| Strathclyde Saturday Morning League: Division 1 | |
| 9th February 2008 Burnhill Sports Centre |
|
| Shawbridge | 3 |
| Windlaw | 2 |
| McKenna, McInally | |
Team: Lunny, A.Dougall (McInally), Sinclair, Z.Dougall, Baird, Taylor, McKenna, Stevenson(McGregor), McCann (Campbell), McGinlay |
|
SHAWBRIDGE SHATTER SORRY WINDLAW'S TITLE HOPES
The task ahead was clear: Win the match and remain in the title challenge. Anything other than a victory would end our title hopes. It was not quite as easy as that however, as long time rivals Shawbridge were the opposition and not the first team you'd pick after a three week layoff! However, any pre match uneasiness should have disappeared with the sight of a Shaws starting eleven having Barry Scally and Mark Dyer as noticable absentees. Windlaw were dealt an early blow of their own when Eck McCaig called off early morning, but the squad was strong enough to cope with his loss.
So to the action and Windlaw seemed to take the challenge head on as they played some excellent stuff in the first 20 minutes of the match. Ian Baird should have put the visitors ahead but narrowly missed early on. A ball over the top of the Shaws defence found Bairdy, who had run from deep and beat the offside trap. His lob looked inch perfect but somehow sneaked inches over the bar. Windlaw did go 1-0 up soon after though, when a sbulime diagonal right to left pass from Thomas Taylor found Danny McKenna. McKenna took one touch to control before blasting past the helpless Shaws keeper.
Windlaw looked comfortable and could have doubled their lead after McGinlay went close. The first 20 minutes saw Windlaw in complete control and they should have been 2 or 3 up by now.
Shaws got back in the game when Allan Dougall needlessly scythed down a Shaws winger at the right back area. He was booked for his stupidity but would suffer worse as Shaws scored directly from the free kick he gave away. For a description of the goal, read the text from the Tynecastle match report describing their second goal, it was a carbon copy: Windlaw defended too deep, the ball evaded everyone and ended up on the back of the net.
This was the catalyst for Windlaw's discipline, imagination and shape to go down the pan. The rest of the half was played out with little action. Windlaw could be disappointed to go in level at half-time.
Half-time Shawbridge 1 Windlaw 1
That was as good as it got for Windlaw and all went downhill form there. Anyone not wishing to read the ugly truth of what followed afterwards, look away now!
Quite simply, Windlaw didn't turn up for the second half. No defensive shape, no neat build up play from midfield, no shots on goal, no imagination, no team spirit, no belief, nothing!
Instead, Windlaw were ran ragged from an understrength Shawbridge and were lucky to concede only 3 goals but for good goalkeeping from Lunny and poor finishing from Shaws.
Instead of focussing on winning the match and maintinaing that title challenge, we were too busy bickering and blaming each other for trivial mistakes. This diverted our concentration from the game and ultimately cost us the 3 points.
Shaws beat the weak Windlaw offside trap and a lob over Lunny made it 2-1. Soon after, a long strike beat the helpless Lunny as Shaws coasted ahead 3-1. Windlaw grabbed a late consolation when McInally converted from close range, but the destiny of the 3 points was never in doubt.
Windlaw ended the game with 10 men as card happy ref Campbell gave McKenna a second yellow card and subsequent red. It was a fairly tame match in comparison to recent matches with Shawbridge, but anyone looking at the card count would've thought it was a kicking match. Maybe the league are skint and the refs are under orders to dish out cards in order to maximise the fine money, who knows. However that's not to say the ref had any influence on the result, Windlaw were well capable of ballsing that up all by themselves.
Full-time Shawbridge 3 Windlaw 2
Verdict – For the second consecutive game, Windlaw got what they deserved. Read the ranted verdict from the last game, apply it to this game, and you get the idea! The rant which served as a challenge in the last match report seemed to have little impact, so there's not much point ranting this time round aswell. Windlaw will never get a better opportunity to beat Shaws by more than a one goal margin, with Scally and Dyer missing from the line-up. Instead, we turned it into another odd-goal defeat. With Tynecastle and Blochairn in relentless form, it would take just short of a miracle for Windlaw to be crowned champions this year. It's ironic that for the second year running Shawbridge, our oldest rivals, have ended our title challenge early. That's 3 defeats from our last 4 league games. Not exactly championhip winning form! It should be of no surprise though, Windlaw's annual period of self destruction had not raised it's head this season and was long overdue. A respectable third place is still in our own hands, if other teams do us favours against the top two, then who knows. Windlaw's best chance of silverware lies in the solitary cup competition still to begin. We've had one barren season in the last seven, let's not make this another
