Archibald's goal was scored in the 51st minute, only two minutes after Gavin Malin had equalised for Spartans with a 25-yard shot which nearly brought down the Annan Athletic net.
The game may not have been billed as a grudge match but there was n
o doubt that Spartans, who saw Annan gain the SFL spot that they themselves craved so much, were determined to prove that they were, once more, a match for any SFL side.
After the disappointment of the original fixture being postponed the previous Saturday, Spartans travelled south with midfield player Alex King still suspended although striker Keith McLeod, who has not featured this season because of injury, earned himself a place on the bench. Annan started the more composed team and Mike Jack headed a Darren Johnstone cross wide before an Alan Inglis corner was headed for another flag kick by Spartans' Daniel O'Donnell.
Jack swung over the award and Kevin Neilson rose unmarked in the six yard box to power a header behind Chris Flockhart in the Spartans goal.
With only 16 minutes on the clock it was not the ideal start for the Capital club, but the goal stirred them into positive action.
Manson won a corner on the right and Dean Hoskins fired the ball into the danger area where Annan goalkeeper Craig Summersgill did well to punch the ball clear. A free kick from Hoskins from a similar position saw striker Nicky Walker hit the ball first time and his high shot was well held by Summersgill.
Annan nearly increased their advantage when a rocket from Neilson was well parried by Flockhart but the rebound was pushed past the upright by Johnstone.
A long throw-in from Johnstone was then chested back to Flockhart by Archibald before a Hoskins corner at the other end fell to Archibald but his close range flick bounced past the post. A mazy run by O'Donnell earned a corner which was eventually crossed by Donal Henretty to O'Donnell, who hit his shot over the bar.
Half-time arrived too early for Spartans, who were beginning to assert themselves on their Third Division opponents, but the second half was only four minutes old when they hit the equaliser – and what a goal it was for Napier University Sports Science student, Gavin Malin, 20.
A ball from Hoskins to Walker was headed into the path of Malin and, from fully 25 yards out, he struck the sweetest of shots to fire the ball screaming past the diving Summersgill and send the Spartans players and management wild with delight.
These joyous scenes were tame in comparison with what happened two minutes later though. Manson delivered an inswinging free kick from wide on the left and Archibald timed his forward run to perfection before heading the ball low past Summersgill to completely deflate Annan.
"It's not very often that I score and that will certainly be one to remember," smiled Archibald.
"Manson put in a great free-kick and I just glanced the ball into the corner and there was not much their goalkeeper could do about it. It was especially pleasing for me because I felt that I could have done better defensively to prevent Annan's goal."
Henretty almost added a third when he was only inches away from connecting with a low cross from O'Donnell.
Annan introduced two fresh strikers on the hour mark to try to grasp an equaliser. Steve Archibald had the ball in the net with his first touch but the ball had already gone out of play. The same player then had a shot blocked by the tenacious Stewart Fowlie before Steven Sloan shot over.
At the other end, Spartans' sub Struan Preston watched his angular drive drift agonisingly wide of the far post. McLeod came off the bench to make his first contribution of the season and he almost scored from a Walker cross, but his netbound effort was deflected for a corner.
Annan threw everything at Spartans in the closing ten minutes. A long-range shot from Inglis and a 30-yard drive from Chris Jardine were well saved by Flockhart, and a Jack header was easily gathered by the Spartans keeper before the referee's whistle ended a dramatic contest.
Malin, who played for the Spartans second team last season after moving up from the family home in Lytham to study in Edinburgh, said: "It dropped nicely for me so I took a touch, composed myself then hit it as hard as I could. Even after I hit it I could not see the ball because the sun was in my eyes. Then it was in the net and you could say I was rather happy.
"Mind you, after that I didn't think that I played very well but at least my goal gave the team a lift, and it's my first-ever Scottish Cup goal. Overall, a great experience and it's all very exciting."
While it was Malin who brought Spartans back into the game it was Archibald who scored what proved to be the winner. The midfielder, who ended up playing in the back four for the last 20 minutes, said: "We were a bit shaky as a team for the opening 20 or 25 minutes and after losing a goal which I did not do too well at, we started to pass the ball about.
"We played better football, we got our momentum going and we went from strength to strength. We did not want half-time to come although we started off the second half in a similar vein. Gavin's strike gave us all a lift and I felt we were always going to score a second which fortunately fell to me.
"We pressed on looking for a third and we had chances although Annan put us under some pressure. We weathered the storm and there was not much between the teams. We have a few new players who have progressed well and for all of us it was good to beat a Scottish League team."
Flockhart, the Spartans goalkeeper, made some excellent stops at crucial times and held the ball well throughout.
He said: "We took a while to get going and Annan caused us some problems at set pieces because of their height.
"Once we settled they never really threatened us in open play and our defence played really well. It's my first time getting a league scalp, so I am delighted."
Mike Lawson, Spartans joint manager, said: "At half time I wanted us to push forward more, and we did. We scored two goals, and I thought that we had scored them too soon! We went to a 4-4-2 formation and we should have scored again.
"There is no doubt that the top non-league teams in Scotland are every bit as good as the teams in the lower reaches of the SFL."
Spartans will now meet Elgin City away in the Homecoming Scottish Cup third round on November 29.
Annan: Summersgill, Brown, Inglis, Townsley, Neilson (Watson 79), Jack, Sloan, Jardine, Bell (Archibald 62), Johnstone (Dunbar 62), Cameron. Subs: Calder, Hoolickin.
Spartans: Flockhart, Gerrard, Hoskins (Preston 73), Archibald, Fowlie, O'Donnell, Malin, Kader (McLeod 79), Walker, Manson, Henretty. Subs: Devlin, Smart, Hair.
The full article contains 1268 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
