MATCH REPORT
Date : 13th January 2024
Opposition : Peebles Rovers
Venue : Away
Scorers : Sam Straughan
Booked : Ross Aitchison, Riley Lightfoot, Sean Campbell, Craig Heath
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 47
Referee : David Gallagher
Team Lineup :
Ryan Dunn
Rhys Dixon (c)
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Christian Temple
Riley Lightfoot
Ross Aitchison
Griffin Sabatini
Craig Bell
Leighton Robertson
Sam Straughan
Subs :
Sean Campbell (trialist) on for Leighton Robertson 79 mins
Calum Riddell
Jake Gibson
Match Report :
Tweedmouth stretched their current unbeaten run to four matches but had to be satisfied with a point from Whitestone Park.
Again essentially playing in a 4:3:3 formation, Rangers won a corner immediately following kick off but it was the hosts who looked likely to draw first blood. In an early sign of the difficulties the heavy pitch might cause, a couple of away players struggled to keep their footing allowing the ball to be slipped through to Harry McGill. Keeper Ryan Dunn though came out to narrow the angle forcing McGill to shoot straight at him and the chance was gone.
At the other end, a long Rhys Dixon free kick took a bounce inside the home box before Ross Aitchison lobbed it over the bar. With Rangers’ next threat, the ball stayed low. Craig Bell charged down goalie Ross Coats’ attempted clearance setting up Leighton Robertson from about 25 yards. Ben Brown got back to kick the ball clear inches from the line. Taking Aitchison’s pass, another Robertson hit finished just a couple of feet over the home bar.
Tweedmouth eventually took the lead just beyond the half hour. Griffin Sabatini took on and beat men in the left corner. He had plenty of support near goal where Bell got the first touch to his pass and Sam Straughan the second, the ball hitting the post before rolling over the line.
Even at this stage, Peebles were coming more into the game after Rangers had played the more creative football during the opening quarter. Going by the clock, it was two minutes from half time when a free kick for handball led to Luke MacLean’s header making it one-all but the referee went on to play four added minutes before blowing for half time.
When the teams returned, Riley Lightfoot came close to scoring. Bell deserved better when he met a Dixon ball with a diving header than to see it flash outside the post. One of Peebles’ best moves faltered simply because last man Grant Doyle was unable to stay on his feet as the pitch increasingly cut up.
For the neutral, it was probably exciting fare as play swung each way. For the respective teams, the fear was the other might snatch a late winner. From a promising position, Kyle Kivlichan headed Mikelanxho Bardhi’s cross wide of the Tweedmouth post. In rapid succession, Coats made terrific saves from Lightfoot and Sean Campbell.
At the end, both camps seemed happy enough with a point. They also finished level on yellow cards at four apiece but some of the fouls were more a consequence of the conditions than of ill intent.