| Strathclyde Saturday Morning League: Division 1 | |
| 24th November 2007 Barlia Sports Complex |
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| Windlaw | 3 |
| McKenna, Sinclair, McGinlay | |
| Shawbridge | 2 |
| Cole, Bryce | |
Team: Lunny, A.Dougall, Thornton (McInally), Sinclair, Z.Dougall, McCann, McCaig, Carmichael, Baird (Larkin), McKenna, McGinlay |
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History tells you that meetings between these 2 teams always serve up a classic match, and this occasion was no different.
Windlaw named the same starting eleven for the 3rd consecutive week, with McInally and Carey making the bench alongside Stevenson and Larkin.
The windy conditions were causing Windlaw problems in the first half and we never really got going. However Windlaw did score the first goal of the game after 20 minutes.
The Shaws right back made a dangerous choice and tried to dribble out of defence. His pirouette didn’t fool Colin Carmichael however, and he easily dispossessed him and his quick thinking saw him play in Danny McKenna. On form McKenna was faced with a one on one with the Shaws keeper and side footed past him into the corner to put the home side one goal ahead.
To be fair, it was against the run of play as neither team were creating much and Shaws actually had more possession before the goal.
The visitors didn’t have to wait long to level the scoring though as they clawed their way back into the game on 23 minutes. Windlaw failed to clear the danger and the penalty box was like a pinball machine. The goal came though when a Shaws shot was deflected into the path of Cole who made no mistake from 6 yards out.
It was no more than Shawbridge deserved at this point. They looked the hungrier of the two teams and were more likely to score a second goal.
They did just that on 30 minutes after a brilliant Shaws corner caused mayhem in the Windlaw box. The flick on to the back post saw Shaws skipper Archie Bryce beat the Windlaw defence to the ball and power his header home from 6 yards.
Shaws were worthy of their lead. Windlaw looked shell shocked and looked likely to go further behind unless they got the finger out and matched Shawbridge’s energy and commitment.
Windlaw had a brief attempt at levelling the score before half time, but the end product was poor and the conditions were still causing us some difficulties.
Half-time Windlaw 1 Shawbridge 2
Depsite a dismal first half, there wasn’t any hairdryer treatment at half-time from manager Martin Kerr. He chose to focus on the positives and insisted if we got the ball down and played football, we’d come back and win the game.
The wind was now behind Windlaw and for the next 45 minutes it looked like the roles had been reversed from the first half, as Shaws offered only sporadic attacks and were pretty much camped in their own half under pressure from the home side.
Windlaw looked more like their old self and took the game to Shaws in the 2nd half. Ian Baird forced the visitors keeper into a top drawer save as his long range effort seemed destined for the top corner, only for keeper Ross to somehow tip it round the post. Baird should have scored minutes after that after a neat cut back set him up nicely, however the ball got stuck beneath his feet at the wrong time and he missed the opportunity to draw Windlaw level. Colin Carmichael could’ve scored also, but blazed his effort well over the bar.
Windlaw were turning the screw and the equaliser was coming soon. It came from the unlikeliest source however, on 60 minutes.
Colin Sinclair wandered up the park to the Shaws half and picked the ball up around the left wing. Sinky cut in and unleashed a shot which landed in the bottom left corner of the Shaws net, albeit with the aid of a small deflection. Sinky looked like a jinking winger and it was an excellent finish.
Windlaw were on the ascendancy now and looked the more likely of the 2 teams to score the winner. It seemed certain the next goal would win the game for whoever scored it.
The game turned ugly and tempers flared on 65 minutes. Danny McKenna was the victim of a shocking two footed tackle on the touch line and was lucky to get up from the tackle. He did though and remonstrated with the Shaws player before the two of them were split up. Both players were shown yellow cards and on another day, the ref could have shown red instead. However the ref showed common sense on this occasion.
The decisive goal came on 80 minutes and was an absolute screamer from David McGinlay. The big hitman was being jostled by the centre half, as he was for most of the game, as he tried to evade his marker. As his Windlaw teamates claimed for a foul, McGinlay somehow escaped the shackles of his marker and unleashed a thunderbolt strike from 35 yards out which almost ripped a hole in the top corner of the net. It was a strike worthy of winning any game and you’ll be hard pushed to see a better strike anywhere else this season.
That was McGinlay’s 15th goal of the season, an incredible tally considering we’re less than half way through the league campaign.
Windlaw knew that was the clincher and, deep down, Shaws probably knew that too. The home side played keep ball for the remainder of the match and celebrated another hard fought win over their oldest rivals.
Full-time Windlaw 3 Shawbridge 2
Verdict –Not a brilliant footballing display, but that was difficult for both teams given the blustery conditions. Contests with Shawbridge are always difficult and usually a one goal margin settles the game, just like today. A much improved second half performance won the game for Windlaw and credit to the players for putting in the hard work to win the game when in seasons gone by, we might have lost hope of finding a winning goal. The chance to go top next week is there, but a very difficult tie with Tynecastle lies in wait.
MOTM – There wasn’t anybody who was outstanding, so you have to look for someone who made a difference at a key moment. David McGinlay was that man, with a top class strike that secured all 3 points for Windlaw. 15 goals so far this season is phenomenal and the big man is on course to smash his 19 goal tally from last term.Also a special mention to Colin Sinclair who scored his first ever goal for Windlaw at a crucial stage of the game.
