OF ALL the Scottish Cup second-round ties to be played on 25 October, the one offering Spartans an opportunity to knock out Annan Athletic on their own turf stands as the most intriguing.
There will be a lot of talking to be done by both sides over the next few weeks, and, no matter what anyone says publicly, this match will inevitably be billed as a chance for revenge.
What it won't be is a grudge match. Spartans may have missed
out to Annan in July's election to admit a new club into the Scottish Football League, but the cosy relationship between the two has remained intact. Spartans, in fact, participated in Annan's pre-season tournament at Galabank just a couple of weeks after the election. But they couldn't have expected to be going back so soon to a ground they know well.
If the truth be told, this is a tie neither team really wanted. Rivals on the pitch for years in the East of Scotland League, this clash will mean more than any gone before. Losing will be painful.
The draw hasn't been kind to Spartans, who needed a Nicky Walker goal five minutes from time to overcome the robust challenge presented to them by Pollok in an absorbing contest at City Park that was as entertaining as it was tense.
The Glasgow-based junior powerhouses went into this first-round replay insisting they could not play as badly as they did in the 1-1 draw at Newlandsfield the week before.
Spartans, East of Scotland League flag bearers in the Scottish Cup in the not-too-distant past but perhaps no longer the force they once were, treated Pollok, the West Region junior Superleague leaders and champions, with the respect they normally reserve for SFL opponents: by getting in their face and playing the game at a high tempo.
City Park has hosted its fair share of compelling cup-ties in recent memory and this, probably the last to be staged at the grass-banked amphitheatre on the edge of Pilton, was as typical as they come. If clear-cut chances were few and far between, there were plenty of meaty challenges for supporters to enjoy. The inevitable red card took a long time coming, but after the late goal two were shown in quick succession. Pollok's Stevie Miller was perhaps unfortunate to be given a straight red for his clumsy tackle, while Spartans' Alex King could have no complaints about his dismissal after one foul too many.
There was little to choose between the teams over a rip-roaring 90 minutes, and the winning goal was the result of calamitous defending by Pollok's Joe Carruth and Derek Wingate at the edge of their own box. The long, high clearance from deep inside the Spartans' half should have been no cause for alarm, but Carruth and Wingate tried to deal with it at the same time. The collision left both spread-eagled and helpless on the turf, the ball dropping nicely for Walker. The striker took a touch and drilled the ball low into the corner with only the goalkeeper to beat.
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