9th November 2021 The Spartans 2 Celtic B 1
Heading off to Ainslie Park tonight for my fiftieth match of the season. Decided as I had walked quite a bit today that I would catch a bus to the ground. I walked to Tollcross to catch a 27 bus and arrived at Ferry road around 19.15. It was a short walk to Ainslie Park and after showing my season ticket entered the ground around 19.20. I purchased a programme and took up a stance at the peremirer fence to read this before heading towards the stand. I met Alan who was already seated and we had a chat. We were both win agreement the Edinburgh City had been awful last Friday against Albion Rovers. As the teams came out I decided to take a viewing stance near the goals and move back to the perimeter fence at the Ferry Road end of the park.
Spartans currently sit third in the Lowland League nd a win tonight will move them up to second behind Bonnyrigg Rose. There have been a few changes in the sides squad since I last saw them at Easthouses. Dan Baur and Aaron Murrell have moved out on short term loans to Linlithgow and Musselburgh respectively. Sean Brown, a striker, has been signed on a loan deal from East Fife. Tonights side had Brown replacing top scorer Blair Henderson up front while a Trialist wore the number five jersey, although played at right-back with Euan Smith in central defence. I later found out the trialist was Ryan Finnie. He has played for a number of SPFL clubs includinfpgvClyde and Dumbarton before signing for Spartans after his trial. There has been a lot of controversy about the inclusion of Celtic and Rangers B sides in this seasons Lowland League. The decision to include them is still be be ratified by the SFA and rumours are circulating that if either of these sides win the league and cannot be promoted then there will be no Lowland League representation in the pyramid play-offs. Spartans beat Celtic a few weeks ago in the first meeting between the sides and are looking to complete a league double tonight. Celtic fielded a young side and I am told were missing some regulars who were on international duty with under-age teams. The only name I recognised was Owen Moffat who has already played first team football in pre-season matches.
Celtic started the match strongly and had most of the possession although not troubling Blair Carswell in the Spartans goal. The first shot at goal game around the five minute mark when Spartans Cammy Russel tried a shot from just outside the penalty area. Ryan Mullen in the Celtic goal however saved comfortably. Moffat created the first chance when he ran onto Ben Wylie through ball down the right. He pulled the ball back across goal from near the byeline but there was no-one in position to knock it into the net. Celtic went ahead in twenty-seven minutes when Joey Dawson controlled a through ball on the left hand-side of the penalty box. He spun round his mark and shot low into the corner of net giving Carswell no chance. Wylie then had a go from about twenty-five yards but his shot flew high over Carswell’s crossbar. Spartans can back into the game although Kevin Waugh was booked just before halftime. He fell in the penalty area after a challenge nd the referee booked him for diving. When will referees realise that if a player falls in the box it is not necessarily a penalty or a dive ! Just before half-time Spartans equalised. They forced a corner of the left which was taken by Jamie Dishington. His in-swinging corner was pushed over his cross bar by Celtic keeper Mullen. This second corner again from Dishington was flighted to the far post here Waugh headed home unchallenged to equalise. Sweet fever ge for his earlier booking !.
The second half began much as the first with Celtic in ascendant. Moffat had great rn trough the Spartans defence before Carswell dived at his feet to grab the ball. This seemed to inspire Spartans who took control of the last half hour of the match. Brown was having good game up front and troubling the Celtic defence. He muscled his way past Dylan Core for a clear run on goal but let the ball run too far head allowing Mullen to dive and save. Dishington then popped on on the left but hit the outside of the post with his shot after a Jones pass. Spartans brought on Henderson for the tiring Brown with ten minutes to go and shortly after a corner from Russel hit the top of the Celtic crossbar before going out of play. As the game drew to a close Spartans won a throw-in on the left about ten yards fro the byline. Mikey Allan took a long throw towards Henderson who flicked the ball on to Dishington. From about ten yards from goal he made no mistake with a low shot into the corner of the Celtic net. The game restarted but Spartans made sure they retained possession and the final whistle blew shortly afterwards. There is no better feeling than seeing a Celtic side getting beat especially with a late goal which gives them no time to be awarded their normal penalty in every game.
After the final whistle I walked up to Ferry Rad to find it was one minutes until the next 27 bus. I waked towards Crewe Toll but when I got there it was nine minutes until next bus into town. I crossed back into Ferry Road and caught the 27 arriving back home around 22.20 after another good match at Ainslie Park.
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