Tactical know-how is key to Selkirk's passage to semi-final

Jordan Hopkinson was on target for Selkirk against Edusport Academy (picture by Grant Kinghorn).

Edusport Academy 1

All the goals came late in the second half – but Selkirk could be on course to reach a cup final , having tied up a fifth-place league finish.

The Yarrow Park men avenged a recent 3-0 beating by Edusport with a clinical 3-1 win on Saturday in the last eight of the Lowland League Cup.

They face formidable opponents tomorrow (Saturday) in BSC Glasgow in their bid to reach the final – but manager Ian Fergus is delighted with the commitment shown and the progress made since his return, with only a dozen or so players at his disposal.

“It’s good to get to a semi-final,” he said. “I was happy with the way things went – they played really well and stuck to a game plan. Edusport are a good side, so I was really pleased we stuck to our task. We were really depleted again – we only had 12 players, but they all did well.”

Sean McKirdy opened the scoring near the midway point of the second half and Jordan Hopkinson put Selkirk two up before Edusport pulled one back. But, in the closing stages, a truly outstanding goal from Dale Baxter secured Selkirk’s win.

“I knew how Edusport would play, so we changed tactics,” said Fergus. “We played a different type of counter-attacking game. We forced them to play long balls all the time and they could not cope.

“Tactically, we were spot on and the players listened well – I have to credit them. Edusport scored a goal from distance but it was the only shot they had in the match.”

Fergus added: “It will be a monumental task against BSC – they are beating everyone at the moment and have a big, strong squad. But I’m very pleased to get to the semi-final and I still think we have a chance of winning.

“It’s a 90-minute cup game and, while they will start as strong favourites, rightly so, and be confident of winning, we will go in with a game plan.”

Selkirk drew 1-1 with Civil Service Strollers at Yarrow on Wednesday, with Baxter scoring again, and host Edinburgh University on Tuesday evening in their last league game of the campaign.