With us now sitting top of the League, it was going to be a bit of pressure weren't used to before todays game but the lads proved they can dig deep and put in a gritty performance when its needed.

We didn't really start off well though and Paul had to make a great low down save with his legs in only the first minute to keep them out. We weren't coming to terms with their speed into the tackle or their workrate and in fact played like we did last week against Longside in the first 20 minutes. We held on though without really looking in too much danger but it took until the 20th minute before we got a shot towards their goal. I deliberately didn't say on target cos Ush's shot from 20 yards was more like a try conversion ! A couple of minutes later Michael Rae got the ball deep into their half and crossed into the 6 yard box but Gibby and Ritchie seemed to get in each others way and the ball went wide. Just after one of our lot (too far away without my specs to see!) was flattened in the box but the pen was not given. After 27 minutes Jason took a free kick but it was straight at the keeper. Paul then had to make a fingertipped save from a long range effort from a free kick from them. Five minutes before half time we got the breakthrough when a corned from our right was put into the front post but it was cleared back out again to Stevie (I think, I must get those damn glasses!) and his 2nd ball into the box was met perfectly by John Willox's noggin and he buried it into the net, 1 - 0 and thats how it finished the first half.

Again it took a little while to get going again in the 2nd half and it took until the 12thminute before the ball was played into Gibby with his back to goal around 12 yards out, his turn and shot just went wide. A few minutes later a loose ball in their defence was picked up by Gibby where he faced the keeper but his effort again went narrowly wide with a touch from the keeper. After17 minutes a great battling run down the left by Ush saw him go past a couple of defenders (through them actually!) he nicked the ball inside to Gibby and he put it into the middle to John willow coing late into the box and he easily beat the keeper 2 - 0. After 22 minutes Zander got a shot from the edge of the box following a cleared corned but his volley again troubled the birdies above the goal instead of the keeper ! After 32 mins Zander almost got his goal when some great interplay down the left resulted in him facing the keeper in a packed box but his effort was saved by the keeper, the ball came out to John , but again his shot was saved. In the next couple of minutes both Gibby and Gav, who had come on as a sub for Ritchie earlier, had shots off target. Just before the end John Usher again went down the left, played a 1 - 2 with John Willox where j\ohns effort on goa; was saved by the keepers lags, the ball came back out to Gav but his shot was also saved. With just about the last kick of the game Stevie Whyte capped an excellent performance to pounce on a misplaced pass at the back, he took the ball into the box and slotted in into the net,  3 - 0. Kris Milne came on the for the last 2 minutes of the game and almost scored when he was put through in the box but his shot was smothered. All in all an excellent display by the lads and another 3 points in the bag.

 

 

Grahams Match Report