21/22 Match Report – 30th October

Much of the day’s East of Scotland League programme fell victim to the effects of recent rainfall but the sun came out at Old Shielfield for this one.

Manager Neil Oliver was upbeat after a commendable performance by Tweedmouth against a side who were in Scottish Cup action at Sauchie the previous Saturday and are the current South Challenge Cup holders.

Oliver opted for a 4:1:4:1 formation with Rhys Dixon playing in front of the back quartet and Michael Robinson the front man. Unfortunately, from the moment Regan Graham hit the bar off Drew Cummings’ short pass when it was still 0-0, his young charges were fated not to score.

‘Pace boss Danny Smith seemed happy enough after the game though felt his team were ‘sluggish’ in a first half in which they missed a penalty. Yet, it was during this period that they scored two of their three goals and throughout they showed a doggedness in the tackle and a good sense of anticipation of what Tweedmouth might do next.

The Denny-based team were first to strike the bar following Sam Colley’s counter to Robinson’s early attempt to open the scoring after racing on to Evan Smith’s long ball.

Morgan Galloway was creator of the 19th minute opener. In the top left corner neither Jay Baverstock nor Joao Vieira was able to prevent his delivery into the penalty area. Martin France played the ball on to Ryan Fleming for a no-nonsense finish.

Marty Wright, who had already hooked a Liam McCroary cross over the bar and seen another shot blocked by the chest of keeper Tom Angus, was presented with a 29th minute opportunity to double the lead. The referee ruled that Vieira had impeded Colley. Those who considered it a rough call would have thought justice done when the penalty kick came back off the bar.

It meant the visitors had to wait another four minutes to make it 2-0. This time, the ball came over from the other side from a corner and Andy Grant swept it into the net at the far post.

The third goal came eleven minutes into the second half and probably as a relief to Wright who, on taking McCroary’s pass, turned and picked his spot. Dunipace were to hit the crossbar again through Wlison Romanis to bring to an end a sequence of three corners in a row.

Graham featured in some of Rangers’ best moves. His 64th minute cross proved a shade too high for Cummings’ head. Smith did get in a free header off a corner from the captain but it travelled wide of David Kane’s goal.

In the final five minutes, a length of the field move ended with Graham’s shot producing another corner. Kane had to be on his guard when Sean Campbell had a go from distance. Tweedmouth’s lack of luck in an entertaining and generally cleanly contested fixture was exemplified at the end, spectators baffled as to how Dunipace did not concede to either Craig Bell or Graham after Robinson’s pivotal role in the build up.