MATCH REPORT
Date : 8th August 2023
Opposition : Camelon Juniors
Venue : Home
Scorers : None
Booked : Euan Duff, Sam Straughan
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 70
Referee : David Gallagher
Team Lineup :
Euan Robertson
Brad Smith
Euan Duff
Evan Smith
Joao Vieira
Rhys Dixon
Jack Forster
Jack Cummings
Craig Bell
Rhys Bloomfield (c)
Sam Straughan
Subs :
Leighton Robertson on for Brad Smith 63 mins
Michael Robinson
Ciaran Hatsell
Khaz Mdalasini on for Rhys Bloomfield 58 mins
Christian Temple on for Sam Straughan 58 mins
Match Report :
East of Scotland League Division One Camelon proved too strong for Tweedmouth in this East of Scotland Qualifying Cup Second Round tie at Shielfield. The visitors, from the Falkirk area, included ten players in their squad formerly with the ill-fated Syngenta club, hot favourites for promotion from Tweedmouth’s Division last season before folding in early 2023.
Nevertheless, it took the ‘Mighty Mariners’ over half an hour to open the scoring. Two of the game’s early shots came from Rangers’ Rhys Dixon, both from distance, one after an Evan Smith free kick was blocked and then when the ball was played back to Dixon to try again a few minutes later.
For their part, early on, Camelon favoured long balls for their front men to chase and beat the cover in the process but Tweedmouth stifled them by packing their defence, helped by a little bit of luck.
A burst of furious defending inside their penalty area ended with Euan Duff’s hefty clearance preventing a 23rd minute opener. Then with Dixon pinned down by three opponents as Rangers attempted to play out from the back, they were thankful that Sam Collumbine shot way over the bar.
The hosts’ best chance of the game soon followed. Sam Straughan broke out of a tackle and headed directly towards goal but his final kick skirted the outside of the post.
A minute after having a headed ‘goal’ chalked off for offside, James Finlay hit one that counted. Camelon quickly doubled their lead through Kevin Fotheringham when Rangers’ Brad Smith miscued his attempted swipe at the ball.
Uncharacteristically, the Juniors twice gifted possession to the home side but neither Rhys Bloomfield nor Craig Bell could take advantage as their shots went astray to leave Camelon 2-0 in front at the break.
The second half opened with Simon White heading in the second of two corners to further stretch the lead.
It was now even more obvious that Tweedmouth were playing with one man up front with the rest lying deeper but, paradoxically, this gave Camelon more time and space to build attacks and display their football craft.
Fotheringham shrugged off several challenges to make it 4-0 on 57 minutes. Jason Walton, who took over the captaincy from the injured Declan Fitzpatrick during the first half, eventually put an end to a Rangers’ raid which began with newly arrived Christian Temple making ground up the right before the ball crossed the field to Khaz Mdalasini.
The Berwick team went on to survive a catalogue of Camelon chances; Kieron Dolan firing over from 25 yards, Jamie McAllister wide with a diving header, Lewis Paton able to turn only to also aim too high and keeper Euan Robertson’s fine save stopping Fotheringham from scoring for a third time.
With the referee having policed offside well, Rangers could have little argument when their appeals went unheeded as Calum Rodger shook the back of the net when a cross came over from the left. This was the cue for more lively celebrations which at least suggested that the visitors never took scoring for granted against their lower league opponents.
Replacement goalie Lewis Duffy put paid to Tweedmouth’s last chance of a goal by running out of his area to boot away the ball as Bell tried to get in between two defenders to reach it.
There was still time for Camelon to add one more with Sam Collumbine making up for his first half miss by netting five minutes from the end.
Match Photographs :
All pictures courtesy of COLIN WAINE
