An F.P’s win despite the elements

Wishaw High School F.P’s travelled to Kirkintilloch last Saturday to take on Harestanes AFC in this CSAFL Premier Division encounter. This was a game which both sides would be determined to win with the home side looking to push further up the table as they found themselves languishing in 2nd bottom spot after a none too convincing start to their season. The F.P’s although just sitting 4th from bottom have games in hand over the sides round about them but these are the teams they must take points from if they want top push into mid-table safety.

Despite the horrendous windy conditions with driving rain all afternoon, both sides done their utmost to play football on the deck when possible and The F.P’s started well with central midfielders Gary Miller and debutant Shaun Murphy continually probing balls forward into the feet of strikers Stephen Mackie and Stevie Murdoch. With only 10 minutes on the clock, a ball into the edge of the 18 yard box was flicked on by Mackie and his strike partner darted onto the through ball and rounded Harestanes keeper David McKegney to slot home from wide of the 6 yard box. Harestanes response was immediate however and minutes after the restart, Harestanes Kevin Welsh squandered a good opportunity to level when clean through on F.P’s no 1 Paul O’Hara but failed to hit the target. They didn’t have to wait long however for the equaliser to come when a rather static looking F.P’s back line allowed Harestanes centre forward Christopher McCafferty too much time to waltz his way into the penalty area and he made no mistake from 10 yards out to level at 1-1. Harestanes continued to push forward and Paul Marshall should have done better from 6 yards with his free header after a good cross from out wide. In a concerted effort to regain the lead, The F.P’s players rolled the sleeves up and wide midfield player Scott Donald unleashed an unstoppable shot from the edge of the Harestanes 18 yard box on the ½ hour which nestled in the bottom corner with McKegney rooted to the spot to put the F.P’s 2-1. With 10 minutes to go till the interval, F.P’s captain Stephen Mackie was unlucky not to put his side 3-1 up with a deft head flick from a superbly delivered corner kick from Gary Miller. With play now flowing from end to end Harestanes Ewan McRae forced a fine save low down to his left from O’Hara and right on the half time whistle both Scott Donald and Allan Littlejohn had half chances to increase the F.P’s lead after a neat head flick from Donald had come back of the Harestanes crossbar. Unfortunately neither of them could force the ball over the goal line.

The 2nd half was always going to be a struggle as the wind picked up even more and it was going to take a battling performance against the elements as much as the opposition if the F.P’s were going to take any points from the game and to their credit every player to a man gave 100% effort and commitment in their quest to hold onto the 1 goal advantage. Mackie, Murdoch and Ansell all passed up good chances to extend the lead when they did manage to break through the Harestanes backline and just as it looked like they were going to hang on, the match official saw F.P’s sweeper Gerry Jamieson fall to the ground along with one of the Harestanes forwards after a long throw in and deemed that the F.P’s player had bundled the Harestanes forward over and awarded a penalty kick much to the dismay of Jamieson who was adamant that the Harestanes player had his arms round him and had pulled him forward. As has happened so many times in the past year, when the F.P’s face a spot kick O’Hara usually pulls something out of the hat and it happens too many time s to be all luck but once again he threw himself to his left to make a tremendous save from Donald McDonald to keep his side 2-1 in front. This seemed to inspire the F.P’s to battle well to the full time whistle and at the end of the day they can be delighted to take all 3 points in an excellent match.

F.P’s Coach Wullie Inglis was delighted with the result, performance and attitude of every one of the side on the day and stated.” Due to the conditions before the match and during it, we would probably have taken a point and been happy with it as all away matches in this division prove difficult to take any points from so to come away from it with all 3 and put in an excellent performance as well we have got to be happy with that. The danger on the day was a possibility of the match official abandoning the game after the wind blew the goal which The F.P’s were defending in the 2nd half over with the official stating that if it happened again, he would be putting a halt to proceedings due to players safety but although we would have been disappointed as were leading at the point of the incident we would have accepted the official’s decision and reasoning behind it “.

This Saturday 28th January 2012 The F.P’s have a CSAFL Premier Division match at home to Uddingston Anvil and The F.P’s will be eager to avenge a 1-0 defeat by their Lanarkshire rivals earlier in the season. This match will be a2pm kick off at The King George the V Park in Wishaw.

Line Up: O’Hara, Montgomery, Burnside, Jamieson, Donald, Ansell, Littlejohn, Miller, Murphy, Mackie (McCluskey), Murdoch (Wilson).

January 22nd, 2012

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