Davidson Park, NOSFL Premier League, 23/1/25
Me still 361 , Wee Man still 217
Longside Football Club
Founded – 1933
Nickname – The Side
Honours – North East Premier League 1999/00, 2000/01. North East First Division -1993/94. Morrison Trophy – 1989/90, 1993/94 and 2014/2015
Random Fact – The club used to play at Cairngall Farm in the 50s and shared the grounds with grazing cattle. The agreement of use hinged on a very important point. As long as the gate was shut after usage. This was neglected after a game leading to the cattle being found roaming the village the next morning. The club were evicted from the farm.
A three day weather warning for rain in Aberdeenshire. A total nonsense, at risk of sounding like an old man, but when I was younger it was called weather and we got on with things without any scaremongering rubbish attached to said weather. As per usual this latest “warning” came to nothing, a total non-event in my corner of the world, this meaning game on in Longside. Wet? Aye, but nothing to get your scants in a bunch about.
Staying on the topic of non-events, this match turned into one. With over six weeks away at work, the thought of being under the lights at one of my favourite grounds Davidson Park being my first game back was a good thought. To add to this, to watch second placed Longside off the back of a superb win against Bridge of Don Thistle last weekend v a very fine side in Hermes added to the excitement . Unfortunately, it really did not unfold in the way my brain had bigged it up though. From very early on the script was an obvious one. Hermes were here to win and dominate the game and that exactly what they did. The first 45 was very much played in the home sides half and you could sense a potential do-in on the cards. So much so the Longside young team packed up their flag and drum early doors and did one.Hermes went into a 0 v 2 lead via Jack Buirds and James McMahon. Two goals in which Longside will surely think they could have done better with. The second especially as the Hermes man was granted acres of space at the edge of the box to shoot.The Bridge of Don side had numerous other chances and could have been out of sight on another day. But instead the deficit was halved by a goal of simplistic beauty when after a blocked shot the ball was sent out wide again to be immediately fired into the box to find Kieran Scott on hand to into Corbett’s largely unguarded net. Football is not a complicated game despite many trying to make it so. Balls into the box from wide men cause trouble. Too often these days teams lack this simple tactic . Deserved? Probably not but it got Longside’s tails up for a spell. But Hermes put them back in their box again before the half was out and in superb fashion. Recieving the ball out on the right defender Lewis Masson decided to do it all himself as he cut in towards the box and at the apex walloped an unstoppable arrowed drive through a bourach of bodies and into the far corner of Cameron Fraser’s goal. A brilliantly thunderous strike of a football and as good as I have seen this season.
HT 1 v 3
The second half was not as much dominated by Hermes but they were still the better team overall. Longside were more in the game with a few half chances but nothing too awkward for Corbett to deal with. The game also had a lot more niggle to it and saw the ref brandish a few yellows for tackles and handbags. It also saw the ref give two penalties to Hermes. The first being a shambles of a decision. It was a perfectly timed challenge which saw a toe clearly contact the ball. I can only think the man in the middle thought it was a tackle from behind, which it wasn’t. It was a last ditch challenge from the side. A very poor decision. The second was just clumsy defending which saw Hamish Burr sent off for his infringement of basically bumping/shoving the Hermes man in the back. Both kicks were netted by McMahon for his hat trick killing the game and putting Hermes on easy street. Somewhere that to be honest, they were already visiting early doors in the match.
Longside may be currently second in the league but going into this they were seven games played ahead of Hermes (and now after tonight fellow big guns Bridge of Don and Culter). I can seen the trajectories of both clubs being polar opposites. Longside by the sheer number of games played will eventually slide down due to catch up, while there is no reason Hermes cannot win this division. A very good side with numerous quality players throughout. Interestingly on the way home Wee Man said “we should watch Hermes more as they are good watch”. The kid knows game.
Entrance – Me £7, Wee Man Free
Attendance – 102 (rough head count)
Pie – £8.20, pie x 2, coffee, Kit Kat
Pint – £4.40, Amstel, Social Club
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 2 , Wee Man 1 v 2
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 3 v 2 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 