Links were given a lesson in football by the team from the west of Scotland, who looked to be likely winners when the brilliant Dumbarton strike finally got the better of a magnificent Links rearguard midway through the second half, with top-class substitute, Anton Brown played an incisive pass to a team-mate and, when the ball was played back in to his path, the Dumbarton player, literally, passed the ball in to the corner of the Links net to make the score 1-1, In a great first-half, Links played great passing football and livewire Irish striker, Pete Carroll, fired the Edinburgh time in to a 1-0 lead.

What a valuable goal that turned out to be, with the home team on the rack for much of the second half as Dumbarton displayed a quality of football that should be the aim of all amateur teams in Scotland. They built up moves from the back, with goalkeeper, Andy McGilvray throwing the ball or playing it out to his team-mates and then the passing moves started all over again. Links, to the great credit, stuck to their task and were very well organised at the back by big Stuart Siegal. It was a wonderful game to watch in the pouring rain, with the play aided by the lovely playing suffaces of the pitches at the Civil Service Ground.

Another of the stars in the Links line-up was goalkeeper, Darren Walker. he had an absolutely fantasic game and the number of breathtaking saves he produced to keep Dumbarton at bay was nothing short of incredible. But the Links goalie was only one of the many good footballers in action in this cup tie. Pete Carroll turned the game on its head in the closing minutes, after Links survived a scare when a shot from Alan Ferguson, rebounded off the keeper's left-hand post in to his arms. Walker hit a wonderful ball upfield and it lead to Carroll taking advantage of a rare slip in the Dumbarton defence to round the keeper and slot the ball in to the empty goal to make it 2-1 for Links United.

Carroll had another wonderful chance to complete his hat-trick but Dumbarton's keeper came off his line to block the shot. It was a wonderful boost for Links as they look ahead to their Scottish Amateur Cup clash against Lothian Thistle at Campbell Park, while Dumbarton must still be wondering how they lost the game. Links spokesman, Willie Randall, said: "They were better than us but Pete Carroll is something special. It was a great game of football and we know we need to recruit more players to achieve the same standards as Dumbarton." The sportsmanship from both teams at the end of this great game was something special, too. It was amateur football at its very best.
 
Links United - Darren Walker, Andy Barker, Steve Wetherspoon, Stuart Siegal, Chris Greig, Jason Wilson, Alan Brownlie, Pete Carroll, Jordan Leishman, Paul Roberts, Ryan Dignan, Gavin Thomson, David Newton, Andy Ritchie.
 
Dumbarton - Andy McGilvray, Stuart McGilvray, David Harris, Paul Leggat, Keith McBride, Alan Ferguson, Jack Buchanan, Alan Gourlay, Tom McHard, Brian Mulholland, Stephen Omeara, Johnny Brooks, David Craig, John Rennie.
 
Referee - Derek Mason.

Civil Service Strollers 2 Danderhall Miners 1

On another of the glorious pitches at the Civil Service Sports Ground, home side Civil Service 'A' beat Danderhall Miners 2-1 in a terrific Lothian & Edinburgh Amateur FA fixture. With both sides playing the offside trap the scoresheet was blank at the break, but as the rain continued to pour down on the players, the game opened up sufficiently in the second half for the visitors to take a 1-0 lead through Ryan Clark. However, Civil Service squared the game and went on to add another before the end to claim all three points. Evan Cairns and William Wells were their goalscorers. These two amateur games, played throughout in pouring rain, were a credit to the game at this level. The reason for that is due to all four sides in action at this lovely sports ground. They were all a credit to the game at this level.