THIS FOURTH ROUND SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP TIE AT NEWBYRES PARK, GOREBRIDGE, WAS MORE REMINISCENT OF AN ICE HOCKEY MATCH THAN A SOCCER GAME.

The concensus of opinion of the 4,000 spectators who included a contingent of 1,000 visiting supporters, was that the game should have been postponed. From the outset it was evident that the prevailing conditions were not conducive to constructive football, and in the opening twenty minutes play was farcial.

The players, however, gradually overcame the trying conditions.

Seldom have so many players in a football game been seen in a horizontal position. The Rangers, however, fully merited their win, although the score rather over-emphasised their superiority.

They adapted themselves better to the conditions, in marked contrast to the Tranent side, who persisted in trying to manipulate the ball as if they were playing on a green sward. Their over-elaboration and failure to accept their chances - especially in the second half - contributed greatly to their defeat.

Teams: Arniston Rangers - Boyd; G. Miller and Smith; Rutherford, J. Miller and Graham; Williams, O'Neill, Brown, McMorran and Nelson.

Tranent Juniors - Cunningham; Hay and Terris; O'Donnell, Heron and Laing; Wilson, Barclay, Grieve, Rigby and Jamieson.

Referee - J. McLean, Bonnyrigg.

Opening play favoured the Rangers. A foul in the penalty area for obstruction led to an early goal for Arniston. Williams sent in a hard shot which was blocked, but, regaining possession, the right winger slammed the rebound past a crowd of players into the net.

A great chance to level the score fell to Hay, who was entrusted with a penalty kick after Rigby had been upset in the penalty box, but when in the act of shooting he slipped and the ball went high over.

Williams was proving the greatest menace to the Tranent defence by his touchline runs and shots. Another of his drives was blocked, but Brown fastened on to increase the Rangers lead. Three minutes from the interval a finely executed movement gave Arniston a third goal. Brown let Williams away, and the winger's cross reached Nelson, who cleverly outwitted Hay before touching to McMorran, and the latter's thunderbolt drive was only partially saved by Cunningham. Williams, running in, had no difficulty in scoring.

Against the run of play, Brown from a long clearance, broke through to beat Terris and tap the ball past the helpless keeper.

Tranent were squandering many chances, but a forward shuffle brought a belated success, Rigby reducing the deficit from a Grieve corner. This success, however, was short-lived, Williams netting a brilliant goal to register his hat-trick.

Shortly afterwards Hay made amends for his early failure by converting a penalty award. Just before the final whistle O'Neill netted a sixth Arniston goal.

Attendance: 4,000 Receipts: £154.

ARNISTON RANGERS ..... 2 ANNBANK UNITED ......... 4

The cherished hopes of Eastern junior football enthusiasts that the Scottish Junior Cup Final at Hampden Park, Glasgow, would be an East v West encounter were rudely shattered by the defeat of Arniston Rangers in the semi-final replay against Annbank United.

The Rangers hardly deserved to have a second bite at the apple, but in the replay they definitely threw the game away.

Playing constructive football in the opening period, after their opponents had gained a somewhat lucky leading goal in the second minute through a defender deflecting the ball past Pottinger, who deputised in goal for Boyd, unable to obtain Army leave, the Rangers, in marked contrast to the previous game, fought back determinedly , McMorran hitting the underside of the crossbar.

The Annbank defenders were put "through the mill", but stoutly withstood the assaults until Fraser, fastening on to a forward pass, smashed the ball past a helpless Neeson for a deserved equaliser, to the joy of a big contingent of supporters.

This encouraged the East contenders, who, backed by brilliant wing half back play by Rutherford and Graham, hemmed in the Annbank men in their own territory.

McMorran, after a ten-minute absence through injury, returned to occupy the wing, but it was evident that his presence was merely nuisance value.

Then, five minutes from the half-time whistle, Fraser notched a second Rangers goal. In an effort to prevent the score, Neeson sustained the injury which caused his enforced absence after half-time.

Both sides resumed a player short, but McMorran re-appeared after ten minutes.

The Rangers challenge had un-accountably fallen off, and Annbank quickly took the initiative.

Adopting the tactics which the Rangers should have been employing, the United defenders kept punting the ball upfield, where Gray and Pryde proved dangerous raiders.

In a retaliatory raid, the Rangers nearly settled the issue. Steele, the deputy keeper, just managing to scrape clear a Williams' effort.

The tide had now turned in favour of the Ayrshire side, and an equaliser came when a defender's back header from a Hunter free kick fell at the feet of Gray, who promptly accepted the gift to net from close range. Further disaster overcame the Rangers when Gray cleverly outwitted the Arniston defence and shot goalwards, Pottinger palming the ball across the goal-line. After it had re-bounded from the upright, referee R.C. Deas awarded a goal, a decision which was strongly disputed by the Arniston players.

Annbank's brilliant revival against their heavy handicap was a revelation, and a Pryce goal just on the final whistle gave them a merited victory.

They now oppose Vale of Leven in the final.