

A solitary strike from Fleming gave Meadow victory at Dunipace in the last round, and he did it again on Saturday with a brilliant effort to knock his former team out of the competition. Conditions were dreadful with the running track surrounding the ground creating a vast, open bowl, leaving the players and the ball to be buffeted about by the swirling, storm-force wind.

That, added to the driving rain and hail, meant this game was never likely to be classic and in the end Meadow were just glad to be still involved in the competition as they headed home. The Premier League champs dominated the game but good football was impossible and it turned into a stop-start affair with passes being overhit and every time the ball went out of play it seemed to take an eternity to get it back.

Chances were few and far between but when the goal finally arrived in 40 minutes it was a bit special, Fleming taking a pass some 20 yards out and flicking it up into the air before meeting it on the drop to send a fantastic volley into the top corner.

The pattern was unchanged after the break but Meadow missed a great chance to kill their opponents off midway through the half when Liam McGuinnes was brought down in the box but the normally reliable Chris Roberston saw his spot kick saved.

Meadow keeper Brian Hewitt was only called into action once when he dealt comfortably with long-range effort and, as conditions worsened, both sets of players were delighted to hear the ref’s whistle at the end of an uncomfortable 90 minutes.