Pursuers 0 v 4 Bellahoustoun

Tuesday 31 August 2004
Match report by A Scoop (AKA Chris McLeish)

The 5 weeks of intensive pre-season training were finally over! After 3 pre-season friendlies and countless training sessions running round the leafy suburbs of Knightswood, the mighty Pursuers took to the field for their first competitive match of the season. Surely on the back of the 17 or so players who turned up at each of the warm up games and given that Pursuers last victory was a 4-0 defeat of Bellahoustoun back in April, Pursuers would get it right for the start of the league cup campaign?

Sadly not. The phrase "started badly, sloped off in the middle and the less said about the end, the better" probably best sums up a hard working but technically deficient opening performance from the Pursuers. There were mitigating factors which contributed to the result. Firstly, only 11 players turned up (a bit of a surprise for new manager Komolafe given the bodies clambering over each other for a "friendly" game earlier in the season). Among the eleven was former boss B Stewart who started despite carrying an injury restricting his movement up front (not the same one as he's been carrying for the last 3 years!).

The game started badly with Pursuers struggling to get a grip with their 3-5-2 formation to put pressure on the veteran Bellahoustoun defence. Things went from bad to worse early in the game when 'Sicknote' O'Neill pulled up with an injury resulting a reshuffle in formation to 4-4-2, and of personnel with Hughes going to an unfamiliar left back role and O'Neill playing left midfield.

The only goal of the first half came from a high cross which the otherwise excellent stand in keeper McKinlay seemed to lose in the sun (yes any foreign readers you read that right - sun in scotland) and punch into his own net. The half finished at 1-0 with Bellahoustoun on top and McKinlay making an excellent save from a snapshot resulting from a corner. Pursuers did have one excellent chance in the first half with S Komolafe's cross-cum-shot evading the inrushing J McLeish.

The second half started in a similar vein with S Komolafe also pulling up injured and having to leave the field for 15 minutes. The strength in depth of the squad was really shining through at this point!

After 20 minutes of so of no further goals and the ref controversially blowing for a handball by J McLeish as he went through on the keeper after a great through ball from the better looking of the McLeish brothers, disaster struck down the Pursuers' right hand side. The defence failed to clear despite several opportunities to do so and this resulted in a tap in from eight yards out. This was quickly followed by a third coming from the same flank when two Pursuers defenders and the goalie managed to run into each other allowing a simple cut back and tap in.

By this time Pursuers were 'down' another man when Narey appeared to trip over his tights at the back when making a last minute clearance resulting in Pursuers going down to 10 (or was is it 9, 8 or 7 at that time) yet again.

The last goal was a wonder strike from Bellahoustoun - hitting a shot from fully 40 yards into the top corner past a helpless McKinlay. In the meantime Pursuers had one or two half chances but the remaining fit men manfully spent most of the game chasing shadows.

In summary, a hard working performance from which it is hard to take many positives other than the team work ethic. Only manager Komolafe, Narey and J McLeish get passmarks but certainly extenuating circumstances for the rest.

Pursuers next game is against Gilmorehill in the League Cup on Saturday when at least a 4-0 victory will be required to see them through. To find out if they manage tune in next week for the next thrilling installment of match reports.........(or if you are one of the missing 6 - get your arse along there on Saturday and play!)

Match report by A Scoop (AKA Chris McLeish)