Cubs took to the field this week against Ivory Toast, the only team that couldn't buy a win against us in the darker days of last season. Last week's no shows Ross Brownlee and Lee Hagger started on the bench as Paul Stephen made a statement for the coming season with regards to letting the side down with no shows on matchdays with Andrew "little big planet" Lawrie, Phil Sim, Callum Ross and captain James Williamson all joining a starting line-up boosted by an appearance of Ryan King, visiting from Glasgow for the weekend.
This game didn't turn out to be one for the purists however with Cubs passing being less than the desired standard for much of the 1st half. In spite of this we were by far the better team with Eggo only having to make one save of note in the 1st half tipping a long range effort over the bar. On the other end of the scale Brebner shot wide, hit the side netting and had had effort well saved by the Toast keeper when clean through as the Cubs passing slowly started to find purple shirts. In fact, we can all say we were there when Jack actually passed the ball, when inside the opposition box, with the impressive Jamieson-Caley, whose pressing of the Toast defence was our most likely source of assist, probably putting the ball wide due to the pure shock of Jack's well placed cut back.
We had our injury problems to contend with again unfortunately with Callum Ross succuming to his long standing thigh injury not long after Andrew Swinton was somewhat synically, similtainiously sycthed down by two Toast lads after some good link up on the right hand side with Brandon Mckendrick, who had came on to a very decent game at right back. Brownlee and Stephen were the replacements with the latter knowing he should have made much more of his 1st touch, firing a rushed shot wide on his left foot when he had time to place his effort. The half finished with an unusual Sunday League score of nil-nil with Martin Mackay joining the 11 for the start of the second half after being late due to his girlfriend being pushed "falling" down a set of stairs.
Cubs took the lead early in the second half, Ryan King receiving a pass from Andrew Swinton just outside the Toast box, negotiating space for a shot and firing home with his right foot. The lead didn't last long unfortunately with Cubs being undone by the most Sunday League of clearances, allowing a Toast forward to touch the ball over the onrushing Eggo as we conceded the same goal we concede most weeks. In fairness, Williamson and Sim led from the back in this game with the only other real Toast chance of note being blocked by Eggo's sharp reactions.
The Cubs chances continued to flow with Jack Brebner again being denied impressively by the Toast keeper when through on goal. Brebner quite literally forgot his shooting boots this week, having to work his way through Andy Mac's increasingly large second wardrobe in the kitbag for a pair of boots. This wasn't the only cleat problem of the day with Mackay bursting his boot open (that was his excuse for a shite cross anyway) while Jamieson-Caley waited for the tap in.
The winner came in the last ten minutes, Jack Brebner's shot being pushed back out to the feet of Ryan King (who Stephen was blissfully unaware had replaced Hagger seconds earlier) with the alumni winger needing no invitation to tap the ball into the net 1st time with his left foot. The rest of the game seemed to last an age with Braidwood having to be sharp to deny a Toast counter with Phil Sim seemingly headering away everything and anything else Toast had left in their locker. The last chance of the match actually fell the to the Cubs, Stephen, who captain Williamson ironically praised for sticking to his defensive work for once, finding himself in nosebleed territory in the Toast box. Unfortunately no one was in waiting as the Toast keeper spilled his left foot cutback into the 6 yard box.
All in all, despite some poor passing we were well deserving of our win and on another day would have won by 6 or 7. Highlight of the day was the friendly booing of former Cub Kane Campbell, who only 4 months ago was putting in a heroic performance in the Shield Final for the men in purple. Match winning performance from Ryan King but their was only one winner of the man of the match award today as the man with name who I think is too long to type again being absolutely everywhere today.
Olde Mill Snooker Club next week. Let's take our chances.
