MATCH REPORT
Date : 24th February 2024
Opposition : Thornton Hibs
Venue : Home
Scorers : None
Booked : Cameron Howden, Ross Aitchison, Rhys Bloomfield
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 66
Referee : Jack Leslie
Team Lineup :
Ryan Dunn
Rhys Dixon
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Christian Temple
Cameron Howden
Ross Aitchison
Griffin Sabatini
Riley Lightfoot
Gary Robertson
Rhys Bloomfield (c)
Subs :
Niall Frampton
Craig Bell on for Cameron Howden 60 mins
Sam Straughan on for Gary Robertson 71 mins
Robbie Turner
Leighton Robertson
Ciaran Hatsell
Match Report :
Thornton Hibs maintained their push for promotion from the East of Scotland League Second Division but had to settle for only a two goal winning margin after threatening to run riot in the early stages of the game.
Initially, some Rangers players looked uncomfortable on a Shielfield pitch which had experienced overnight frost. Less so Hibs who soon had keeper Ryan Dunn diving to stop a stinging shot from the right wing. Their tactic of pumping long, high balls to catch out the defence paid off after just seven minutes. Tweedmouth stopped two shots but the ball again came back out to the visitors. Skipper Garry Thomson had sufficient time to judge exactly where he wanted it to end up and duly made it one-nil.
On 15 minutes, with the ball once more loose after Dunn saved Thomson’s free kick, Ross Hain struck to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat. As a difficult opening thirty minutes for the Berwick team drew to a close, they were saved by the metalwork following another Hibs’ free kick. In that period, Rangers only seriously threatened the away goal once but as the half hour passed began to spend more time attacking their opponents.
Hibs defended well but couldn’t prevent Rhys Bloomfield meeting Rhys Dixon’s cross with a header which goalkeeper Calum Sutherland held. Riley Lightfoot hit the side netting with a shot from further out. It wasn’t one way traffic though with Thornton bamboozling Rangers’ men with some confident, skilful play up the right before firing over the bar and then again striking metal ahead of the half ending with a Gary Robertson shot being cleared off the Hibs’ line.
Around ten minutes into the new one, the Fifers were on course to score again until Andrew McCallion needlessly got involved from an offside position when his team had regained possession as Craig Heath’s attempt to hook the ball clear sent it in the wrong direction.
Tweedmouth manager Kev Wright believed his was the better team in the second period and anyone just viewing the last half hour might have concurred. Craig Bell was now on and soon had a shot blocked after Griffin Sabatini created the space for it. Bell also had a good header off Robertson’s cross held by Sutherland after Rangers took the correct option–which the manager felt his men didn’t always do–and attacked from the right. Sutherland also went on to punch away a free kick from Lightfoot.
With seven minutes of normal time left the visitors were reduced to ten men when Andrew Adam was red carded for a challenge on Bloomfield near the main stand touchline. Adam looked surprised; the event certainly not a reflection of a match in which the four yellow cards already dished out were for relatively minor indiscretions.
Next Saturday, March 2nd, Tweedmouth are scheduled to again meet opposition from the Kingdom with First Division Kirkcaldy and Dysart due at Shielfield for a 2:30 p.m. kick off in the First Round of the East of Scotland League Cup.