semi-final last Tuesday night - again showed their quality from 12 yards to win some pre-season silverware.Lanark’s first chance of note came in the 13th minute when a good run down the left from James Martin ended with a Shug Kerr header that brought out a good save from Terry in the visiting goal.Sean Lindsay then linked up well with Josh Gracie who again played in Kerr but his effort was blocked.The scoring was opened in the 19th minute when a quickly taken free-kick from Gracie was held up well by Kerr in the Carluke box before he set up Jordan Fraser.Quick work allowed Fraser to switch the ball to his left foot before hitting a low shot in to the corner for 1-0 to the home side.Mark Haddow had an effort blocked for Lanark but they allowed Carluke to start to dictate the match and it was no surprise when they drew level in the 33rd minute when a poor free-kick was deflected into the path of Lafferty who fired home for 1-1.Lanark’s last chance of the half fell to Haddow but his weak header went just over the bar.Carluke controlled the early part of the second half without causing too much trouble for the home side.But it took Lanark until the 67th minute to put together a move of any conviction when Lindsay set Kerr free on the left but his end shot only found the side netting.Then the same player put Dougie Imrie free in the middle of the park but his effort went wide.Lanark were caught napping in the 72nd minute when Carluke attacked down the left and a low cross was tapped home by Lowden for 2-1.In the second minute of stoppage time, a free-kick was played long and Imrie held the ball up well before laying it into the path of Cammy Lawson who fired an unstoppable effort wide of the Carluke keeper for 2-2.Both sides had chances to win the match outright but neither was taken and the game went to penalties.Murdock saved the first Carluke penalty by Mark Cassidy but O’Donnell missed for Lanark and the second Carluke effort by Connor McDonald went over the bar.But Lanark could not take advantage again when Haddow’s effort was saved by Daniel Terry. Both sides scored their next penalties to make it 1-1 with Rovers scoring through Peter Byrne.Carluke took the lead at 2-1 with the next effort by Ross MacNeill but when Lawson missed his the writing was on the wall for Lanark and Carluke won it with the next effort by Craig Grierson.