With Kelso having wrapped up the league championship earlier in the week, they travelled to this game with nothing to lose & could enjoy the game. Kelso started off the stronger putting the home side on the back foot from the opening whistle with Jerdan striking anup-right & when Tait bullied the centre half & slotted home, Kelso looked to have got off to the best possible start, only to find the referee had given a foul for the earlier challenge. This seemed to waken the home side & they forced an excellent save from McBride tipping over the bar from a headed cross. Kelso then broke up field & Porter found himself one-on-one with the keeper & dinked the ball coolly over the on-rushing No.1 to take Thistle into the lead. This lead lasted only 10 mins with Kelso getting a warning when the Leithen Rovers No.5 clattered a header off the bar & when a long ball fell in between the Thistle defence & the keeper, the forward capitalised on the mistake to draw level.
The quality of football was excellent by both teams with Leithen Rovers showing their class throughout but with 10 mins to go to half time, Thistle then re-took the lead when Gillie’s free kick was met by Tait to thump his header past the keeper & take the visitors 2-1 up & that would have been perfect going into the break, but with literally the last effort of the first half, Leithen Rovers drew level when a cut-back from the by-line found the Leithen No.9 unmarked who scored the leveller.
The second half started as the first ended with both teams getting the ball down & playing some nice stuff & midway through the second half, Gillie drove in another cracking cross which was missed by the home defence & Porter came in at the back post to again give Thistle the lead for the third time in the match. The game was end to end with both teams going close & the home team drew level for a third time when a shot from outside the box was saved by Mc Bride only to have it drop at the feet of the Rovers striker who tapped it in. Leithen Rovers then took the lead when a long ball was nodded down & left Carlyle with the choice to either handle the ball, or try to defend the shot & he chose the latter only to see the Rovers striker convert & take them into the lead for the first time in the match. Kelso threw everything into attack to get an equaliser & with literally the last kick of the match the Leithen Rovers No.1 made an outstanding save from Tait, it looked like Thistle had run out of luck. Leithen Rovers then saw the game out to progress onto the final.
Thistle travel to Tweedmouth on Tuesday May 13th in their penultimate league fixture with the last league game on Saturday 17th at 13:00pm (provisionally) at Woodside Park against league runners up Gordon.