Rob Roy through after early blitz ends Rossvale hopes

An effort from Willie Sawyers (not in picture) beats the Rossvale keeper for Rob Roy's fifth.

Rossvale carved out the first chance of Saturday’s final group match at Guy’s Meadow when Craig Holmes tested Rabs keeper Michael McKinven with a low shot.

The Bishopbriggs side, who needed a three-goal win to progress, had the ball in the net in the eighth minute when Erald Krasniqi flicked the ball past McKinven but the flag was up.

Rabs took the lead in the 10th minute when skipper Chris Duff did the spadework for Kevin Watt to turn his marker before sending a sublime volley past Vale’s keeper Jamie Donnelly.

Two minutes later the home side doubled their advantage when Willie Sawyers passed to Gavin Mackie to fire past Donnelly and Mackie made it 3-0 on the 15 minute mark with a low crisp strike.

Rabs kept up the pressure with Duff sending a vicious volley just over the bar from the edge of the penalty box before Sawyers’ header cannoned back off the crossbar. The industrious Shaun Fraser was unlucky to see his effort flash past the post.

Having weathered the onslaught Rossvale came back into the match; from an Anton McDowall free-kick Krasniqi headed wide of the target.

But three minutes before the interval Rabs scored a fourth when Mackie drove a well-placed 30 yard free-kick low past Donnelly to complete his hat-trick.

Rossvale pulled a goal back in 48 minutes when Holmes was given acres of space to scamper down the left wing unchallenged before cutting inside before sending the ball high past McKinven.

Rabs were creating chances but their finishing let them down. Mackie’s free-kick from distance was parried to safety by Donnelly and the keeper was again in action, saving from Fraser, before Duff headed wide.

Rabs added a fifth in the 77th minute when clever wing play from substitute’s Reece Pearson and Lee Gallacher gave Sawyers the chance to round Donnelly before sending the ball into the net from an acute angle.

With 10 minutes remaining Rossvale added a second with a replica of their first with Holmes again allowed to advance towards the Rabs goal then curling a low shot into the net to end the scoring.

The win ensured Rob Roy topped the group with four wins out of four and they now face Clydebank at Guy’s Meadow on Wednesday in a repeat of last year’s quarter-final.