WHERE ARE YOU BABY?
As the respective Challenge Cups approach the business end of the competition, it’s become increasingly difficult to coordinate three kick-off times in one day. With only the 14s and 16s in action this weekend, I was restricted to a menu of just sixteen ties, although two were held on Sunday. The temptation to return North was strong but the travelling distances between games made it impossible, especially when you factor in the journey up there too. Instead, the decision was made to take in two games hosted by teams in the South East region. Unfortunately, a clash of early afternoon fixtures made a third game impossible.
I’VE BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE
Back in April, I ventured to watch Winchburgh Albion play a friendly against East Fife. The home team were rewarded for their dominant first half display with a 5-0 lead at the break. However, East Fife played a master stroke and brought on a 50mph wind at half-time. The game finished 5-1. While I didn’t return to the same venue, Winchburgh Academy, I was heading to Barrett Park, a grass pitch a mere Rory Delap throw-in away. Bar a single canine ‘deposit’, the pitch was in beautiful condition, with freshly painted lines.
An important part of travelling to different regions is (a) getting parked, which isn’t always guaranteed and (b) parking in such a way as to make a quick getaway to the next match. Being one of the first there, I managed to do both. Lessons had been learned from my trip to North region and I was well covered in terms of sunscreen.
LIVING BY NUMBERS
Victories over Finnart Blues (4-1 away), Dunipace (6-1 at home) and St Mirren (4-3 away) had brought Winchburgh to the last 16, while visitors Milton Girls saw off challenges from Melrose (7-2 away), Queen of the South (9-0 away) and Inverness Caledonian Thistle (7-1 at home) to earn their trip to Barrett’s Park for this 3rd Round clash.
Those games served up plenty of goals and this encounter was no different. The action was end-to-end in the glowing sunshine. Winchburgh Albion were out of the blocks fast and took a two-goal lead but were pegged back and the game continued in this fashion with Albion holding a 4-3 advantage at half-time. The second half was a carbon copy of the first with the teams swapping goals…5-3, 5-4, 6-4, 7-4…
OOPS! I DID IT AGAIN
As the game reached its denouement, I suffered from what I call the Curse of the Result Tweet. Fate has it that as soon as I get the final tweet ready to pronounce the final score on the referee’s whistle, something happens in the match, and I have to delete it and re-write it. Twice in the game I hadn’t quite finished writing a tweet about one goal when another was scored! Just as I thought it was going to end up 7-4 to Albion, Milton scored directly from a corner. No sooner had that happened, Winchburgh kicked off and went up the other end where their striker was fouled outside the box. It took Milton a while to organise a wall, but they needn’t have bothered because the free kick was expertly dispatched to the keeper’s left to give the home team an entertaining 8-5 victory.
ALMA MATER
After some quick goodbyes, I headed off to the game 2 via the M9, M8 and Edinburgh Bypass. Unfortunately, the traffic was going at a snail’s pace as I slowly poached in the car. I wasn’t going to make kick-off time for Bonnyrigg Rose Reds versus Glasgow City. As I drove through Lasswade and Bonnyrigg, my childhood flashed in front of me. This is where I spent most of my school years. The Laird and Dog, where my teenage drinking years were spent, was still going strong. Heading up the hill along Polton Road brought back memories of the house I threw up in one New Year (after falling down the stairs!), a bus stop I use to see an old girlfriend off back to her place and my mate’s house where we played Soft Cell, The Smiths and other cool bands of the time. This led me past my old school – Hawthornden Primary – and the shop opposite, which had been owned by ex-Hibee Eric Stevenson. That’s where we bought our Sweet Tobacco, Sherbet Dib Dabs and Panini stickers. “Does anyone want to swap Hamish McAlpine for Harry Hood?”
RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM
Finally, I arrived and was surprised to get a space in the small car park at Poltonhall. It might have been because the game was being held on the astro pitch further up and not the grass pitch I had expected. There’s an embankment surrounding two sides of the pitch, which acts as a natural amphitheatre although some trees obscure parts of the pitch. I turned up in time to see Glasgow City take the lead. I got chatting to a City parent/fan who brought me up to speed with what had happened.
At half-time, I met up with Jonny, a follower from Twitter/X, and his friends, some of whom who also follow my account. They were on a spying mission from Musselburgh Windsor Blues, who were hosting Bonnyrigg in a league match a few days later. I’m a great believer in this kind of preparation. Forewarned is forearmed and all that.
THIS WORLD OF WATER
A Bonnyrigg equaliser was an opportune moment for a much-needed water break. It was a beautiful day for sitting on the bank watching the game, not so much if you were taking part. A moment of controversy saw City re-take the lead in the extra time. A shot that looked like it had gone past the post had, according to the referee, gone through a hole in the net. The players in red and white stood in disbelief. Some of the locals weren’t happy about it, especially one guy who had to be reassured/calmed down by a coach from the home team after his complaints towards the ref were rather over-exuberant. As a neutral, I wasn’t in the best place to judge. The referee was, so his decision is final.
ACTION AND DRAMA
Bonnyrigg didn’t let their heads go down and smashed home an equaliser in the last moments of extra time. 2-2 was a fair result but now it was down to penalties. With one miss apiece after the regulation five penalty kicks, the score stood at 4-4. It was sudden death. Unfortunately, the Reds’ player got a bit too much loft on the ball and hit the bar before going over. City had to score to win, and they duly did. As with the Kintore v Arbroath Yellows match I witnessed two rounds ago in Dyce, this was two well-matched teams separated by the finest of margins. A classic tale of no-one deserving to lose.
IT’S A SHAME TO SAY GOODBYE
If a popular Danish brand of beer made footballing Saturdays, this would be it. Well, apart from being parboiled on the bypass! More cheerios were said and I headed homeward. God speed to the Kingdom, there’s results to be posted!
Paul
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