By Rob McCarry
YFS West Region Reporter
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Rarely do you head to a youth football match expecting anything more than a stirring contest but when last season’s meetings between two sides resulted in a total of fifteen goals you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in attendance anticipating a scoreless draw.
The newest incarnation of the legendary Third Lanark had begun the season well taking four points from their opening two league fixtures and winning in the Scottish cup to set up a second round fixture away to Largs Colts next week. Coach Andy Henderson was keen to express his confidence in the current set up which had been expanded to 19 players over the summer, with the potential to recruit more, and hoped the faith he had in his side’s ability would translate to results on the pitch.
Kings Park had also started strongly and taken the same number of points from their early encounters before unfortunately having to forfeit their third game after being unable to field a full team. However victories in both last season’s meetings with todays opponents stood them in good stead and manager Joe Ridge was hoping his boys could make it three in a row ignite their promotion push, although he was the first to admit that at this stage of the season every team fancies their chances of league success.
Just before two o’clock the referee called the teams to order and with a blast from his whistle we were underway. Kings Park opened proceedings attacking from left to right and seemed keen to involve their forwards as quickly as possible. An early ball from the left swung in by Darren Harkins was collected by Matthew Clelland but his low shot was turned around the post for a corner by Duncan Gibson, the resulting set piece was sent into the box beautifully by Thomas Nisbett and met by the towering presence of David Murray who narrowly failed to find the target on this occasion.
Third Lanark weathered the early pressure well whilst looking keen to capitalise on the break and when Joseph Ridge ran into trouble after collecting a cross field ball his error was seized upon by Zak Mclean who broke forward, exchanging passes with Baboucarr Musa before his shot forced Joseph Duffy into a fine save.
The combination of Nisbett and Murray would yet again prove fruitful from a corner as the Redcoats defence failed to pick him up once more and his effort this time was on target and Gibson had to be at his very best to save down low and keep the scores level. Murray and Clelland then combined to set up Peter Tshisuyi in the box but a tangle of legs with Mclean saw them both collapse to the ground, the referee waved off calls for a penalty and Thirds could breathe yet again.
Musa continued to lead the line at the other end and would create the best chance of the half for his side in confusing circumstances just after 25 minutes, tangling with Kyle Chrystal whilst waiting for a corner to be delivered he went down under what was adjudged by the referee to have been an unfair challenge who pointed to the spot. Up stepped Daniel O’Brian to take the kick from twelve yards but his well struck shot was saved at a safe height by Duffy and cleared by the defence.
Fortified by this the boys in white charged up the pitch and won yet another corner, the initial ball in missed everyone but Murray was at the back post to hook it back into the danger zone and it was met by Corey Coll with a fine one handed save from Gibson the only thing between him and the opening goal. Third Lanark however failed to learn from this warning and from the following corner the ball yet again missed everyone before being returned this time by Dylan McKinnon and Coll made no mistake at the second time of asking as he swept the ball home to give his side the lead just after half an hour.
With the deadlock broken Thirds seemed somewhat shaken and a rare mistake by Gibson saw him clear the ball far too close to goal where it was collected by Nisbett who raced goal wards, knocked the ball past O’Brian and slotted past the stranded ‘keeper to double his sides advantage heading into half time.
Half Time: Third Lanark 0-2 Kings Park United
Having been on the receiving end in the first half coach Henderson would have his work cut out in the interval to inspire his players to come back from this deficit, it would all depend on how they started the second period and we would find that out soon enough.
From what was essentially the opening attack of the half the ever influential Musa flicked the ball on in the box to his unmarked captain Ryan Carmichael who controlled his shot well to drive home a half volley from eight yards and put his team back in the running with only minutes on the clock.
It was now Kings Parks turn to feel rattled and as we approached the hour mark both Musa and Carmichael rose to meet a corner from the right, towering above the defence the captain got his head to it just ahead of the striker and glanced home the equaliser to put his opponents firmly on the back foot.
Next up for the Redcoats the powerful Ross Greening collected the ball unchallenged outside the box and unleashed a ripping drive from twenty five yards which crashed off the base of the post and away, before Connor Cowan split the defence with an inch perfect ball for Musa who rounded the goalie with ease before tucking the ball home to give his side the lead after sixty seven minutes.
Kings Park were under the cosh but refused to buckle and neat interplay between Clelland and Tshisuyi almost opened the door for McKinnon but the defence closed down well and the chance was gone. Moments later William Smith had stolen the ball off the toe of Harkins and raced away down the left before supplying a superb ball into the centre for Musa to add insult to injury and make it 4-2 by beating both his marker and the goalie to the ball to tuck it away.
Clelland yet again proved the catalyst for a potential revival as he collected the ball almost directly from the kick off before crashing it off the underside of the crossbar with Gibson beaten all ends up but the ball bounced in front of the goal line and the score remained unchanged.
That wouldn’t be the case for long however as misfortune seemed to dog Kings Park, a fairly innocuous ball from left back to Coll in the centre was inexplicably allowed to slip under his boot and of all the people who could’ve been waiting to pounce it was Musa who collected the wayward pass and coolly rounded the goalkeeper and fired home to complete his hat-trick in under 10 minutes.
It would be unfair to say that the score line was a fair reflection of the abilities of both sides although Third Lanark certainly took their chances better on the day. One thing was for certain as the match came to an end with the statistics now showing 22 goals in 3 games I can’t be the only one looking forward to seeing these two sides go at it again.
Full Time: Third Lanark 5-2 Kings Park United
