MATCH REPORT
Date : 6th January 2024
Opposition : Ormiston Primrose
Venue : Home
Scorers : Craig Bell (2 pens), Riley Lightfoot
Booked : Rhys Bloomfield, Rhys Dixon, Craig Heath
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 52
Referee : Michael Dixon
Team Lineup :
Ryan Dunn
Rhys Dixon
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Christian Temple
Riley Lightfoot
Ross Aitchison
Griffin Sabatini
Craig Bell
Rhys Bloomfield (C)
Michael Robinson
Subs :
Sam Straughan on for Michael Robinson 17 mins
Leighton Robertson on for Craig Bell 79 mins
Calum Riddell on for Christian Temple 79 mins
Jay Atkinson on for Rhys Bloomfield 72 mins
Ciaran Hatsell
Match Report :
This result made it three wins on the trot for Tweedmouth. Rangers dominated the first half to such an extent that Ormiston didn’t get in their first shot at goal until the 38th minute. Yet, despite a corner count that must have run into double figures, the hosts went in at half time with only a one goal lead courtesy of Craig Bell’s third minute penalty.
Michael Robinson did well to reach Rhys Dixon’s miscued high ball into the Primrose penalty area but before he could do anything with it he was impeded by goalie Kieran Beveridge and the referee pointed to the spot.
Beveridge went on to make a handful of good saves, the first when Riley Lightfoot latched on to a through ball, Rangers having to settle for one of those corners after failing to take advantage of the follow up chance.
Griffin Sabatini then dribbled past several players to set up Robinson who, from close in, lifted the ball too high and over the top. He would soon depart after being injured in a tackle.
Another couple of well executed home moves were nulled by offside decisions. Realising the effectiveness of pushing defenders high, Ormi caught out Rangers in another couple of instances before half time.
Rhys Bloomfield was onside as he raced forward after taking a fine tuned long ball from Evan Smith but his shot shook the side netting on being deflected for yet another corner.
Not long into the new half, the ball bouncing off Sabatini sparked a seventy yard run from Sam Straughan. Once inside the away box, his decision making was sound enough but Beveridge, who made the first team bench as a teenager with Berwick Rangers in their SPFL days, showed his worth to Ormiston with another good save. He then knocked clear Dixon’s angled free kick awarded for a foul on Straughan.
Rangers had to wait until eight minutes of the second half had passed to double their lead. Sabatini played the ball back to Christian Temple whose cross from the left was met by Lightfoot’s header giving the youngster on loan from Gala Fairydean Rovers his first goal for his current team.
In the lead up to a Sabatini floating shot finishing just wide of the post, Beveridge made another fine save from Bloomfield.
Whilst never getting a grip on the game, Ormiston did look more capable of scoring during the second forty five minutes although themselves were caught out by offside verdicts a couple of times. Not so Scott Moffat when he broke with home men trailing but, in the manner of Beveridge’s opening save from Lightfoot, Ryan Dunn came forward and low to block the ball before the number nine could strike for goal.
Bloomfield’s pace again troubled Ormiston and as he entered the penalty area was forced to somersault over the last outfielder’s outstretched leg. Bell stepped up to slot home his second penalty to make it 3-0 with less than 20 minutes of regular time remaining.
In the final minutes, each side fired over the bar; Ormiston following a corner, and Straughan, only just, when turning to forcefully hit Sabatini’s pass.