MATCH REPORT
Date : 15th April 2023
Opposition : St Andrews United
Venue : Home
Scorers : Craig Bell
Booked : Connor Brian
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 55
Referee : David Milton
Team Lineup :
Niall Frampton
Joao Vieira
Connor Brian
Kieran Cromarty
Evan Smith
Rhys Dixon
Drew Cummings
Jack Forster
Regan Graham
Craig Bell
Michael Robinson
Subs :
Jay Atkinson on for Joao Vieira 79 mins
Jack Cummings on for Michael Robinson 79 mins
Jack Jones
Jake Gibson
Match Report :
Taking a fourth minute lead for the second week running, Tweedmouth made second in the table St Andrews work hard for the three points in a good game on Old Shielfield.
As in last week’s fixture v. Stirling University, the early goal was created by midfielder Drew Cummings whose all round performance drew favourable comment from the St Andrews camp. Craig Bell caught defenders on the wrong foot as he latched on to Cummings’ long ball and, with keeper Calum Brodie hesitant, comfortably slotted it into the net.
St Andrews spurned two favourable chances to keep Rangers’ lead short lived. A 13th minute free kick floated over a mass of heads before crossing the bye line whilst, with greater composure, Jordan Mackenzie might have achieved more joy instead of blasting the ball over the bar from a central position when it arrived from his left.
It was Tweedmouth who came closer to scoring again when St Andrews gifted them possession. With Brodie well out of goal, Michael Robinson chanced his luck from far out, the ball finishing a few yards past the post.
The Saints levelled just beyond the half hour stage. Left winger Lewis Sawers’ drift into the middle proved productive when he met a cross from Ross Cunningham.
Inside the visitors’ penalty area, Robinson saw a shot blocked before St Andrews were eventually able to steer away a threatening ball from Rhys Dixon.
The first half ended with the speedy Sawers seemingly en route for goal only to be blown up for offside much to the consternation of some on the away bench.
The loss of a 48th minute goal suggests that Rangers’ hoodoo of conceding soon after half time had struck once again but, in this instance, the visitors benefited from a fortunate ricochet which enabled Mackenzie to send Sawers onwards for his second score.
As the Fife team kept up the pressure, home goalie Niall Frampton made three saves inside half a minute, the final one when he stretched out his foot to prevent a corner ball squeezing over the line.
In the 61st minute, Frampton again got his foot to the ball but couldn’t stop Reece Redpath finishing off what Sawers had started by getting round the right side of the home defence.
Soon after their third goal, St Andrews lost central defender Graham Hay, injured when up for a corner. He was replaced by Lewis Grant, the visitors also bringing on Ewan White, on loan from SPFL members Dundee, as one of their substitutes.
With just over quarter of an hour to play, the hosts opened up the away defence via a surge up the right. Drew Cummings then relayed the ball across for Regan Graham to strike with his favoured left foot but the skipper sent the ball wide.
As the match drew to a close, Tweedmouth remained in defiant mood, soaking up the attacks as St Andrews went all out to try to improve their goal difference in the league table.