12th August 2017 The Spartans v BSC Glasgow 1-2

My first visit to a Spartans home game this season. As weather was good walked the three miles to the ground. Spartans now have turnstiles, gifted by Hearts from the old stand, as I went through I said I wished to purchase a season ticket. No charge for entry and in ground the Spartans chairman went unto the cafe/bar and brought down my ticket. As a Hearts season ticket holder I got ticket half-price, £35, as I will be at Tynecastle a number of times when Spartans are at home.

BSC Glasgow, todays opposition, are a team of nomads. The club was formed in 2014 as a senior team associated with Broomhill Sports Club, a multi-sport youth organisation in Glasgow. However BSC do not have their own ground and currently play their home games at the Indrodrill Stadium, the home of Alloa Athletic, some 30 miles from Glasgow. BSC lost to Spartans in last seasons Lowland League Cup final but have strengthened their side by bringing in a number of ex-SPFL players and are considered as championship contenders for this season league title.

Spartans had the bulk of the early possession and took an early lead after Craig Stevenson found  his way to the bye-line before Alan Brown’s pass was thumped home by Jamie Dishington. I like Jamie Dishington as a player and am surprised that he has not been picked up by a team at a higher level.

BSC were annoyed not to have been awarded a penalty kick after half an hour, with claims of handball inside the Spartans penalty area. The referee did not award a penalty and the BSC manager then volleyed a water bottle up the touchline in protest. He was  ordered off from the bench. First he went and stood at fence behind bench but linesman spotted him and ref told him to move. He then stood behind fence in front of seated area on other side of pitch shouting instructions to his side. I think he was told to move at halftime as ground regulations do not permit standing in front of seated area. He spent second half at fence behind Spartans goal again shouting to his team. Give him his due he did give ball back to Spartans keeper, Blair Carswell, on a couple of occasions after it went out of play into the spectator area.

Despite Spartans have the bulk of possession BSC equalised before halftime through Robbie Duncan after a shot saved by Spartans keeper, Blair Carswell landed at his feet. The second half was more cagey with no clear chances for either side until Spartans substitute Blair Atkinson went past two defenders and shortly narrowly wide from outside the penalty box. Steve Murray, formerly with Kilmarnock and Queen of the South, came on as sub for BSC and seemed to have put on a bit of weight since his SPL days but still showed a football brain. With time running out and a draw looking likely Gavin Redpath put BSC ahead when he was left unmarked in the penalty box and shot home a cross from the right hand side.

After walking to the ground I walked back from the ground to Crewe Toll and caught a 29 bus to Princes Street and then walked home.

Teams

The Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Brown, Tolmie, Thomson, Greenhill, Dishington, Stevenson, Allum, McFarland, Khutsushvili.

Subs: Wilson, Atkinson

BSC Glasgow: Marshall, Kinnaird, Mills, Donnelly, McStay, McMillan, McNab, Duncan, Smith, Grehan, Redpath.

Subs: Murray, McArthur