27th June 2024 Civil Service Strollers 1 Falkirk
A trip to Chistie Gillies Park tonight. I left how at 18.15 t was to Tollcross and catch a bus to Marine Drive. I had voice of a 16 or a 27 but took the 16 as it came first. It was probably a bad choice as the bus headed down Leith Walk then along Commercial Street ro the Marine Drive stop. I got off and walked down to the ground arriving around 19.40. I had my Fanbase ticket scanned and bout a £1 programme on entry. I had a wander round the ground and met Jim on the fence on the left hand side of the ground.
CSS, under manger Gary Jardine, finished eighth in last seasonsLowland League. They could be said to be punching above their weight but Jardine seems to have the knack of producing good teams if not playing the most attractive football. They have some good experienced players like Conrad Balatoni and Ross Guthrie with a number of younger players to do the running. Tonight’s side included a number of trialists on the bench bit I think this included players from their U20 side who were there for gaining experience. Falkirk, managed by former Hearts manager and coach John McGlynn, finished secong un SPFLLeague One last season. In the playoffs they were knocked out by Inverness Caledonian Thistle and remain in League One for this season. They have a strong side with ex-Hearts players in Callum Morrison, last seasons top scorer, Brad McKay and Gary Oliver. I think they will be one of the top sides in League One this season and should be looking to move back to the Championship. .
Jardine’s side started the match well and took advantage of calamitous defending in the Bairns backline to take the lead. Coll Donaldson and Leon McCann were both at fault as the seemed to think that each other would go for the ball which allowed Innes Lawson to shoot home past Nicky Hogarth. The home side continued to look comfortable, holding their own against the League One side, who were restricted to limited chances in the first half.The best chance for John McGlynn’s men came just before the break when Ross MacIver headed over the bar at the back post from a lofted Calvin Miller cross.
In the second half, the Bairns made a host of changes including bringing on ex-Hearts man Brad McKay, and they looked sharper on the ball.Gary Oliver was close to levelling the match when he smashed a shot off the post after great work from strike-partner Allan on the touchline. Falkirk finally found an equaliser when substitute Scott Honeyman, who impressed on loan at East Stirlingshire last season, caught out a sleeping Strollers’ defence. The winger beat two men and got to the touchline, cutting back to Allan who fired home in the box to level.And with moments left, Allan netted his second goal of the game to snatch a win for John McGlynn’s team. Once again, it was a youngster producing the goods. This time around, the impressive Pearse Carroll fed the ball through to Allan – who chipped the Strollers’ goalkeeper calmly to score. The final whistle blew shortly thereafter although I thought Strollers deserved at leat a draw.
After the final whistle Jim gave me a lift back to Ferry Road. Lothian Buses have amended the 22 bus route which now goes through Crewe Toll and I caught one after a short wait which had me home just after 22.10.
Civil Service Strollers: Trialist, Balatoni, Shaw, Duffy, Lawson, Ritchie, Guthrie, Yeates, Clarke, Cole, Girdwood.
Subs: Valentine, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist.
Falkirk: Hogarth, Yeats, Donaldson, Lang, McCann, Morrison, Spencer, McGinn, Miller, Agyeman, MacIver.
Subs : McKay, Sinclair, Mackie, Carroll, Henderson, Lawrie, Honeyman, Oliver, Allan
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