Gayfield, Scottish Cup 5th Round, 13/2/21
Entrance – £22 family ticket
Attendance – 4049
Pie – Pie, Coffee, Crisps £4.80
Pint – N/A
Arbroath Football Club
Founded – 1878
Nickname – The Red Lichties
Honours – Scottish League One – 2018/19, Scottish Third Division/ League Two – 2010/11 and 2016/17
Random Fact – The clubs record 36 v 0 win v Bon Accord is well talked about but what doesnt grab the headlines as much is the fact John Petrie scored 13 that day which still stands as a record to this day in a single senior match.
Day three of the mid-term fitba travels took us to one of the best grounds on earth, one that Wee Man had surprisingly not set foot in yet, surprising as I count approximately ten times I have visited and also its not really that far from home. I have only been blessed with fine weather once on my visits in a friendly v Aberdeen in 2012. Today was one of those miserable cold and wet days that many would expect at Gayfield. The game however was not miserable and was a decent watch.
An early kick off set us up for a lazy Sunday compared to our Friday and Saturday adventures. What was similar was we were to get wet again for the third game in a row. More Benburb wet than St Mirren as the rain did not let up for the full ninety. It was miserable and I have to commend the wee dude as it couldnt have been pleasant for him as he was soaked through on his bottom half. We were lucky the match was enjoyable and it lifted the mood a bit. I am seldom not a neutral at games but I cant lie I was fully on Arbroath’s side here today and I am sure when I watch Sportscene I will see me celebrating the early Lichties goal. The goal came in the fifth minute when Craig Wighton took a cross down from Hamilton with his head which from where I was looked awfully like it hit his hand before he tucked it away past Macey. Foul or not is irrelevant this goal set this game up to be a cracking cup tie. The game was end to end with both teams creating chances but not testing the keepers. Arbroath should have had two when a strange period of play saw the ball land at on of the three Hamiltons on the pitch Jack who seemed to think Wighton had been called offside. The whole Hibs back line had stopped and Hamilton took too long allowing Ryan Portehorse to get back in and challenge. A huge moment in the match as Hibs went straight up the park and equalised when Mitchell headed home a Stevenson cross. Avoidable goal and I am sure Big Dick will be furious about the space Mitchell had. Hibs turned the screw a bit from here and were denied any more in the half by a fine display from Gaston in the Arbroath goal, with the pick of his saves coming form Nisbets lobbed effort which he brilliantly tipped over the bar. A superb save. A really good first half to this cup tie.
HT – 1 v 1
Arbroath came out swinging right from the off in the second half and Macey in the Hibs goal was to emulate his opposite numbers first half performance by pulling off a number of decent saves early doors. Hibs had a great chance where Mitchell fired into the side netting. This a warning to Arbroath. Obviously I was informed that Wee Man could have scored it. He may have been on to something as it looked easier to bury than miss. Not long after the net did bulge and and great fashion. Step forward Kevin Nisbet. What a hit min. We wont see many a sweeter strike than this. But his control to set himself up was immaculate too. The touch almost stopped the ball dead but he found himself at a tight angle but unleashed a stunning effort past Gaston. Wee Man started getting fidgety at this point and I knew the game was almost over for us as he was getting a bit down with his soaking and the fact Hibs were winning. Hibs went on to a third through a calamity from one of the other Hamiltons who tried to dispose of a cross ball but managed to tangle himself up and lay it on a plate for Mueller who made no mistake. This was our cue to leave to get Wee Man a heat meaning we missed the last 6 minutes or so. Hibs were the better team, the professionalism had shone through against the part timers. But it was a very good cup tie and from a personal level there is something wonderful about watching the Scottish Cup from terracing. I used to love heading to the likes of Boghead, Recreation Park,Station Park and Gayfield too following Aberdeen, nowadays with my Pittodrie exile I can just pick wherever and today despite the bloody weather was a great pick. A proper cup tie.
Also on a personal level, around two years ago corona reared its head and the last game Wee Man and I got together before the shut down was at Recreation Park in Alloa for BSF(ranchise)C(olt pandering) v Hibs in the Scottish Cup. Not being able to do what is essentially our thing that we do together for so long was basically shite for us. We both missed it and we both pined for it. The reason I mention this is because in the car on the way home today Wee Man said “we have been to heaps of games this season”. (39 together and 46 in total for me)It made me realise that normality has been restored somewhat, which I hadn’t really thought about and had maybe just taken for granted to an extent. It seemed coincidental that it was a day where Hibs playing away in the Scottish Cup that had hammered home things are good again. Our adventures are in full swing again after them ending after a Hibs away in the Scottish Cup 5th round match in 2020. Now we are back doing what we do best. This mid-term weekend was fantastic, just an ace time together, enjoying what we do. He may just get another classic old ground yet before he returns to school next week
Me still 222, Wee Man 94
FITBAWBAG 