ANNAN manager Peter Murphy admitted his Scottish Cup delight was tinged with a tint of sympathy for Clydebank as they edged out a seven-goal thriller at Holm Park.
The Galabankies left it until the dying embers of extra-time in the fourth-round clash to grab two goals in a minute to come from 3-2 down to book their place in the next round.
Second-half substitutes Robert McCartney and Iain Anderson were the heroes for Murphy’s side, and he was quick to hail the duo after the full-time whistle.
“I think that is what the cup is all about,” he said. “On one hand I kind of feel sorry for Clydebank, they gave it everything.
“There were players collapsing on the park at the end and they gave us problems all day. We couldn’t settle into our game and my players had to change a few things.
“My players never gave up. Scoring two goals in the last few minutes is like the dream of the cup. I am delighted to go through to the next round, but I do feel sorry for Clydebank.
“Robert McCartney and the rest of the subs who we threw on made a difference. They got the goals to bring it back to 3-3 and we think it is going to penalties.
“But then big Iain Anderson pops up with the goal, it is what dreams are made of and I am delighted for him. They have given me headaches going forward.”
Owen Moxen opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick on eight minutes, before Clydebank winger Hamish McKinlay hauled the game level, shortly before half-time.
Bankies controlled large parts of the cup encounter, but they had to come from behind again when Matthew Douglas made it 1-2 to the visitors on 54 minutes.
Combative midfielder Chris Black then brought the Bankies level once more, before striker Ciaran Mulcahy edged them in front early in extra time.
With just five minutes remaining of the additional period, Clydebank looked certain to book their place in the last sixteen, but a stunning turnaround by Annan sparked jubilant scenes in the away end.
Bankies boss Gordon Moffat was full of pride, despite losing out at the death.
“It is obviously very sore. But that is football, that is cup football,” he explained. “I thought it was a brilliant game. It swung back and forward.
“I think we just ran out of legs in extra time, we had too many carrying cramp and just being unable to move.
“It told that there was just five minutes in the game that was too much for us. They couldn’t give anymore. Kieran Mulcahy has played 105 minutes there, he’s not played in five months.
“He played his first 90 minutes last week. That probably epitomised it for me. You look around and you have guys playing on one leg with wee strains etc.
“I couldn’t ask for any more from them. I am more disappointed for them than I am myself and the staff.
“I know what it’s like myself when you put so much into a game and you get sucker-punched at the end.”
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