The Meadows 3G (Neutral), Friendly, 11/7/24
Me 317, Wee Man 183
A rare Thursday game, in my home town between the Amateur and Junior representatives of Ellon. The Amateur side being my ex-club and my old boys current team but he was slacking and missed most of the match for prior arrangements, this meaning Wee Man didn’t get to hang out with his pal for too long. But the Jags are also the only team give I shite about out with Aberdeen. Only two scores matter on a Saturday. I was interested to see how they would fair against a Junior side so early in their pre-season.(this effectively Thistle’s third training session). I was also interested to see how “Jock” Adamson would get on as he had defected across the Meadows fence to United from Thistle. The score may have been 5 v 0 but fitness shone through and the raft of Thistle subs in the second half disturbed the good fitba they had been playing all night as happens in pre-season at times.
The new surface at the Meadows seems pretty decent. We knocked the ball about on it pre-game and at HT and it felt a lot better than many we have previously been on. With watching a game here it means the two of us have completed the Meadows with games viewed at Thistle, United in the past and this 3G tonight. Grass is always better but when both teams grounds are not ready this brand new pitch is a good substitute now what was like QPRs pitch in the 80s had been replaced with modern technology. But I couldn’t help notice the touchline was hugely thick.
As stated the game was closer than the score line suggested. The first half there was not much between the teams. The first fifteen minutes were littered with loose passes rusty looking touches but once this disappeared both teams played good football and both getting in behind each other. It was the Juniors who looked more threatening and took the lead through a bit of fortune when Aiden McCormick got the luck of a ricochet of the ball which landed perfectly at his feet allowing him to break free of his defender, a couple of touches saw him enter the box then fire low past Law. A bit of a kick in the nuts for Thistle who had defended well so far. From kick off Thistle got up the park and had their first real sight of goal but David Coutts tried to wrap his instep round the ball sending the effort wide. I felt he should have tried to smash it with his laces. The game opened right up here and both teams created. McCormick spurned a good opportunity when his sight of goal opened up but his shot although saved by Law didn’t cause much of an issue for Thistle’s new keeper. United then had the ball in the net only for it to be given as offside. The correct decision, an initial shot was blocked and after the ball pinballed about, it headed back through via a team mate to the striker who hadn’t made it back into the pack in time. (Directly in line with us and it was clear). Thistle then had their best chance of the game when a superb ball into the box from Stewart on the left made its way over every United defender where Thistle main goal threat Michael Moffat was lurking but saw his header go wide. A big chance. Next up with a solid effort was United’s James Bain who drove an effort low to Laws left hand post but the keeper got across well to tip it round. Moffat was unlucky not to equalise and deserved to when at incredible speed nipped in between the United defence and Adamson to to the ball past the keeper leaving himself to run round, from the tightest of angles, he brilliantly squeezed the ball between Adamson and the goal only to see it go agonisingly wide of the far post. Very unlucky. Then typically United went up the park and doubled their lead through Bain. The striker was maybe offside but he burst through the defence to smash low past Law, taking the Juniors into the break two up.
HT 0 v 2
United should have been three up early doors when the Thistle defence parted like the Red Sea in front of Dean McDonald who tickled the ball towards Law who saved comfortably. Sam Harrison was then guilty of similar when a short Henderson header dropped to him but his effort had no power giving Law too much of a chance. Then Bain wasted a good chance when he spun brilliantly round his marker only to see his shot head over the bar. The Jags came into the game for a good period here and were soon shouting for a pen for handball but the ref was having none of it. It was definitely handball, however there was a clear offside in the build up (again right in line with us) so it would have been harsh on United. Tom Blakey had the next effort of the game when the big Thistle midfielder saw a twenty yard effort go slightly wide. Moffat then had his biggest chance of the evening when he was teed off perfectly but his effort went sailing past the post. Thistle were playing very well at this point but almost shot themselves in the foot when they allowed McCormick to glide through and into the box on the left but his toe bashed effort hit the side netting. A host of subs happened and seemed to interrupt the good spell Thistle were having and it was not long until it was 3-0 via and OG from a Thistle defender, a new lad and haven’t learned his name yet. Ross someone I think, he had had a decent game too. One of the subs put a smile on my face, this when seeing ex-teammate Steven Morris replace Law in goal. “Mo” is older than my 40 years. Let’s just say he’s closer to 50 than my age, but fair play to the man for still having the fitba bug. To be noted he is a great voice on the side line too, he knows his onions. A fourth and fifth went past him though, this via Aiden Brookes (decent effort from range)and Callan Reid(inside the box)to boost up the score but as said, fitness and the subs had took their toll on Thistle. I wonder what Aberdeen legend Neil Simpson made of it, as he was in attendance. After a look at the team lines I gather the Simpson at fullback for United team is his loon.
A fine night for a game (I say fine, it was pretty nippy for July, bloody global warming)and a decent enough game for the most part. The better team won but the Jags can take a lot of positives from that. Some very bonnie fitba played at times, the new guys all looked useful (Law, Misacas and Ross at the back especially) and the old heads still look hungry. After my old man came down I said to him, “if Thistle play like that in the league they will do well”. This will be needed as this coming season is the last of the current league set up so if they do not finish in the top 5 they will be relegated as mad as that sounds. You could come 6th in the second tier and drop to 3rd tier, ‘mon the Jags
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 52
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 0 v 3, Wee Man 1 v 3
Score Predictions Season Total – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 