MATCH REPORT
Date : 7th January 2023
Opposition : Easthouses Lily
Venue : Home
Scorers : Regan Graham, Craig Bell, Michael Robinson, Drew Cummings
Booked : Melvin Sebastian
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 69
Team Lineup :
Stevie Mason
Kieran Cromarty
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Rhys Dixon
Jack Forster
Rhys Bloomfield
Drew Cummings
Regan Graham
Craig Bell
Michael Robinson
Subs :
Niall Frampton
Melvin Sebastian on for Jack Forster 48 mins
Joao Vieira
Jordan Crombie on for Rhys Dixon 76 mins
Adam Deans on for Rhys Bloomfield 79 mins
Craig Colquhoun on for Michael Robinson 76 mins
Match Report :
Neither side had played since December 3rd but it was Tweedmouth who opened the New Year with a bang. Two goals in each half were proof of a convincing victory over a team with whom they drew in Midlothian earlier in the season.
FIRST HALF
Play was almost entirely in one direction during the opening 20 minutes but, partly due to Lily keeper Steven Hay, Tweedmouth could not turn their chances into goals. In the 4th minute, Hay parried a thundering Regan Graham volley for a corner. Then his foot stopped Craig Bell from concluding a sweeping home move with a goal from close in.
Neither Rhys Bloomfield with boot nor Kieran Cromarty with head had any joy with attempts to score whilst another powerful Graham volley hit the wrong target, a training area floodlight to the right of the goal.
It was to be third time lucky for the home skipper when his 24th minute right foot shot hit a Lily player on its way past Hay. The visitors would have levelled five minutes later if Stephen Mason had not used both hands to turn Gary Shearer’s free kick over the bar after he curled it around the defensive wall.
Four minutes from half time, Bloomfield slipped inwards to take Jack Forster’s pass and then lob it towards Bell. Realising the danger, Hay was forced to make a quick decision. He opted to come out only for Bell to now lift the ball beyond him into an empty net.
SECOND HALF
Early on, Shearer was way off target with another free kick; likewise Bell with an optimistic long range volley. Bloomfield came close after being sent through by Michael Robinson, his low angled shot evading Hay’s reach but ending up past the post.
The same pair were involved in the third goal in the 69th minute. Bloomfield put over another low ball from the left with Robinson’s nonchalant flick hitting the back post ahead of entering the goal.
A minute later, Jai Whyte sent Robinson crashing inside the box. Drew Cummings comfortably slotted the penalty.
Apart from a Paul McDermott effort which skimmed in front of Mason’s goal and then out of play, Easthouses rarely looked like scoring. They struggled all afternoon to get in behind Tweedmouth’s solid back four which remained pretty secure even with a couple of changes late in the game.
SUMMARY
Rangers looked the better for the 5 week lay off playing a running and passing game that the away team couldn’t match. They have now completed exactly half their League fixtures, staying ninth in the East of Scotland Division Two table but now on 26 points.