Maxwell: Rob Roy win over Linlithgow will go down as classic

Rob Roy boss Stewart Maxwell says his side's astonishing Scottish Junior Cup win over Linlithgow Rose will be talked about for years to come.
Rob Roy celebrate their dramatic late winner over Linlithgow Rose (pic by Scott Wilson)Rob Roy celebrate their dramatic late winner over Linlithgow Rose (pic by Scott Wilson)
Rob Roy celebrate their dramatic late winner over Linlithgow Rose (pic by Scott Wilson)

The Kirkintilloch side looked dead and buried when they trailed 3-0 after barely half an hour of Saturday’s fifth round tie at Guy’s Meadow.

But they came roaring back with three quick goals to be level at the break before going on to seal a place in the quarter-finals with a dramatic last-minute winner.

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Rabs do have ‘previous’ for this kind of thing. Earlier in the season they did exactly the same when beating Auchinleck Talbot 4-3 in a league game and they also came back from 2-0 down to beat Kilbirnie and to lead against Arthurlie, although they eventually lost that one 4-3.

But given the high-profile nature of Saturday’s epic - against a highly-rated East Region side and with a place in the last eight at stake - Rabs have raised the bar further with their latest comeback.

Maxwell admitted he had contrasting emotions during his half-time team-talk.

He said: “That’s a game which will hopefully be talked about for years to come by the Rob Roy fans.

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“I thought I was going to combust at half-time, I was so animated at the two sides of the coin.

“I was so angry with them because they just didn’t play but at the same time so happy that we got ourselves back in the cup tie again.

“In the second half we competed really well and were excellent until they went down to 10 men and the dynamics changed for us.

“We went into our shell a wee bit rather than trying to stretch the game as we did against the Talbot

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“But I always thought we could give ourselves one more chance and I said just as we got the corner ‘This is our big moment.”

If anything Maxwell now has to manage expectations of a side who have also knocked out holders Glenafton and defeated both Beith and Auchinleck Talbot - arguably the two biggest obstacles in the way of them lifting the trophy for the first time since 1962 - in league games this season.

Maxwell said: “Everybody will say if Beith and Auchinleck miss each other that will be the final and I get that, they are two strong teams.

“Auchinleck and Beith will be favourites and rightly so, but we’ll take our chances with whoever we come up against.”

It’s back to league business this Saturday for Rob Roy when they host Cumnock at Guy’s Meadow in a Premier Division clash.