Amateur wrap: Meadowbank AFC manage full year as invincibles

Meadowbank AFC had to fight back against Duddingston to retain their winning run

At Meadowbank 3G, the Premier Division leaders won their 29th game on the trot but they had to work hard for the victory after opening the scoring with ten minutes playerd. Fraser Andrews hit a piledriver from outside the box that flew in to break the deadlock.

It was a mighty opening goal but the lead wasn’t to last long. Richard Hill helped carve out Duddingston’s equaliser as he drove to the byeline and crossed for Stephen Hughes to volley in.

Duddingston had their tails up and Meadowbank were below par as the half came to a close. At the start of the second half Duddingston took full advantage of the momentum to go 2-1 up. Sam Scott robbed Meadowbank of possession deep in their own half and fired beyond keeper Aaron Griffiths.

But Meadowbank were never going to throw the towel in. They battled back into things with Ross Grant equalising and Marc McGregor’s thunderous strike from range putting them back in front.

Meadowbank were flying and they wrapped up a fine turnaround as Mark Griffiths fired in late on to make it 4-2.

• McKenzie hat-trick for Danderhall in Scottish Cup

Lee McKenzie bagged a hat-trick as Danderhall Miners negotiated a tricky away tie at Beechwood Albion to book a spot in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.

The Edinburgh outfit looked comfortable throughout the first half at Forth Bank, despite facing a side who were unbeaten at home in their past 12 games. Hall brought their ‘A’ game when it mattered and deservedly took the lead as McKenzie ran on to a diagonal ball, turning his man inside out on the edge of the opposition box and picking out the bottom left corner of the goal.

As the half progressed Hall really should have had another but they couldn’t quite capitalise on the amount of possession they had.

It wasn’t to matter though as they atoned for their misses with a second goal 55 minutes in. McKenzie scored once again following a goalmouth skirmish.

Hall had not been troubled but out of nothing they somehow conceded five minutes after scoring. Stuart Smith chased down a long ball to bag a goal for Beechwood.

It wasn’t to fluster Hall, however, as they stuck at their task. Another goal came for the visitors with 15 minutes to go. Kieran Glen was upended in the box, giving McKenzie a gift of a goal from the penalty spot, making it 3-1.

• McNulty helps Sandys brush aside Ellon

Sandys brushed aside Scottish Cup fourth-round opponents Ellon AFC at Castleview with a 5-1 victory.

The cup tie began with both sides looking fairly evenly matched, but it was all change by the 20th minute as Sandys got a grip on affairs. Kevin McNulty showed he knew where the net was with a lethal volley from close range to give the Edinburgh side the advantage.

With that Sandys were on their way and they took full advantage of the momentum created to add another. McNulty made no mistake from the penalty spot with Ellon rattled.

The Aberdeen side did at least manage to pull a goal back before the interval through Dillon Rhodes but it was only delaying the inevitable as Ellon seemed way out of their depth.

Sandys picked up where they left off in the second half as they further dominated proceedings. McNulty added his and Sandys third with a copy of his first goal and Bob McKenzie drilled an effort low into the Ellon goal to make it 4-1.

It was too easy for Sandys and they wrapped up what had been a straightforward victory late on. Ryan Andersons’s incisive finish completed a fine passing move from the Edinburgh side on a day they had been on top in all areas of the park.