As regular readers of SudburySports.com are well aware, we endeavour to cover as wide-ranging an array of sports as possible. Far be it from a trip abroad visiting my brother to slow us down.

A Scottish Football League Lowland League Cup encounter came right down to the final whistle as the Linlithgow Rose edged the Gala Fairydean Rovers 2-1 at a stadium some 20 minutes west of Edinburgh.

The Rose opened the scoring in the first half as Dylan Paterson played a brilliant through ball to Olly Hamilton, who made no mistake.

"It's all about vision, really," said Paterson. "If you see it and you can do it quick enough and you get the height to get it over the defender, that's probably the most important part."

"When I turned inside, I had a lot of time to do it. It makes a difference when you have more time to thread these passes."

Coming out of the break at MV Commercial Prestonfield Stadium, scoring came fast and furious. Just minutes after the Rovers equalized matters, the home side were awarded a penalty - which Blair Henderson swiftly converted for the game-winning tally.

The triumph provided some retribution for the Linlithgow lads who dropped their season opener to Gala Fairydean at the end of July.

"I think we have come on as a team from the first game of the season," noted Man of the Match, Paul Kennedy, currently in his first year with the Rose after suiting up previously with the Albion Rovers.

"We lost our first game and then went on a really good run. We've won I think nine or ten games in a row."

Despite the fact that the Rose find themselves 11 points clear of their most recent opponents in league standings, there is no denying that the Gala Fairydean eleven always play Linlithgow tough.

"They are a pretty organized team at the back," said Paterson. "They are structured defensively - and they have good players who can hurt you as well. I think we overcame that today."

With the Cup draw now done, the Rose are slotted opposite the Bo'Ness Athletic Football Club in Round 2 action, with a midweek encounter against Albion Rovers Football Club set for Tuesday night serving as a tune-up.

"I think I could have played better in my general play - and as a whole, we could have played better," suggested Kennedy. "But we can work on that this week in training, I'm sure."