MATCH REPORT
Date : 11th November 2023
Opposition : Edinburgh South
Venue : Home
Scorers : None
Booked : Ciaran Hatsell, Rhys Bloomfield, Jack Forster
Sent Off : None
Attendance : 44
Referee : David Gallagher
Team Lineup :
Ryan Dunn
Ciaran Hatsell
Craig Heath
Evan Smith
Jack Forster
Rhys Dixon
Ross Aitchison
Griffin Sabatini
Craig Bell
Rhys Bloomfield (C)
Christian Temple
Subs :
Jake Gibson
Riley Lightfoot on for Ciaran Hatsell 66 mins
Sam Straughan on for Rhys Bloomfield 75 mins
Idrissa Sarr on for Christian Temple 46 mins
Calum Riddell
Leighton Robertson
Match Report :
After two weekends without matches due to bad weather postponements, Tweedmouth were looking to follow up their win over Peebles Rovers on October 21st with another home victory. They were undone by a missed penalty and two headed goals, one of them most definitely unintentional!
Rangers had the better of the opening half hour although, on too many occasions, promising build ups broke down because of poor distribution. That wasn’t the case when Christian Temple twice got in behind the opposition defence but in both instances, the whistle went for offside.
In the first half at least, South’s tactics hadn’t changed much from last season i.e. long balls over the top in the hope that their man would win the chase for the ball. The visitors’ most threatening shot of the half came via a different route. The ball was gifted to Scott Walker and keeper Ryan Dunn did well to dive to tip the no. 12’s hard hit curler past the post.
Dunn’s counterpart Lewis Whitelaw gathered the ball at the second attempt when Ciaran Hatsell supplied Craig Bell close to goal. Bell had an even better chance of scoring in the 39th minute. Having switched to the left wing, Rhys Bloomfield raced past the cover and then broke out of a tackle near the bye line before being fouled inside the penalty area. Bell took the spot kick which Whitelaw saved.
Minutes later, the city team went ahead. Walker’s chip came off Hatsell’s head and into the net despite the wrong footed Dunn making a desperate attempt to palm the ball to safety.
The second half included one of the worst free kicks imaginable, away captain Jordan Cropley seemingly aiming for the stars than the goal! Overall though, his team showed they were a well organised outfit. For example, time and again, Jack Forster, who shared honours with Rhys Dixon for hard work, was able to open up moves on the left but once Rangers got closer to goal they found Edinburgh’s big backline almost impregnable.
At the home end, Rory Anderson looked for support when he took the ball into the home box before being summarily stopped by Forster’s firm tackle but his team did score again soon afterwards. Former Berwick Rangers player Kenny O’Brien headed in a 71st minute corner.
Tweedmouth continued to search for a goal but were further stifled as South regularly pulled men back to help preserve the lead. Griffin Sabatini set up Forster’s cross which Whitelaw was forced to go down to hold but otherwise, despite Rangers’ late pressure, his goal seemed pretty secure.