MATCH REPORT
Date : 14th January 2023
Opposition : Arniston Rangers
Venue : Away
Scorers : Regan Graham
Booked : None
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 74
Team Lineup :
Stevie Mason
Jack Forster
Joao Vieira
Evan Smith
Rhys Dixon
Rhys Bloomfield
Drew Cummings
Melvin Sebastian
Regan Graham
Craig Bell
Michael Robinson
Subs :
Niall Frampton on for Stevie Mason 71 mins
Jay Atkinson on for Craig Bell 69 mins
Kieran Cromarty
Craig Colquhoun on for Rhys Bloomfield 69 mins
Adam Deans on for Jack Forster 78 mins
Match Report :
Arniston came out on top in this battle of the Rangers to avenge a 3-1 defeat on Old Shielfield earlier in the season. The game went ahead following a pre-match inspection by the referee though, to borrow a horse racing term, the going was soft.
FIRST HALF
Arniston were already a goal down by the time they won the third of three corners inside the opening quarter of an hour. Their defence was caught out as Rhys Bloomfield moved up the right forcing goalkeeper James McQueen to come well out of his area when Bloomfield passed inside to unmarked Regan Graham. Tweedmouth’s captain kicked the ball beyond the keeper and followed through to hit it into an empty net with his second touch.
Bloomfield caused more problems when he again beat his man to again supply Graham who this time, inside the opposition’s penalty area, set up Michael Robinson for a crack at goal which was deflected for a corner.
The ensuing chance and another shortly before half time prompted thoughts of what might have been. First, McQueen dropped on Joao Vieira’s goalbound prod just in time to stop it going over the line. The keeper then saved from Graham after Drew Cummings carved out his path towards goal.
SECOND HALF
In the first half, Arniston appeared to have left their kicking boots in the dressing room and even their first goal five minutes into the new half came from a header, Tom Davies scoring off Niall Kemp’s cross. Five minutes later, Kemp tapped the ball in at the far post to put Arniston ahead. As Tweedmouth showed they were still able to produce some skilful stuff on an increasingly sticky pitch, a scintillating move featuring Cummings and Graham was worthy of a goal but again McQueen saved Arniston by denying Robinson an equaliser.
Kemp got a second goal just after the hour, Tweedmouth players protesting that he was clearly offside. Stephen Mason went on to make a terrific reflex save from Davies before Arni’s no. 10 squandered the opportunity for his second goal when the mud got the better of Jack Forster’s attempted tackle.
Arran Laidlaw scooped the ball over the bar before Tweedmouth lost Mason who had pulled up when going to collect the ball from out of play. A couple of times, Tweedmouth outfield subs Jay Atkinson and Craig Colquhoun combined to create promising situations but it was Ryan Turner who put a flattering gloss on the final margin with an 84th minute goal which Mason’s replacement, Niall Frampton, was unlucky not to stop, getting a hand to the ball but unable to steer it away from the goal.