MATCH REPORT
Date : 8th October 2022
Opposition : Arniston Rangers
Venue : Home
Scorers : Michael Robinson, Kieran Cromarty, Craig Bell
Booked : Melvin Sebastian, Craig Bell
Sent Off : Jack Forster
TRFC Man of the Match : Craig Heath
Attendance : 76
Team Lineup :
Stevie Mason
Jack Forster
Kieran Cromarty
Craig Heath
Rhys Dixon
Melvin Sebastian
Jay Atkinson
Drew Cummings
Regan Graham
Craig Bell
Michael Robinson
Subs :
Kyle Wood on for Jay Atkinson 76 mins
Joao Vieira
Jack Cummings on for Craig Bell 81 mins
Jordan Crombie
Niall Frampton on for Stevie Mason 80 mins
Programme Cover :
To follow.
Match Report :
Tweedmouth made it two wins out of three in successive home matches with this well deserved result against a side who, at kick off, occupied fifth spot in the eighteen team East of Scotland League Second Division table.
FIRST HALF
Tweedmouth had goalkeeper Stephen Mason or in particular his foot to thank for keeping Arniston’s account blank early in the game. He twice judged the situation perfectly to save from Ryan Turner and then from Arniston’s leading scorer Arran Laidlaw. In another instance, the Midlothian men hit the bar.
Mason’s opposite number James McQueen made a great save from Craig Bell after he latched on to a well placed lob from Drew Cummings but was in trouble in the 8th minute. Bell again took a longish ball. McQueen couldn’t hold it when Bell sent it low into the box leaving Michael Robinson to stick it into the net.
When roles were exchanged, Bell blasted Robinson’s pass high above an empty goal. His moment was to come later.
A foul stopped Jay Atkinson making further ground by the left touchline. Cummings’ free kick finished a little outside McQueen’s far post. Another free, taken by Regan Graham from the other side, proved profitable. Kieran Cromarty got in behind the defence to knock home his first goal since rejoining the club.
Arniston’s defence was in further trouble as Tweedmouth constructed a move which ended with Cummings again just missing out. Even more so almost on half time when Bell was on target with an audacious flick on the end of another cross from Graham.
SECOND HALF
Play swung both ways during the opening 25 minutes which began with Mason’s foot again doing a rescue job. Bell glanced a header wide from Cummings’ cross following a short corner. Ewan Graham would have scored had Mason, on the deck, not somehow managed to twist his body for a last grab of the ball. Up top, Tweedmouth’s Graham struck the post on the end of Robinson’s delivery from the right wing.
The home team’s tireless defence continued to frustrate Arniston. The workload increased with the 75th minute dismissal of Jack Forster for a challenge on Dre Horsburgh. Manager Neil Oliver reshuffled his side to accommodate sub Kyle Wood at the back.
The Gorebridge team finally got on the scoresheet through Laidlaw’s 79th minute penalty awarded when Melvin Sebastian tumbled Stephen Abbott inside the area. Abbott was injured in the incident as was Mason two minutes later when Michael Kennedy made contact with him. Clutching his shoulder, Mason left the field to be replaced by Niall Frampton.
As the visitors sought late salvation, McQueen came upfield for a corner but in open play, Arniston really didn’t look like scoring again.
SUMMARY
Tweedmouth’s best result of the season to date. An excellent all round performance but special mention of Craig Heath who hardly put a foot wrong as linchpin of the defence and of Mason for his goalkeeping.
Pictures :
No photographer present.