THE Musk were back on cup duty on Saturday (November 15) when they travelled to Premier League side Cowie Thistle at Stonehaven in the North of Scotland Cup Second Round.

Manager George Mackie made sweeping changes following the previous week's very poor performance at Bankhead with only four players from the starting XI holding onto their places. In came Gibson, Nicholson, Hay, Findlater, Wood, Henderson and Neil Duncan getting his first competitive start for the club.

The visitors kicked off in a new look 4-5-1 formation, intent on keeping it tight and utilising the pace of lone striker Alan Findlater. The tactics were working with the Mearns side finding it hard to get any clear cut chances in the first quarter of the match, indeed their best bet looked like coming from set pieces due to the vast difference in height between them and most of the Musk team.

However keeper Russell Gibson, well protected by the Musk defence, held firm. Cowie made there first clear cut chance on the half hour mark but Ben Riddell recovered to make a superb tackle, with keeper Gibson then pulling off a great save moments later.

Again Cowie attacked until the break and had a further chance which again Russell Gibson kept out well in the visiting goal.

The Musk had to deal with a fired up home side who were out to avoid a cup upset and they soon pinned the away side back for lengthy spells. However, as in the first half, the Monymusk defence and midfield performed heroics with every man battling there corner and helping each other out to keep clear chances to a minimum.

Keeper Gibson was having a fine game and again broke the hearts of the home touchline with yet another good save.

Cowie kept pushing and they eventually took the lead with 20 minutes to go when a well placed shot was just out of Gibson's reach. This forced gaffer Mackie into a change with Andy Cruden taking the place of Neil Duncan for a more attacking approach.

This worked wonders as within five minutes of his introduction, Cruden was chopped down in the box during a Musk raid leaving skipper Chris Wood to stroke home his tenth of the season.

The Musk tails were up and within two minutes they had remarkably taken the lead. A through ball was flicked out to Findlater who in turn spotted a run inside from Geo Mackie and played him in to slot through the keeper's legs.

Mike Russell was then on at the restart to replace Findlater who had put in a good shift up top on his own. However, The Musk joy was short lived as a careless tackle by a Musk player allowed Cowie to score following a free kick.

The home side sensed this would take the sting out of Monymusk but in fact it galvanised them and they broke again with Chris Wood being the hero for the Deer Park outfit when his driving run was rewarded with a fine finish. The Musk held firm and used their last substitute running down the clock as Kevin Beaton was given a cameo in place of Ross Hay.

Afterwards the Monymusk manager George Mackie said: "We've had to be patient today. Even at 2-2 it was difficult to revert to our normal formation with two strikers without taking a massive gamble so we used the width as much as possible instead and I'm glad its paid off and we've got the result I think possibly only just deserved.

"We've had a couple of players booked for minor dissent - in my opinion - but apart from that I thought the referee had a good game today. Hopefully the attitude today will continue onto our league campaign next week."

Monymusk: Gibson, Kelman, Nicholson, Riddell, Lyon, Henderson, Hay, Wood, Duncan, Mackie, Findlater. Subs: Cruden, Russell, Beaton, Eddie.

Monymusk are on league duty this Saturday (November 22) away to Grammar FPs at Rubislaw, Aberdeen. Kick-off is at 1.30pm.