This was the opening game of the new season in the Adamson Cup. We were drawn against three premier league teams in the group of death and started off against the premier league title favourites DC Athletic. We have added strength and depth to our squad for the coming season and James Mitchell, Jamie McCormack, Dean Rattray and Steven Simpson all made their competitive debuts in this match, with Kris Irvine making his second debut in his second spell for the club. We started with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
James
Kris, Tam, Sharpy, Bogger
Craig, Ryan
Deano, McBee, Jamie
Liam
DC were favourites for this match and rightly so being the premier league outfit and title favourites but we started the match well and from the kick off they knew they were in for a game. In an evenly contested first half both teams had decent chances although the better of the chances fell to them but James Mitchell pulled off a couple of brilliant stops to keep them out. Just before half time we then lost the skipper to injury after Ryan and Craig both went for the same ball on the edge of the box and collided resulting in injury. Simmy then replaced Ryan and we reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation.
HT 0-0
We began the second half the better and eventually got the opening goal just before the hour mark when Craig Stewart’s header across goal was bundled over the line from Simmy from a yard out. A bit of good fortune to the goal though as Simmy fell onto the ball and turned it in with his hand. DC players protested angrily to the referee but the goal stood. These things seem to even themselves out and their equaliser was scored after the referee awarded a very soft free-kick on the edge of the box, and although it wasn’t the greatest of free-kicks it went through the wall and into the bottom corner. They then had their tails up and for the next 10 minutes or so we fell out of the game a bit as they chased the winner. The back four and goalkeeper were playing well though and we weathered the storm. Then in the final 10 minutes of the game we upped our game again and had a couple of decent chances to grab the winner but just couldn’t put them away.
FT 1-1
A point apiece was a fair reflection on the game and both teams were happy to take a point in the end.
