Dunfermline’s Austin McCann is hoping that Tuesday night’s Scottish Cup replay against Montrose is the first and last time he has to pull on a pair of goalkeeping gloves in a game.
The Pars’ skipper took his place between the sticks after home keeper Chris Smith was red-carded for bringing down Martin Boyle in the 86th minute.
The referee also awarded the Angus side a penalty and McCann’s first task as a stand-in stopper was to pick the ball out of the back of his net after Paul Tosh smashed the ball past him.
The Pars had at one point been leading 5-1 but Tosh’s spot-kick took the score to 5-3 and ensured McCann endured a nerve-racking last few minutes in goal.
“It was an incredible game of football that ended up more uncomfortable for us than it should have been,” he said. “We should have put the game to bed earlier and possibly have scored more. But we maybe switched off and gave them a couple of goals.
“Then our keeper was sent off and they scored the penalty kick which made the last five minutes a bit tense, especially with me in goal.
“I have never played there before in my life even in training,” he said. “I just looked around the guys and thought no one else could play there so, being the captain, I did my duty and pulled on the gloves. Thankfully, there were only five minutes or so left as we could have had a problem with me between the sticks for any longer.
“I was miles away from saving the penalty. I have said to the boys that because I am left-handed, I thought I would go to that side and maybe have a good chance of saving it but he stuck it away well.
“Chris Smith will be suspended now but we have two good young goalkeepers ready to step in and I am sure they will do well. The positive thing is that we are in the next round of the cup in Aberdeen.
“We went there a couple of years ago and won on penalties. They will be wary of that and it is sure to be a hard, hard game as Craig Brown and Archie Knox have given them a big lift.
“But we will go up there again and give it a real go as we do in every game and hopefully make it to the next round.”