Gleaner Arena, McIntosh Rosebowl 1/4 Final, 21/6/24
Me 315, Wee Man 179
Elgin Sports Community Trust Football Club
Elgin is an anomaly in the Welfare game. This because the place has teams in the Forres and Nairn District FA as tonight was an example of. However, Thunderton and Seaforth also exist but in the Moray and District set up. It is the geographical border for the two leagues so there is a choice of where you can play.
Another Welfare game in the shadow of a proper ground. This time Borough Briggs home of Elgin City. The Gleaner Arena is so close if you had a wayward shot over the bar it could land of the grass of BB. On the proximity, I find it amusing that a facility bearing the sponsors name is so close to Elgin City after their acrimonious and amusing parting of ways last year. But it’s there and I am sure Elgin City benefit from it too as the whole town does.
On the way up Wee Man asked how many “summer league” teams we had now visited. A good question and one I had not thought of but after a quick bit of maths in my head it turns out E.S.C.T would be the 22nd across 5 different associations. Not bad going as we only started watching to plug a gap and view some fitba when we were subjected to those nonsense Covid rules. The ones that prevented the teams from being allowed to use a changing room. Now the Welfare is like a tradition and a goal laden one and tonight was no different.
I really didn’t know what to expect here tonight and a score prediction was a complete stab in the dark. But one thing is for sure, I didn’t expect 9 goals and a last minute worldie to win it. After a quick blether with Vikings man Gary Souter, a guy who seems to hold the equivalent of my dads role at Ellon Thistle (who Wee Man told me “he’s a nice man after the game after a brief post match rundown) we attempted a kick about, but the Gleaner Arena is not the best for it in all honesty. We had to resort to just passing it about on the concrete between the perimeter fence and the pitch fence. Wee Man was not too enamoured but the game made up for it and more. The first thing that should be mentioned was the amount of chances that were created. The game may have had 9 goals but that should have been a lot more.
The match started with a bang and the away side were in the lead in the first couple of minutes when Jamie Lees was on hand to rasp home a rebound off a Black save from six yards. The striker was unlucky not to add to his tally a minute later when he struck just wide from the edge of the box. E.S.C.T should have equalised through Tiago Nascimento when he hit a feeble effort from 2 yards which gave Ali Johnson in the Vikings goal too much of a chance to stop. Which he did. Evan Wilson then called Johnson in to action again soon after when he tried a cheeky flick off a cross from the right but again the big keeper was up to it. The chances kept coming and it was the Vikings who were next when Gary Burnett sent a shot wide after a great team move, it should have hit the target at least. This was followed by home man Farquhar sending a venomous bending shot just past the post. Vikings then should have doubled their lead when Rumbles missed the target from a handful of yards. A big miss. Nascimento was then cursing Johnson again when he pulled of a great save from pretty much point blank range. Vikings hit the post via Burnett before we got the second goal of the match. Farquhar ran onto a ball into he corner and sent in a brilliant cross to Wilson who made no mistake with a low drive from 6 yards. The teams were not level for long as Vikings took the lead before the half was over. Burnett received the ball on the left and cut inside along the by line and eventually letting off a toe bash across goal and into the far corner. A great finish and that is not just because I love a good old fashioned “taebash”.
HT 1 v 2
Our half time plans were scuppered by a couple of minutes before half time when the guy in charge of the Gleaner Arena for the night came and shut the 5s pitch behind the goal, the place we had earmarked for half time entertainment much to Wee Man’s disgust. The second half also had an early goal, this when Ethan Marini was played the ball at the edge of the box, he was in a criminal amount of space allowing a turn and finish from ten yards. It was far to easy for Vikings but they weren’t to care as the home players argued amongst themselves. E.S.C.T nabbed one back after Evan Wilson slid in to send a cross from Morrison into the bottom corner. Game on again. Even more so when the home side equalised when Morrison ran through against the Vikings defender who to the wrong option of diving in and failing to clear the danger, instead leaving Morrison one on one with Johnson who had no chance with the effort. A great cup tie this was turning into and another cracking goal filled Welfare game. Vikings should have got in front again, a corner was put in the box which home keeper Back misjudged, the ball dropped to Lees who incredibly from 4 yards put the ball past the post. They did get their noses in front soon after when Lees knocked a cross over his head Marini could have taken the ball but opted to leave it for Stevenson who arrowed his strike across goal into the bottom corner from ten yards. Another decent finish to added to the game. Wee Man and I were convinced the goal action was not over and for the night and we were both proved correct when with time running out E.S.C.T equalised again. This time it was Tommy Foster who hit an 18 yard shot past Johnson. It looked like penalties beckoned. Something which always tickles my fancy(when a neutral and not with Aberdeen). The hopes of pens looked to be over Vikings man Dawson looked to have enough time to to finish off E.S.C.T but he failed to rustle the net when he sent the ball wide. A huge chance late on which looked to cement the draw in ninety minutes. But the hopes of spot kicks were kyboshed in the ninetieth minute and in truly fantastic style when the game was won with a worldie. Not only was it a worldie but it was a hat-trick goal for Evan Wilson. With the ball landing at his feet 25 yards out mid-goal, he let off a banger with laser accuracy into the top right corner. The power, the placement and the leaving Johnson nowhere near it made this goal special and a superb way to win a cup tie, a cup tie that was already bloody great entertainment. This being the icing on the cake. It needed something special to separate the teams as it was a close affair throughout. One in which either team could have won but it was the home side who earned the bragging rights and a semi final berth.
Again, I may sound like a broken record, but as many sat at home watching what my dad described as “walking football” between the Netherlands and France, twenty-four lucky punters were treated to an ace cup tie at a level many would look down on with football snobbery. Again I will say, you don’t need multi-million mercenaries to create entertainment(it didn’t happen in Leipzig). You just need a football, a pitch and two teams. Fitba can entertain at any level, even in the Welfare, or “summer leagues” which Wee Man and I now are avid fans of .
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 24
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 3 v 1, Wee Man 3 v 2
Score Predictions Season Total – Me 2 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 