11th December 2021 Spartans 5 Dalbeattie Star 2

 

With Hearts playing tomorrow I had a choice of matches today. I decided to make use of my Spartans season ticket and headed to Ainslie Park for their Lowland League encounter against Dalbeattie Star. As I had been out for a walk in the morning I decided to be lazy and get a bus to the ground. I left home at 13.45 and walked to Lauriston Place to catch a bus. A 27 arrived and I caught that to Morrisons at Ferry Road. From there I walked to the ground arriving at around 14.45. I showed my season ticket for entry before buying a programme and entering the ground. I took up a position at the Ferry Road end of the ground as the teams were warming up. When the teams left the field and returned for the kickoff I moved into the stand at the Ferry Road end of the ground for the first half.

Spartans currently stand fourth in the Lowland League but had a bad result last week losing 7-1 to Rangers B at Dumbarton. Mickey Allan suffered a bad injury in that match and will be ut for at least six weeks. Scott Maxwell came in at left back with Kevin Waugh and Ryan Finnie forming e central defensive pair. Dalbeattie started the season well and were unbeaten in their first eight games however they have fallen away recently and currently stand ninth in the table. They do however have some excellent players in their squad with Lewis Sloan and Liam Park being particularly dangerous up front. 

The game started with Spartans on the att k and they opened the scoring in four minutes. A corner from the right by Cammy Russell found Ryan Finnie at the far post. His header was cleared although Kevin Waugh had a second attempt. The referee however ruled that the first attempt had crossed the line giving Spartans the lead. Spartans second goal came after twenty minutes and again from a corner. This time the ball was sent in from the left by Jamie Dishington. Sean Brown had easy chance to head home from about three yards as the Dalbeattie defence failed to deal with the cross. Dalbeattie had a member of their bench team booked for protesting that their keeper had been impeded in the build to this goal.Five minutes later Spartans scored again. Brown chased a through ball and Dalbeattie keeper Daryl Smith came out to the edge of his penalty area to head clear. The ball rolled to Blait Henderson around thirty-five yards from  goal and without breaking stride he returned the ball low into the net past the stranded Smith. As the first half moved into injury time Dalbeattie pulled a goal back. Michael Herd fouled Park just outside the penalty box. After Herd was booked Sloan stepped up and fired the free-kick past Bair farewell into the top corner of the net. 

For the second half I moved from the stand to the Pilton Drive end of the ground. Spartans were having all the play and increased their lea in fifty-four minutes. A corner from the right from Cammy Russell was headed on and into the net by Henderson's run to the near post. Spartans were still having most of the possession but after around sixty-five minutes Dalbeattie's Dan Orsi hit an excellent shot from around twenty-five yards against the Spartans cross-bar. Spartans then scored a fifth after a long clearance by Carswell was collected by Dishington on the right. He raced towards the goal and squared the ball into the penalty area for Henderson to completed his hat-trick with a low shot from around fifteen yards. Surprisingly Dalbeattie went straight back up the field and pulled a goal back. A cross from the right found Steven Degnan unmarked around twelve yards from goal and his header squeezed into the corner of the net. Spartans then had a free-kick in a similar position to the Dalbeattie goal in the first half. Russell took the kick but his attempt flew post the post despite the Spartans announcer saying that Spartans sixth had come from Cammy Russell. Henderson had a chance for a fourth goal but he just failed to reach a rebound from a Smith save from Gregor Woods just before the final whistle. 

I left the ground as soon as the final whistle blew but I heard later that Star keeper  Smith took a bad turn. as the teams were laving the field. However thanks to the speedy work of the medical staff and in particular the Spartans doctor, Smith was able to leave the pitch of his own accord and seemed to have recovered. I walked to Crewe Toll and caught  bus to Princes Street where I bought a couple of items before heading home arriving back around 17.40 after watching an enjoyable match.

Teams

Spartans: Carswell. Herd. Maxwell. Finnie, Waugh, Robson, Dishington, McFarland, Henderson, S. Brown, Russell.

Subs: Woods, Jones, A. Brown. 

Dalbeattie Star: Smith, Brotherston, Muir, Todd, Douglas, Dickinson, Orsi, McMahon, Degan, Sloan, Park.

Subs: Cairnie, Potts

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