Crombie Park, Grill League Cup Final, 10/4/22
Entrance – Me £7, Dad £3, Wee Man £0
Attendance – 270 (Rough Head Count)
Pie – £6, Pie x 2, Coffee x 2
Pint – N/A
A strange one this, in 115 matches blogged to date I have never struggled to find the words and I was driving home I wondered what to say. This was a poor afternoon of fitba. Correct result as I wanted the Dee to win, correct result as they were the better team but a pretty dire 90 minutes.
This had the makings of making my sixtieth game of the season a cracker. The two best sides in the league contesting silverware. However it did not pan out that way. Today was a tri-generational affair with my old boy coming along. Having a day out with him being the highlight of the day. Good to get him a game of fitba this weekend with his own game being postponed half an hour before kick off yesterday. The opening quarter of an hour was dull as dishwater full of long punts from Bridge of Don. To be fair to the Dee they did try knock the ball on the deck but there was just nothing of note to mention until the 20th minute when Jack Henderson saw his effort cleared off the line by Craig McKeown but with no great distance, luckily his strike partner Marc Gilmour was on hand to tap home to put the Dee up. We were hoping this was to inject a bit of life to proceeding but it did not. The only source of entertainment for the rest of the half was the linesman in front of us only sticking his flag up once the referee had already made the decision. Every time without fail. Some of the closer punters were giving him grief about it too. On that, the man in the middle had a poor afternoon, you would think a final would be given to a ref as a reward for a good season. Off day or just poor? Barring a challenge from Dee man Jack Henderson sending the Bridge of Don bench apoplectic, and Bridge of Don’s Muirhead having to be subbed off after feeling the full force of a Lee Sweeney clearance, a sore one for sure. On Sweeney, was the keeper lucky to not give away a penalty when he rushed out to clear but seemed to take the man too, was there a touch on the ball? Again, the Thistle bench was choleric with this decision.That was about that for the half that saw the ball more in the air than on the deck. The men in white headed in to the break with one hand on a historic quadruple.
HT 0 v 1
Half time saw the old man do the needful get the pies in and I’m glad he did as they were cracking. He informed me he missed out on the mince and skirlie pies, but it was not an issue as these steak efforts were ace. Best pie of the season so far(Fernilea Bakers, is that Mastrick?). Glad I made the deal of I pay the gate he pays the coffees as I probably wouldn’t have had a pie if he didn’t take one back.
Our hopes of a better second half were clearly going to be dashed as the half started in similar fashion to the first with nothing happening. There was a wee bit of handbags between Thistle substitute Chris Angus and Dee centre half Kacper Lewecki. Angus tried a shoulder barge after a challenge from the big defender, this was returned with a shove to the face which sent Angus down to his arse in comical fashion. This let go by the ref who’s performance was deteriorating as the game went on and it was eventualy too much for Bridge of Don manager Lewis Muirhead who’s remonstrations were given a yellow card. The Dee doubled their lead not long after when they were awarded a penalty. Soft yes but by the letter of the law it was a foul. Jack Henderson stepped up and Jack Henderson made no mistake. The Grill Cup was heading to Spain Park to join the Aberdeenshire Cup and Shield and the Superleague. The action dried up and it was again just about amusement from the officials inclusive of a strange episode on regards to a corner to the Dee. Gilmour struck an effort well over the bar not troubling Shearer in the goal. The referee gave a corner and was heard saying “I saw the touch”, Andy Shearer is a tall loon but he would have had to be nine foot to get a hand to the effort, however our local linesman finally went against the ref and signaled for the goal kick. But after a discussion with the ref was overruled. The one time in the match he made up his own mind he was told to beat it. Not a huge moment in the game but amusing all the same. The Dee were a fag papers width away from making it three when after some great down the right from Magnus Watson(best player on the park on the day)saw the tricky winger send a cracking ball across the box where MacLeod threw himself at the ball but his toe was one coat of polish away from connecting. The Dee held on, captain Kane Winton lifted the diminutive Grill Cup and The Rechabites fourth trophy of the season. Will it be their final Junior trophy though? Or will the get the McLeman Cup too?
Me still 228, Wee Man still 104, Dad unsure
FITBAWBAG 