| Strathclyde Saturday Morning League:Division 1 | |
| 27 January 2007 Bent Road Sports Complex |
|
| Shawbridge | 2 |
| Dyer, B.Scally | |
| Windlaw | 1 |
| S.McCann | |
Windlaw made one change from last week’s home win over Dunbreac with Wullie Wilson coming in at left back. Kevin McCann moved into midfield and Eck McCaig went upfront to replace Davie McGinlay who was on the bench.
Shawbridge took an early lead after only 8 minutes through Mark Dyer. After neat play down the right-wing, Barry Scally jinked towards the Windlaw box and his lay-off to Dyer 18 yards out was superbly drilled just inside John Lunny’s right hand post. The lack of credible Windlaw challenges during this move was however noteable. The game then suffered a fairly dull period and Windlaw seemed almost asleep at times. Around the half-hour mark, Windlaw began to take the ascendancy though and pressure was building on Shawbridge as crosses and long-throws began to reign in on their defence which was being well marshalled by Archie Bryce and Mark Longmuir. Windlaw struck the post after fine play between Kevin McCann and Benny Carey saw McCann’s sliding effort hit Ross’s right hand post. Minutes from the break, Shaws got what proved to be the decisive goal in highly controversial fashion. A clever ball played into the Windlaw box saw Colin Sinclair slide to divert it away. The ball hit a divot and bounced over his foot and Shawbridge’s left winger cleverly caught his foot against Sinclair’s trailing leg to create what was in the referee’s opinion, a spot-kick. Barry Scally then blasted the penalty under John Lunny’s body for a 2-0 lead.
Half-Time: Shawbridge 2 Windlaw 0
With the league hopes virtually over at this point, Windlaw literally threw the kitchen sink at the home side who retreated to their own box in the hope of holding onto what they had. Windlaw then had as dominant a 45 minutes as they’ve had all season with corners, free-kicks, long-throws, scrambles and ultimately some of the worst sitters you’ll ever see. For the record: John McCabe hit the bar with a free-kick. Benny Carey narrowly failed to convert a cross at the back-post. Shug Neeson headed inches wide. Substitute Steph McCann then scored from a header from point-blank range with 10 minutes remaining. After that, the action was even more remarkable. Steph McCann again slid an effort just past from a fine McCaig cross. He then kneed over the bar from 6 yards out and capped his eventful spell when his screaming shot from 20 yards which was destined for the top-corner before being brilliantly saved by Ross for a corner. Windlaw were destined though to save the worst for last and with 2 minutes remaining, McInally missed the biggest sitter of this or any other season. A cross into Shaws box was excellently back-headered by Neeson towards Ross’s left hand post. Amazingly, despite McCaig’s dummy, the big keeper got his fingertips to the ball and diverted it to the onrushing McInally who, from 4 yards out and with the keeper lying prostrate on his line and no-one else near him, could surely do only one thing. You’ve guessed it, the rest is history, Van Vossen now looks a real player and with the worst ever sitter in Windlaw’s history secured, Shawbridge somehow retreated to the dressing-room with the three points and took their masks off!
Full-Time: Shawbridge 2 Windlaw 1
Verdict: Yet another nail-biting finale between these two old rivals. Ultimately, Shaws took their chances and Windlaw missed enough to win three or four games. Windlaw’s defence of the title is now officially over at the half-way stage and the best they can do now is to be of nuisance value to our potential predecessors, something we may even enjoy after the anxiety of last season’s finish. Perhaps we may now play with more freedom given that the tension is gone from the league situation and concentrate on the cup competitions.
Website Man Of The Match: John McCabe- I have to state John was Windlaw’s best performer as his simple passing and probing from midfield gave Shaws real problems all morning. Overall though, a special word must go to Shaws keeper Stevie Ross who produced a truly sublime performance and had two or three stunning saves. Also for Windlaw, Colin Sinclair, Kevin McCann and Eck McCaig also deserve a noteworthy mention.
