Scorers: Stranraer – Dunlop (81); Broxburn Athletic – J Page (31) and Locke (97)
Defensive lapses cost Stranraer dear as their Scottish Cup journey was ended by Broxburn Athletic.
League Two side enjoyed plenty of possession over the course of 120 minutes but failed to overly test Robert Watt in the visiting side’s goal.
Chris Aitken made three changes from the side that had lost out at Bonnyrigg Rose last time out.
Jacob Pazikas came into the team in place of the cup tied Robbie Mutch while Adam Cummins and Matty Grant were brought into the starting line-up in place of Lewis Reid and Chris McQueen.
Things started promisingly with Stranraer having a shot on target within the opening two minutes.
When Deryn Lang’s effort was blocked, it fell kindly to Mark Russell, who attempted to place his shot beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
Watt managed to get something on it and turned the shot round the post for the first of many Stranraer corners.
When the Blues did have the beating of the goalkeeper, the woodwork came to the rescue of the West Lothian team.
Cummins played in a tempting cross and Craig Ross managed to get in front of his marker but could only steer his effort onto the crossbar.
Instead, it would be Broxburn who scored with their first real visit to the Stranraer half.
Scott McCrory-Irving’s free-kick into the box caused uncertainty in the home defence and Jonathan Page had the simple task of nodding into the empty net.
It was a goal which settled Broxburn and deflated Stranraer, who struggled to carve out any chance of an equaliser in the first half.
However, six minutes after the restart, they came within a whisker of finding their leveller.
Grant was again involved as he played in a cross from the right, which beat Watt, only to again strike the woodwork.
Aitken’s substitutions had turned the game in Stranraer’s favour in the previous round against Threave Rovers as the Blues progressed.
It was no surprise that he again looked to his bench to get his side back into the game.
A triple change introduced Elliot Dunlop, Ryan Edgar and Tomas Brindley.
And for large parts of the closing 30 minutes it had the desired impact as Stranraer were firmly in the Broxburn half.
It was not until nine minutes from time that they found their equaliser though.
Dunlop still had plenty to do when he collected the ball outside the box but he cut inside before driving a low shot beyond Watt.
Momentum should have firmly been on Stranraer’s side going into extra time but they failed to really get going.
It would be the visitors celebrating a famous winner when Nicholas Locke, who had only been on the park three minutes, was given too much room at the back post to head beyond Pazikas
The hosts pushed for a second equaliser in the second half of extra time and Kirk McKnight called Watt into action with a drive from the edge of the box before firing another effort wide of the target.
In the end, Broxburn held on and will now be keeping an eye on the draw for the fourth round of the competition.
Stranraer: Pazikas, Robertson, Cummins, Ross, Gallagher, M Russell, Hawkshaw (Dunlop 62), Ecrepont (Brindley 63), Grant, Guthrie (Edgar 62), Lang (McKnight 89).
Not used: McQueen, Adam and Gibson.
Broxburn Athletic: Watt, Rodden (Millar 15 (Ellis 119)), G Page, J Page, Smith, Bell, McCrory-Irving, Jones (Locke 94), Macleod-Kay (Mwangi 77), Wardell, Brass (Downie 115).
Not used: J Russell, Thomson and Pettigrew.
Referee: Sean Murdoch
Attendance: 707
HT: 0-1
