Balmoral Stadium(Cove Rangers), North of Scotland Cup 1/2 Final, 11/4/25
Me still 339, Wee Man still 202
As we sat in a cafe down the beach firing into a bacon roll each in the morning, Wee Man piped up saying he wanted to watch a live game instead of TV fitba at night. Good man, and after telling him this encounter was on he was more than up for it as he has a bit of a thing for Echt. An Amateur semi was far more an appealing option than the Championship on the box and at the end of the day, fitba is not a TV show.
Fitba can be one sided though and tonight was one of those occasions. The score line masks the first half somewhat. The game was well and truly over by half time. Cowie took the lead early doors through a bloody brilliant strike when Oldroyd howitzered an effort into the bottom corner from twenty yards. It was a superb strike to be fair to the Cowie number eight. Echt in a rare foray forward should have been on level terms a couple if minutes later when Singer was ten yards from goal with a clear shot but he hit his effort wide leaving Miller in the Cowie goal to watch it sail past when he should have been called into action. It was to be rued too as not long after Cowie grabbed a second in strange circumstances. Duguid received the ball out on the stand side wing and proceeded to swing the ball into a chocked box, but somehow it sailed past every single player in the box and into the far corner. A very soft goal to throw away. A third Cowie goal was scored but chopped off, however I missed it as I was pissing, but relying on the words of the Wee Man .”The Cowie boy fouled the Echt boy then scored and moaned at the ref as it wasnt allowed”. Echt a hill to climb and before the half was out, the hill became a mountain when Moultrie nodded in a lengthy free kick as good as unchallenged. It was all too easy for the Stonehaven side. A coast for Cowie it may have been but there is no taking anything away from them, they are a good side and in truth could have been a few more up here if not for spurned chances
HT 3 v 0
The kick about at the Balmoral was a good one and one of the best this season. If this was a Cove game I doubt itwould.have been permitted but as it was Amateurs we were in our element. The training goals were set up so it was banging shots at each other during the break(and pre game). There was one point where I caught a half volley beautifully but as soon as it left my foot I thought “oh fuck this is going to hurt” however some how the face bound shot was miraculously tipped over the bar by Wee Man. Quite easily the best save I have seen him pull off ever. It was fantastic from the little dude.
After such a one sided first half we both thought that it surely had to improve. It did for sure but the damage was too severe to overturn. Cowie wasted another couple of chances before Echt’s Dylan Singer grabbed a lifeline as he headed past a rigid on his line Miller in the Cowie goal. Was it game on? For a few minutes maybe as the inevitable tail raise after scoring was apparent,but Cowie restored their three goal advantage. This when Ceretti headed home unmarked from 6 yards. It was all too easy again for Cowie, who out of their four goals were pretty much handed the second, third and fourth. With the floodlights doing their job as the darkness set in Echt grabbed another consolation under the now beaming full moon. Defender Steve Munro headed past Miller with ease from close range. A sloppy goal to give away from a Cowie perspective, but it did not matter as the game soon came to an end, booking Cowie a return to Balmoral against Kincorth who’s management were in attendance tonight. As stated Cowie are clearly a good side but I see a bit of a chink in their armour. Did the KC guys see it? Let’s see at the final, if I am still stuck at home that is, 10 weeks and counting now.
Entrance – £10 for both, nae sure how it was split. I am guessing 7 and 3
Attendance – 169 (rough head count)
Pie – £5.50, Pie and coffee
Pint – £5.65, Estrella Galcia, Wellington Hotel
Score Predictions Me 3 v 0, Wee Man 3 v 1
Season Score Prediction Total – Me 3 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 