Falkirk Fury seal Scottish Cup semi-final spot after joust with Stirling Knights

Fury’s Zygimantas Dauksas on the ball as they sealed a Scottish Cup semi-final spot after an impressive win over Stirling Knights (Photo: Gary Smith)

Falkirk Fury’s senior men secured their spot in the Scottish Cup semi-finals after defeating Stirling Knights 82-62, making it back-to-back wins over the their near rivals, having recently defeated them on SBC league duty.

The Sony Centre sponsored have won the Scottish Cup six times from their nine final appearances, with five of those cup victories coming in the past nine seasons.

Fury are set to face Dunfermline Reign in the final four, and that was the team that they last defeated to win the Scottish Cup back in 2022.

It was the Knights that edged Fury in the opening period of the quarter-final played at Grangemouth Sports Centre by 19-17, with the Falkirk club feeling the loss of one of their starting guards, Bantnu Burroughs, through injury. However, a 20-14 second stanza gave Fury a slender four-point lead at the half.

A 24-12 third period for the home side saw Fury up their defence and the inclusion of Ammar Ilyas proved key to the Falkirk club. His intensity on defence and control on offence gave Fury a solid 16-point lead going into the final period. With Eddy Leginus also in excellent form in the guard spot, Fury continued to push the ball inside with Ali Fraser and Murray Hendry proving difficult for the Knights to stop.

Fraser finished top scorer on 24 points for Fury with Hendry on 20 points and Leginus on 17 points. Ziggy Dauksas had an excellent game off the bench to end with nine points, while Ilyas, playing just 32 minutes, grabbed eight points.

Fury head coach John Bunyan praised his side’s defensive work after the match, telling the Falkirk Herald: “We knew this would be a high-tempo game against Stirling Knights with them looking to push in transition.

"We prepared for that and were patient and got the points we needed particularly in the second and third periods, where we also played some excellent defence.

"We now focus on what is a key league game this weekend against St Mirren on the road. They were surprisingly beaten in the cup, so there will be an extra incentive for them to stay in touch with ourselves and Blaze.”

Fury’s senior men, who currently top their league table, face the second-placed Paisley outfit tomorrow at the Lagoon Leisure Centre with a 7.45pm tip off.