Davidson Park, NESFA League 1, 31/5/24
Me still 309, Wee Man still 174
Longside Thistle Football Club
After spending the day with two of the three most amazing people in life it was back on the Welfare trail on a fine Friday night with the third person in Longside. Many a kick about have been had previously on Lesser Davidson Park. I have also played on it in the past. But neither of us had viewed a game on it to date. The latter fact was to stay the same as we turned up to the pleasant surprise of the game being played on the main Junior pitch. This not a problem as I have said many a time, it is one of if not the best in the area and it was still looking superb one day shy of June. To add to the quality of venue, there is just something magic about a bonnie summers night where the air smells well….. summery, the surrounds are colourful and the floodlights don’t need turned on. Add in some Welfare and it supplements the magic.
Another chance to watch Haven, a second in a week this time up against Longside Thistle. This in front of decent number in attendance. Inclusive of a wee band of sweary “ultras”. On paper it looked as if it was to be a close game. Our score predictions said so(even though we made them during the match as we forgot pre-match). The game was in fact tight and there was nothing between them. Especially in terms of spurned opportunities as both teams were very much guilty of this and the score could have and should have been a lot higher. The only goal of the game was early when James Timmins was played into the box with far too much space where he struck past Gerrard in the Haven goal from a handful of yards. It seemed far to easy. Haven should have equalised soon after when Jordan Abolgassem fired an effort wide. I cant help but think it should have been at least on target. Longside then went on to miss a glorious opportunity to double their lead when big striker Kieran Scott got into the box but instead of shooting he tried to beat the next man and by the time he had, he was out of room to get the shot off. The game was pretty stuffy with not much final third action for a long period until the final few minutes of the half. Haven had an effort cleared off the line when Letelier glanced a Strachan corner goal ward beating Turriff in the Longside goal but not the defender on the post. Strachan was to pull of an incredible miss soon after when he was picked out at the back post, from around two yards he seemed to slice the ball and put it behind himself. As strange as it was unbelievable. He could have stood and let it hit him and I am sure it would have been an equaliser. The half ended with Zac Clueit fizzing an effort past the post for Haven.
HT 1 v 0
Wee Man was in a weird mood as he stayed clear of me and the Glenugie United massive (aka the Formans) that were in for a gander. He even seemed like he couldn’t be assed with his kick about that he sought after. Strange and not like him him night from him. The second half threw up much and such the same . Longside were in early through Scott again this tie he got his shot away but it was wide. He did well to get an effort in to be fair to him. Over the course of the night he showed he was an all round decent player. Longside were to spurn another chance soon after when Scott Walker opted to head a rebound back at the Haven goal, but this option was the slower leaving Gerrard enough time to reset and save. If Walker had just stuck his foot through it, it was a goal for sure. Then came another incredible miss. This time from Longside’s Luke Barber who had a tap in from a couple of yards, but he went for a World Cup finish and completely miss hit the ball. The score stayed at 1 v 0 incredibly. Walker was next up to try his luck when he hit a 35 yard free kick which Gerrard palmed past. From the resulting corner which Walker took, he proceeded to rattle the post with it. Scott was then unlucky not to double Longside’s lead when he headed just over the bar. He managed to get it over Gerrard but not down quick enough. Haven were not out of it and started to push forward and it genuinely did look like they were to grab something out of the game. They may have if it wasn’t for my old school mate Jamie McNeill who took one for his team when he wiped out Strachan cynically stopping the Haven man from bearing down on goal. A professional foul if ever I saw one. Then in the dying minutes Strachan hit an expertly taken free kick from 25 yards which crashed off the crossbar down on to the line and to safety despite mass protests from the visiting players. We were too far away to tell(after the game the Formans told us it was not in and hit the line. Bear in mind a draw was the best result for Glenugie so I will take their word for it). That was that. Not the greatest game by any stretch, but not the worst.
Prior to the game Wee Man had noticed we had been to a large proportion of the NESFA set up. I checked once home. As I write the only outstanding clubs are Boddam United, Faithlie United, Peterhead United, St Combs and Macduff(I have been there to watch Deveronside in the past though). Not bad considering we only started watching the NESFA because Covid stopped us watching most other things. Be as well complete the set up.
Attendance -69
Pie – N/A
Pint – £4 Tennent’s, Longside FC Social Club
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 1 , Wee Man 1 v 0
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 2 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 