MATCH REPORT
Date : 19th March 2024
Opposition : Coldstream
Venue : Away
Scorers : Own goal, Sam Straughan
Booked : Riley Lightfoot, Cameron Howden, Evan Smith, Rhys Bloomfield, Craig Bell
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 210
Referee : David Gallagher
Team Lineup :
Niall Frampton
Rhys Dixon
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Christian Temple
Riley Lightfoot
Cameron Howden
Griffin Sabatini
Craig Bell
Sam Straughan
Rhys Bloomfield (c)
Subs :
Ryan Dunn
Jake Gibson
Brad Smith
Leighton Robertson
Jay Baverstock
Tommy Malcolm on for Sam Straughan 86 mins
Oluwatjuba Adebayo
Match Report :
Watching this rousing, feisty Tweedside derby with multiple bookings across both teams, the big Home Park turnout certainly got its money’s worth. Coldstream dictated the early pace of the game but once Tweedmouth settled, they put in a tenacious performance building a two goal interval lead. Two second half twists of fate conspired for their having to settle for a draw on the ground of their nearest East of Scotland neighbours.
Drew Cummings had a shot blocked after the hosts’ opening corner was headed away. The former Berwick Rangers man then went on to beat two men on the left before cutting in to shoot wide.
Rhys Bloomfield’s rampaging runs on the right would be a feature of the night. On his first, he took on and beat several players before winning a Rangers’ corner. A few minutes on, Sam Straughan ran in from the other wing and though he failed to meet Bloomfield’s cross it was further evidence that Tweedmouth had upped their tempo and, on 33 minutes, they took the lead.
Griffin Sabatini flicked the ball towards the corner flag for Bloomfield to promptly send it along the line at ground level with it eventually coming off Streamers’ Thomas Hume into the net.
On the opposite wing, Straughan also had a good night but was in the centre forward position when he notched Tweedmouth’s second goal four minutes from half time with the home defence at sixes and sevens.
The first twist in the tale came a minute into the second half. There was some confusion over a quickly taken free kick but the net result (literally) was that the ball reached Bailey Paterson who, with keeper Niall Frampton on the border of his box, lobbed the ball beyond the keeper for his side’s first goal.
Not long afterwards, Rangers were given the chance to restore a two goal cushion with the award of a penalty when a Coldstream challenge sent Christian Temple sprawling on to the turf.
Bell, who had a hand in Straughan’s goal, targeted the top right corner of Matt Hall’s net but aimed too high. Persisting, Bell later won the ball further out and this time put Hall to the test with a half volley which the keeper managed to knock down to stop it travelling any further.
Coldstream got back on level terms via another free kick from Drew Cummings in the 78th minute, Kieran Ingram the scorer. Cummings opted to try himself with a later free but this one caused Tweedmouth no problems.
Home sub Jack Storm attempted to win the game single handedly with a succession of shots all from much the same part of the field some 20-25 yards out. The first was wide; the second saw Frampton scrambling to hold it. A little later, slightly off balance, Storm tried once more but again skewed the ball past the post.
Just beforehand, Hall had used one hand to reroute a promising Rhys Dixon free kick. His final act was a terrific save of Cameron Howden’s powerful volley which otherwise was on track to produce an outstanding late match winner.