Deveronvale pushed East Kilbride all the way but fell to a 4-2 defeat in round one of the Scottish Cup.
In a pulsating first round encounter at Princess Royal Park the Banffers – who are 15th in the Breedon Highland League – were a credit to the division against the side sitting second in the Lowland League.
Joao Vitoria gave Kilby an early lead but Innes McKay levelled for Vale. Ronan Hughes’ counter and Reece McGuire’s strike put the visitors 3-1 up, but Dane Ballard’s penalty gave the hosts hope.
But McGuire’s second four minutes into stoppage time secured East Kilbride’s place in round two.
Early opener
The visitors started purposefully with Joao Vitoria causing problems on the left flank.
East Kilbride took the lead in the seventh minute although there was an element of good fortune involved.
The ball broke off Ben Allan in midfield for Vitoria, who slipped in Cameron Elliott and his finish from 14 yards was excellent.
Kilby had a decent spell after that and Reece McGuire perhaps should have added a second on 17 minutes but lobbed on to the roof of the net from Ronan Hughes’ through ball.
Deveronvale grew into the contest and their wingers, Horace Ormsby and Matt Jamieson, were a constant menace throughout the contest.
In the 20th minute Ormsby drilled a shot wide after Max Stewart knocked down Robbie Allan’s delivery.
At the other Banffers skipper Harry Noble made a superb sliding challenge to deny Elliott a second.
But Vale came again with Noble’s free-kick from the left glanced on by Ormsby for Dane Ballard.
The striker’s return header set-up Ormsby for a volley from 17 yards which was inches wide of the target.
On 37 minutes the Highland League side equalised. Stewart’s free-kick deflected off Kilby’s wall and McKay rose above goalkeeper Curtis Lyle to head into the unguarded net.
Before the first half was over Deveronvale goalkeeper Sean McIntosh parried Vitoria’s strike from Neil McLaughlin’s corner.
Tie in the balance
Five minutes into the second half Vale twice came close.
Jamieson jinked in from the left and his shot from 20 yards was turned behind by Lyle at full stretch.
From the corner that followed the home side kept the pressure on and Noble’s cross from the left was blasted over by Sam Bashua at the back post.
At the other end the influential McLaughlin slipped in Hughes, but McIntosh blocked the shot with his legs.
Unfortunately for Deveronvale they conceded after an hour. Elliott got in behind the defence and after evading several challenges the striker eventually teed up Hughes to slam the ball into the net from 12 yards.
Three minutes later East Kilbride should have netted a third but McIntosh made a magnificent double save to thwart McGuire and sub Daniel McManus.
With 20 minutes remaining Deveronvale’s chances were handed a boost when Logan Dunachie, who had been booked in the first half for scything down Ballard, was given a second yellow card by referee Gordon Seago for dissent.
The Banffers were pushing more bodies forward but in the 82nd minute they were hit with a sucker-punch.
McGuire broke away from McKay and Jayden Bradford before placing a right-foot shot into the bottom left corner.
But plucky Vale weren’t done, two minutes after conceding Jonathan Page pulled down McKay at a corner.
Ref Seago pointed to the spot and Ballard drilled the penalty down the middle to make it 3-2.
It was backs to the wall for Kilby as they tried to hang on. In the 90th minute Jamieson’s volley hit Ballard but looped just over the crossbar.
Deveronvale kept pushing but in the fourth minute of stoppage time Elliott set up McGuire on the break and his finish from 10 yards made it 4-2.
