Breakdown turns League Cup fixture into a farce

The Souters had to start with 10 men against Vale of Leithen due to five players being stranded in Edinburgh when their car broke down on the way to the game.

It meant Selkirk had to start assistant manager Paul Doig up front, and the depleted hosts were no match for 11-man Vale, who won 7-0 to make it through to the League Cup quarter finals.

Selkirk now face Lowland League champions City at Yarrow Park, but Forrest is still bullish about his team’s chances.

“We want to get three points to get ourselves up the league table,” he told The Wee Paper.

“All City’s games have been tight, they either win or lose narrowly, and provided we have 11 players, I am sure it will be the same on Saturday.”

On the Vale game, Forrest added: “It was always going to happen to one team in the Lowland League.

“We have players coming from all over the place and most of our players have a trade, so can’t get away early for a midweek kick-off.

“Their car had a problem with its fuel pipe and they could not get it started. It is really annoying, but I have to give credit to the guys who started, they were outstanding.

“We have Vale next week in the league and I will give lifts to all the players myself, just to make sure they get here.”

A decent game was in prospect, with both teams able to go through to the last eight of the League Cup with a victory. But the tie was a non-contest from kick-off, with Vale going ahead through Shaun Stevens after just five minutes.

Selkirk held out for a further 25 minutes, conceding a goal that was more to do with the pitch than their reduced numbers.

Vale were struggling to add to their goal until Jason Stevens’ low shot bobbled over Selkirk goalkeeper Jamie Newman’s shoulder and flew into the net.

And it was 3-0 before half time when Ryan Sclater’s free kick was headed by Jason Stevens into the path of Steven Lynch, who sidefooted in.

Vale went four ahead two minutes after the break, thanks to Jason Stevens’ close-range goal from a Ross Brady corner, before Garry O’Connor, playing at centre half, fired over with a rare Selkirk chance.

Lynch took the score to 5-0 before Connor Handren was substituted with an injury he picked up in the early stages of the game.

Nine-man Selkirk lost a sixth when Shaun Stevens fired in and it was 7-0 just three minutes from full-time as Stevens completed his hat-trick.

Last weekend Selkirk won 4-2 against strugglers Preston Athletic in the Lowland League, with doubles from O’Connor and one of Wednesday’s missing five, Ouzy See.