| Strathclyde Saturday Morning League:Division 1 | |
| 29th April 2006 Lochend high School |
|
| Vale United | 2 |
| Windlaw | 3 |
| C.Kerr,K.McCann(2) | |
Star Man: Manager Gary Wilson awarded it to the whole team again and had this to say: "The attitude, character and determination to collect all 3 points was terrific, especially after being pegged back twice. Every player gave 100% and it would be unfair to single out any individual player."
Action Details
Windlaw went into this match knowing they had to win to maintain their slim chances of winning the league title and they couldn't have handpicked a harder final game of the season than current champions Vale Utd away from home. With this in mind, manager Gary Wilson made some tactical changes and brought in Zanda Dougall for John McCabe and Marty Doc for Allan Dougall. Paul McInally retained his starting place but only after passing a late fitness test.
The Windlaw objective was clear – Win at all costs! Every player seemed to have this lodged in their minds as Windlaw started well and went at Vale from the first whistle looking for an early goal. A few early half chances were passed up as the crucial first goal was more elusive than first hoped. Windlaw's almost all out attack philosophy was proving risky as Vale were counter attacking quickly, however the back 3 and goalkeeper John Lunny were in inspired form in the first 45 minutes as they limited their chances to long shots, one of which was heading for the far corner of the net before Lunny pulled of a remarkable save for the umpteenth time this season to keep Windlaw on level terms. Vale's influential frontman Brian Smith was missing from the starting line-up for this match, however his replacement Jim Moran was equally as tricky and effective as his big strike partner and never gave Windlaw's back 3 a minutes peace for the entire 90mins. With Moran's pace and Smith's aerial ability, it's hard to find another front pairing that could rival these 2.
Windlaw claimed the first goal of the match courtesy of captain Chris Kerr. Kevin McCann's superbly delivered long throw was nodded on by Benny Carey only for Chris Kerr to smash his header off the face of the bar, but he reacted quickly and followed up with another header which beat the despairing Vale keeper. Cue the wild but premature celebrations from the Windlaw camp.
Windlaw were not content with a slender one goal advantage and quickly went at Vale again looking for a second. It never arrived in the first half as long range efforts from Carey and Neeson went wide of the target
Half Time: Vale Utd 0-1 Windlaw
The second half of this match was one of the nerviest 45 minutes you'll ever see in Windlaw history. They knew they had to take all 3 points from the match, and going into the second half with a one goal lead gave them a problem. Do they sit in and defend their slender one goal advantage which would undoubtedly see them come under heavy pressure from Vale or do they press for a killer second goal and risk leaving gaps at the back for Vale's quick counter attacks to expose? Well, Windlaw never really had time to answer that question as Vale grabbed an equaliser. A Vale corner was poorly dealt with and not cleared properly, resulting in a strike into the corner of the net by the Vale left back. A good goal from Vale's point of view but from Windlaw's it was shabby defending which they were punished for. Windlaw had no option but to go back on the attack and score a second goal, and more importantly, hold onto the lead this time.
Windlaw attacked Vale in search of a 2 nd goal but Vale were not content with a draw either and were counter attacking to good effect. It was end to end stuff and both teams looked like scoring another couple of goals each. Windlaw did score again and it was a gem of a goal. A fine passing move involving John McCabe, Shug Neeson and Chris Kerr saw Eck McCaig released down the right hand side. As the Windlaw frontman sped down the wing he squared the ball to the supporting Kevin McCann, who was now much more involved in the game after being moved into the middle. If there was one player you could have hand picked to be in that situation it was McCann, and he didn't disappoint as he coolly slotted the ball under the onrushing keeper and into the corner of the net. The wild celebrations from the Windlaw entourage were definitely premature as this match had many more twists and turns left in it and you just knew the scoring wasn't over.
Windlaw were really nervy now and this was further compounded when prolific frontman Brian Smith came off the bench and into the mix, there was definitely trouble ahead for Windlaw when this guy was on the park. Smith settled into the match immediately and his aerial supremacy was causing Windlaw's defence all sorts of problems, they simply couldn't cope with him. It was Smith who levelled the match at 2-2 after more dreadful Windlaw defending. Another high ball into the box wasn't dealt with and big Smith prodded home from close range after 80 mins to send Windlaw into despair.
You couldn't see a way back for Windlaw after this. The amount of effort and energy they put into the first 80 mins was taking its toll and the players looked drained. That 2nd equaliser was a kick in the proverbials and a 3rd goal looked out of reach. However, the boys got a 2 nd wind from somewhere and mustered enough energy for a few more attacks at Vale.
The defining moment of the match came in the 86th minute when Windlaw were awarded a penalty, a final lifeline! Eck McCaig, again, raced down the right wing but this time went right into the penalty area and headed for the byeline. The Windlaw hitman showed the Vale defender a clean pair of heels as he cut across him in an attempt to square the ball to his queuing team mates, but the wee man never got that chance as the clumsy Vale defender took the legs away from him and the only outcome was a stonewall penalty. Kevin McCann was faced with the most important penalty he'd ever had to take, but he was the coolest man on the park and placed his penalty into the corner of the net to send the whole Windlaw camp into rapturous celebrations.
Surely Windlaw could hold out for the remainder of the game? Well they did, but not before Vale had them under the cosh and pinned back in their own penalty box. Wave after wave of high balls bombarded the Windlaw goal and only a combination of desperate defending and good fortune saw Windlaw stave off Vale to claim all 3 points. Indeed, if it wasn't for the last ditch goal line clearance from Sinky and a late save from a Smith backheel, it might have been an entirely different story.
Windlaw held out and walked away with all 3 points, thoroughly earning their post match pints after this epic encounter.
Full Time: Vale Utd 2-3 Windlaw
Summing Up - Firstly a mention to current champions Vale. This team's current league position doesn't give a true reflection of how good Vale still are. Strong, powerful quick, and an unrivalled strike force. Vale may be suffering from what happens to a lot of teams who have won the league the previous season – they may have lost their edge. Undoubtedly Vale will bounce back next year and are certain to be in the top 3 at least. With excellent players like Smith and Moran in their side they will be among the honours again next season, no doubt about it.
Now for Windlaw. Every player knew this was a must win match and the effort from every single player was exceptional. They never gave up, even after the killer 2nd equaliser and fought hard for all 3 points. The desire and belief on display was phenomenal. It was an outstanding win at a place where teams will have found it very difficult to pick up points. This match was about achieving the 52 points total for the season, which in turn would put more pressure on Greenhills Dynamo in the race for the title. The league is there for Greenhills to win or lose, it's up to them, but this was more about achieving 14 more points than the previous season, it was about showing character and bouncing back from the mid season crisis which threatened to wreck the season before it even began, it was about finishing the season on a high, it was about pride. Every player who contributed this season can hold their heads high and be satisfied with what they did contribute and what they achieved. It's been a long time since that humiliation at Eddlewood, which in hindsight may not appear as bad as first thought as they are in the semi finals of both the Scottish Amateur Cup and the West of Scotland Cup, but it's been a fantastic season and we'll definitely be back competing again next season, whether we come back as champions or challengers remains to be seen.
Over to you Greenhills Dynamo!
