Bryan Dingwall (17)

Nicky Walker (pen 27)

Pollok and Spartans will have to do it all again next week after an entertaining 1-1 draw in front of a crowd of 1,170 at Newlandsfield Park. Suspensions, injuries and holidays limited Jim Sinnet’s options, with David McGeown and Stevie Miller missing while Derek Wingate and Richie Newall returned.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors when Nicky Walker fired straight at Kris Robertson after a cross from Omar Kader. Walker then burst through the heart of the Pollok defence, only to fire wide from 20 yards out. Davie Turnbull saw a shot deflected over for the hosts, but they took the lead from the resultant corner. Andy Essler’s delivery was headed back across goal by Chris Cruickshank to Wingate. He nodded the ball down to BRYAN DINGWALL, who flicked home beyond Chris Flockhart to give Pollok a 16th minute lead. The visitors levelled eleven minutes later from the penalty spot. Joe Carruth barged Kader to the deck, and Nicky Walker stepped up to slot home the equaliser despite Robertson getting a hand to the ball. Dingwall almost restored Pollok’s lead two minutes later, but his volley was saved by Flockhart. Turnbull then latched onto a short pass-back and set up Robert Downs for a strike at goal, but he fired over the crossbar. Dean Hoskins had a free-kick saved by Robertson after 36 minutes before Donal Henretty and Ross Archibald both had shots blocked for Spartans in a frenetic finish to the half.

The visitors made the brighter start to the second half when Kader found space behind Cruickshank, but Robertson managed to block the shot with his chest. Walker and Henretty cut the home defence apart with a neat one-two, but the latter could only hit the outside of the post with an off-balance shot. A low cross from Calum Hardie caused problems for the visitors, but a well timed challenge by Dan Gerrard denied Downs at the near post. After 61 minutes a last ditch block by the same player stopped a Dingwall shot after intricate build-up play between Hardie and Richie Newall. Walker shot just wide after a Cruickshank slip, while Newall had a snap shot saved from 22 yards out for the hosts. Alex King then headed wide for the Edinburgh side after a cross from Hoskins.

With eight minutes left to play a mix-up between Robertson and Stevie Aitchison allowed King a shot at an open goal, but he missed the target from fully 45 yards out. With three minutes remaining Spartans came within an inch of winning the tie as Walker glanced a header against the face of the crossbar from a corner. Robbie Manson fired wide for the visitors as the game moved into injury time, and they spurned another fabulous chance moments later. Substitute Daryl Devlin found himself all alone in the penalty area with just Robertson to beat, but he could only lift his effort over the bar to ensure that the sides will have to replay next week at City Park.

This means that Pollok’s scheduled trip to Dundee to play East Craigie has been put back by a week, and instead they will head for Edinburgh knowing that a trip to Annan Athletic awaits the winners in round two of the competition.