19th November 2022. The Spartans 9 Glasgow University 0

 

With the SPL suspended until 17th September due to the World Cup in Qatar I decided to I decided to head to Ainslie Park today. The Spartans were meeting Glasgow University in the South of Scotland Challenge Cup. It was a bit disappointing that my season ticket was not valid for todays game but I got a concession ticket through the Fanbase app for £6. I would normally walk to Ainslie Park but decided to take a bus for a change. I arrived at the ground around 14.15 and showed my electronic ticket for entry. I bought three programmes two for Jim who was going to arrive late as he was watching the Wales v Georgia rugby international on TV. I went up to the cafe/bar whereI had a chat with Ian and Gordon before heading down to the perimeter fence just before kickoff. Jim arrived minutes after kickoff and was pleased as Georgia had beaten Wales.

Spartans had made a few changes to their usual side to give some regular players a rest. Adam Meek replaced  lair Carswell in goal who was resting a calf injury while Josh Laing made his second first team appearance in defence following his debut against Tranent last week. Harvey Swann made a return from injury with Mikey Allan dropping to the bench. Glasgow University play in the West of Scotland League Division Two. Like the University sides in the East they rely mainly on sides to make up their side and are currently tenth in the sixteen club league.

As I said earlier the game was one sided and this showed in the early minutes. Spartans Sean Brown raced into the penalty box on the left alongside a defender. Brown appeared to receive an, accidental, poke in the eye from the defender and went down. The University keeper, Ben Fulton cleared the ball before the referee called on the Spartans physio to give Brown some treatment. Blair Henderson then had a goal ruled off for offside before Sam Jones opened the scoring in twenty four minutes. The ball bounced about in the University penalty area before falling to Jones twenty yards from goal the right hand side of the box. His shot flew into the net giving Fulton no chance. Two minutes later Henderson leapt to head home a Jamie Dishington. Ross to put Spartans two up. After half an hour a cross from the right found Jamie Dishington unmarked in the centre of the penalty are about twelve yards from goal. He swivelled a fired a shot past the helpless Fulton for a third Spartans goal. The fourth came in the last minute of the first half when Cammy Russell raced into the ,eft hand side of the University penalty area. He was taken down from behind and despite protests the referee awarded a penalty. Henderson made his usual competent performance from the spot kick, shooting low into the right hand corner of the net as Fulton dived to the left. 

It was a Blair Henderson hat-trick just two minutes after the interval when he was played into space inside the box and the prolific marksman didn’t need a written invitation to despatch this one. After fifty-four minutes Spartans made a number of substitutions with  Jamie Penker, Ian McFarland, Gavin Morrison and Alan Brown replacing Brad Whyte, Jones, Laing and  Henderson. However thee changes did not stop the flow of goals. Russell had a run down the left and sent a low cross into the penalty area. Penker scored a similar goal to Dishington earlier by swivelling and sending a shot past Fulton. After around the halfway point of the second half Russell scored number seven. He broke into the penalty area on the left and fired a low cross towards the far post. Sean Brown tried to get a touch at the near post but the ball crept into the net at the far post for a Russell goal. Sean Brown then finally got his reward for all his hard work up front when he headed home a Jamie Dishington cross. After eighty-three minutes he got a second after an excellent run and cross from namesake Alan down the right. The university had a couple of chances after this. Firstly from a header which landed on top of the net and then a good save from Meek at his right hand post. The final whistle then blew for a good win from Spartans who now meet Dunipace in the next round in February.

I walked up to Ferry Road after the game and surprisingly caught a 27 bus in five minutes, arriving home around 17.45. In the following week I found I was on social media when I found a photo on Facebook, see top of the post.

Teams

The Spartans : Meek, Laing, Swann, Waugh, Watson. Jones, Dishington, s. Brown, Henderson, Whyte, Russell.

Subs: A. Brown, Penker, mcDarlabd, Morrison

Glasgow University: Fulton, Adams, Smith,  Reid, Milne, Davidson, Susi Atkinson, Murray,  Wright, Baxter.

Subs: Duffy, Strang, Webster