Amateurs: Craig O’Reilly treble helps Pentland Athletic fight back to reach last eight

The Pentland Athletic players celebrate a goal against Dunfermline's Yeoman AFC in the last 16 of the Only Sport Sunday Amateur Cup. Picture: SW Photography

The well-travelled former East Fife and Dundee man, now 34 years of age and playing with his mates, was in unstoppable form against the Dunfermline-based hosts.

Yeoman had taken control of the fifth-round tie with two impressive goals in quick succession, but a formation change from Pentland manager Gary Nicholson from a 4-3-3 to a 4-5-1 allowed them to dominate the midfield area and the switch was key to their revival.

Pentland worked it well down the left-hand side for their first goal with Robbie Polson and Dean Knight combining, and the latter picked out O’Reilly who fired into the net.

An own goal pulled the visitors level, before O’Reilly struck again for his second to give Pentland a 3-2 lead, which they looked like they would hold onto going into half-time, only to concede again.

Pentland were determined to secure their spot in the quarter-finals, however, and O’Reilly put them ahead once again with an early second half penalty strike for his treble after he had been fouled.

The visitors relied on goalkeeper Josh Carter to preserve their lead as he made several key saves, none more so than an 80th minute penalty stop as he dived down low to his right side to deny the home side a late equaliser.

Tranent AFC join Pentland in the quarter-final draw as they knocked out Glasgow outfit Cranhill United with a solitary 1-0 victory.

In difficult conditions, there wasn’t much between the two sides, but Tranent took their big chance when it mattered on the hour mark.

Kyle Ferguson’s through ball to striker Anton McKillop wasn’t cleared well enough by the home goalkeeper, the ball landing for Kyle Williams 25 yards out and he scooped an effort over the keeper’s head and into the net.

Elsewhere, in Saturday’s RJM Sports East of Scotland Cup third round, Tollcross Thistle were 6-0 winners away to Bo’ness United with six different players finding the net.