14th March 2023 The Spartans 4 Stirling University 0

 

I am heading to Ainslie Park tonight to watch Spartans v Stirling University in the Lowland league. Spartans are second in the league with the Uni fifth. However with Rangers B (first) and Celtic B (third) not eligible for promotion to the SPFL both Spartans and the Uni are in contention for a place in the play-offs, either as champions or highest place non-B team in the Lowland League. I left home at around 18.15 to catch the 18.35 27 bus at Tollcross. The bus arrived on time and was due to arrive near Ainslie Park at 19.15. However it was making good time and looked to arriving around ten minutes early so I got off the bus as Wardie and walked from there arriving at the ground around 19.20. I showed my season ticket for entry and bought a programme and a halftime raffle ticket. I saw Stuart who does the tannoy announcements on the balcony and went up for a chat with him.he gave me a team-sheet and also told me that Kevin Waugh was out of the Spartans team tonight due to injury. As Stuart was also responsible for the tannoy music I left him to get on and wandered down to the perimeter fence at the cafe bar end.  Jim arrived around fifteen minutes before the kickoff and joined me at the fence. 

Spartans have had a run of sixteen games unbeaten six they lost to the Stirling in early November. With a number of previously injured players now fit manager Dougie Samuel had a full squad available. He picked what I would consider his strongest line-up with Jamie Dishington, Cammy Russell and top scorer Blair Henderson up front. Stirling lost a number of players before the start of the season including Jamie Penker who joined Spartans. Manager Chris Geddes, a former Stirling player, has put together a strong squad who performed well this season. I will be honest I knew nothing about the Stirling players but they are currently the highest ranked university side in Scotland. On checking the Uni website the oldest players in the squad were 24 which gives opportunities for the side to develop further. Interestingly Stirling were the first professional side in Scotland to have a female team manager. Shelley Kerr, who went on to managed Scotland Ladies, was in charge from 2014 till 2017. 

Spartans started well and a from a cross by Dishington Henderson was unable to get any power on his header giving Fry and easy save. Spartans the lead after five minutes the lead. Russell sent a corner from the right towards the far post and Mikey Allan rushed in and sent a header in from the edge of the six yard box. Jim was videoing he corner and the video showed that Allan had turned in the air as he jumped to head home and the ball had gone in off the back of his head. The second goal came two minutes later from a free-kick on the right around twenty-five yards from goal. Russell took the kick and fired the ball over the defensive wall towards the right of he goal. Fry managed to get a hand to the ball as he leapt across the goal but the power of the shot meant the ball ended up in the net. Russell had a shot parried by Fry who recover to grab the ball before Henderson took take a shot. Stirling had a chance when a shot was blocked on the Spartans goal-line and cleared to safety. Fry was booked as he rushed from the penalty area towards the left touchline to clear the ball from a wayward pass by a Stirling defender as Russell looked to gather it. Fry’s tackle brought down Russell in a painful challenge. The keeper claimed he had played the ball but Fry’s follow through was high and dangerous and the yellow card  was shown. Some spectators were looking for a red card but given the challenge was almost on the touchline and defenders were rising back into the penalty area the yellow was probably the correct decision. The third goal came in forty minutes from a bad passbook from a Stirling defender. Fry ran from his goal-line in an attempt to clear but Bradley Whyte ran in to round the keeper and knock the ball into an empty net. Russell set up number four injury time as he broke down the left and cut into the penalty area. As defenders came out to block any attempt at goal Russell passed the ball across goal for an unmarked Henderson to score from around twelve yards. 

Jim and I walked down to the Pilton end in anticipation of seeing more Spartans goals in the second half. Stirling started the second half better but Blair Carswell in the Spartans goal was not troubled. Things got worse for the Uni about fifteen minutes after the break when Matt Burrows pulled down Spartans Whyte as he raced towards the penalty area. As Burrows was the last defender he denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity with his foul just outside the box and referee Colin Whyte had no option than to show the defender a red card. Dishington took the free-kick but failed to emulate Russel’s first half effort as his shot flew high and wide of Fry’s goal. With a four goal margin Spartans were content to see out time against ten men. There were a flurry of substitutions, on both sides but neither side were able to create any further clear cut chances. Spartans took the opportunity to give some players a rest and also give game time to those who had not been in the side recently. For Stirling the objective was damage limitation and they managed to hold out without conceding any further goals. The four goal winning margin did however put Spartans top of the Lowland League, ahead of Rangers B on goal difference. 

After the final whistle I left the ground with Jim and then walked up to Ferry Road where for once a 27 bus was due in five minutes. I was chatting to a woman who works in the Spartans hospitality team in the boardroom. She was suggesting that Spartans would use next weeks re-arranged cup-tie against Stoneyburn to give fringe players and youngsters game time. I caught the 27 and took it to Leamington Terrace where I walked home arriving at around 10.25 after a good night out albeit I would have liked to have seen Spartans push forward more in the second half.

Teams

The Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Allan, Watson, Tapping, Whyte, Dishington, McFarland, Henderson, Jones, Russell.

Subs: Swann, A. Brown, S. Brown, Woods, Penker. 

Stirling University: Fry, Burrows, Service, Lavery, Berry, Russell, Jarvis, McCaninch, McIvor-Redwood, McKinley, Heal.

Subs: Bainbridge, Rae, Munro, McGill.