Pursuers 1 v 2 Gilmorehill

Saturday 4 September 2004
Match report by Hugh Levins, Scottish Pun

McKinnon
Narey
Dawson
O'Neill
Gordon
S Komolafe
Stewart

.... NO Not the start of manager F Komolafe's team sheet for Saturday's second League Cup match against 1st Division outfit Gilmorehill but a list of those who either due work commitments, injury , suspension or just letting their team mates down were not available for this match.

With so many players unavailable, Saturday saw the return of veteran defender Brown to a defence that so far this season has failed to keep a clean sheet.

Pursuers returned to the their more familiar 4-4-2 formation in a bid to keep the back door shut, but in truth this merely led to Pursuers sitting on their own 18 yard line throughout the first half. Although this formation clearly helped Cunningham and Byrne. Cunningham having probably his best 89 minutes of the season.

After 20 minutes of onslaught the breakthrough came as Gilmorehill took the lead. Mir was caught jumping into the tackle when in hindsight seeing the ball out of play would have been the sensible thing to do, the winger the drove the ball across the 6 yard box which was intercepted by Cunningham who watched as the ball flew past stand in goal keeper McKinlay.

1-0

Pursuers did start to come into the game after that with the help of non-stop running from the McLeish brothers in the centre of the park and through the Arial threat of Kane (has the removal of the moustache helped him jump just that little bit higher???). With no real chances created throughout the first half it remained 1-0.

HT 1-0

After a half time team talk consisting of "using the channels", "finding space", "running off the ball", "demanding the ball" and "keeping the ball" it was a surprise to all at the sidelines when straight from the kick off Pursuers punted the ball straight out of the park for a Gilmorehill goal kick!

Pursuers first chance of the second half came from a free kick after 10 minutes, this was duly put into row Z by Brown.

Throughout the second half Pursuers did manage to put together some passing movements with Brown, J McLeish and Byrne looking particularly comfortable on the ball.

The equaliser came midway through the second half when a long ball over the Gilmorehill defence was chased down by C McLeish who then proceed to trip up the covering defender, then with only the keeper to beat, closed his eyes, swung his right foot as hard has he could, and prayed. The rest of us stood watching his miss-hit shot trundled through the keepers legs and into the empty net.

1-1

Pursuers failed to capitalise on their equaliser and when the defence failed to clear their lines and Brown was caught in possession their forward made no mistake in slotting the ball in the bottom right hand corner.

2-1

Pursuers continued to huff and puff but without creating any real opportunities. Too many loose passes and not enough players showing for the ball sees Pursuers finish bottom of their league cup section.

This Saturday sees the start of the league campaign against Bella Houston who took 4 off the Pursuers last Tuesday.

Will the return of the injured McKinnon and suspended Dawson make any difference or will it all end up with red cards and even more visits to the treatment room?

Hugh Levin, The Scottish Pun