Football: Dumbarton strike a blow for minnows
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Your support makes all the difference.Those clubs hoping to embrace the romance of the cup were mostly given a slap in the face for their presumption, with the non-League teams Annan Athletic and Edinburgh City given a complete going-over by League opposition.
Between them they conceded 15 goals, Annan losing 8-1 to Inverness Caledonian Thistle after taking the lead, while City suffered at the hands of the prolific Andy Smith, who scored five of Dunfermline's goals in a 7-2 win.
The prize for Dunfermline was a home draw with Celtic, who beat Morton 2-0 at Celtic Park with Harald Brattbakk, the Norwegian striker, scoring his first goal for the club. Inverness have the reward of a trip to Tannadice to face Dundee United, who beat Aberdeen 1-0.
Perhaps the best performance from the smaller clubs came from Dumbarton, who drew with Motherwell. Managed by Ian Wallace, the former Coventry and Nottingham Forest striker who started his playing career at the club, Dumbarton are third from bottom of the Third Division yet came from behind to earn a replay.
They might have won the tie outright if Paddy Flannery had not pulled his shot wide when clean through at the end. The incentive for both clubs ahead of tomorrow's replay is a home tie against Rangers.
Rangers themselves were fortunate to finish their tie with Hamilton after one game. Accies had taken the lead through Steve McCormick and, although Gordon Durie equalised before half-time, it took a goal by Richard Gough some three minutes into injury time to give the men from Ibrox the victory.
Kilmarnock, the holders, eased past Stranraer to set themselves up for a local derby with their rivals Ayr United, while the mood at Easter Road was perhaps the blackest of the day.
It was there that the only real shock of the round happened, with Raith Rovers of the First Division beating their Premier Division rivals 2-1 to the disgust of the Hibs supporters, whose side are bottom of the league.
St Johnstone, another Premier side, could count themselves fortunate to get past Partick Thistle at the first attempt, with the First Division side hitting the bar and seeing several good chances wasted, while Saints progressed thanks to an early headed goal by Alan Kernaghan, the former Manchester City defender.
Hearts progressed at the expense of Clydebank with a comfortable 2-0 victory. Falkirk, last year's beaten finalists, won 3-1 at Stenhousemuir.
Yesterday Dundee had a 4-2 home win over St Mirren, who had two players sent off. Dundee, for whom Jim Grady scored twice, were 4-0 up but then managed to concede two goals when they had a two-man advantage.
TENNENTS SCOTTISH CUP Fourth-round draw: St Johnstone v Stirling; Raith v Falkirk; Ayr Utd v Kilmarnock; Hearts v Livingston or Albion Rovers; Airdrie or Ross County v Dundee or St Mirren; Dunfermline v Celtic; Dumbarton or Motherwell v Rangers; Dundee Utd v Inverness Caledonian Thistle. (Ties to be played Saturday 14 February).
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