28th October 2023 Civil Service Strollers 0 Stranraer 3

 

Scottish Cup second round today and with playing at Ibrox I was able to go to a match. There were a number of local games but I decided to head to Christie/Gilles Park to watch Lowland League Civil Service Strollers(CSS) against League 2 Stranraer. I left home just after 13.30 and walked to Tollcross where I caught a 27 to the ground. I arrived at Craigroyston school around 14.25 and walked down Marine Drive to the ground entrance near World of Football. I walked through the CSS bar, without stopping and headed to the ground entrance. I showed my electronic Fanbase ticket for entry and bought two programmes (one for Jim who was at the Jeanfield Swifts tie) for £6 and entered the ground. I met Gwen and Andy outside the snack ar where we had a chat before moving round to the fence on the far side of the ground to watch the match. We managed to take up a position on the concreted area rather than the grass around the rest of the ground which avoided sinking into the muddy grass. 

CSS manager Gary Jardine had some injury problems to overcome. Lewis Bushnell was out long term with a broken leg and keeper Jacob Pazikas will be out for three weeks. He set out in a 5-3-2 formation with former Spartan Harry Girdwood and ex-Edinburgh University striker Innes Lawson up front. Stranraer now managed by Scott Agnew went with a strong side. In the bench were Josh Walker(formerly with Edinburgh City) and Thomas Orr(formerly with Queens Park and BSC Glasgow among others).

Stranraer started well and forced the first corner of the match after around two minutes. Dean Hawkshaw was causing problems for CSS down the left and he struck the bar with a shot from aside the penalty box around the twenty minute mark. I could not understand the CSS tactics as they were being pinned back and there only out seemed to be a high ball up the park towards Lawson and Girdwood which was easily dealt with by the Stranraer defence and returned to their attacking players. After about half an hourr Scott Robertson had a chance from another Stranraer corner but his header flew high and wide. Minutes later Scott McIntosh had a shot saved by CSS keeper Stuart Burnside at his right hand post. Innes Lawson tried to chase a long through ball for CSS but Stranraer keeper Lewis Bdinaukas raced from his goal-line and comfortably gathered the ball.

I halftime I met an old work colleague Martin. Martin was attending as the refereeing supervisor and he clarified the the yellow card for CSS' Callum Yates followed two warning from the referee. The second half continued as the first with Stranraer continuing to dominate possession. They finally went ahead after fifty-six minutes. Hawkshaw sent in a free kick from the left which Burnside fumbled. The ball fell to Kyle Girvan who had an easy chance to score from the right hand side of the six yard box. Stranraer continued to press and in an effort to change the pattern of play CSS manager Jardine made four substitutions after seventy minutes. However two minutes later Stranraer scored again. Another free kick from the left was lofted into the penalty which the CSS defence failed to clear and the ball fell at the feet of Craig Ross who netted from around eight yards. Stranraer scored again after eighty-four minutes when Scott Robertson collected the ball just inside the penalty box in the centre of the pitch. He took a touch and moved slightly to the left before shooting high into the net for what looked to be a clinching goal. Stranraer made three substitutions with couple of minutes to go replacing James Dolan, Dylan Forrest and Matty Grant numbers 11,16 and 23. All I could think off was buses to Morningside as the trio left the field. CSS had a couple of attempts at goal as the match moved into injury time with both Michael Mbewe and Ross Guthrie having shots blocked by the Stranraer defence. The referee blew the final whistle shortly afterwards to give Stranraer a comfortable passage into third round. 

After the match ended I walked up the road to Muirhouse were I had a three minute wait before catching a 27 bus home. I got home around 17.30 in plenty time to have something to eat before settling down to watch South Africa win the Rugby World Cup at 20.00.

Teams

Ciivil Service Strollers: Burnside, Yeats, Clarke, Balatoni, Shaw, Parker, McConnell, Laird, Girdwood, Lawson, Cole.

Subs: Findlay, Amposah, Guthrie, Quaid, Mbewe

Stranraer: Budinaukas, McIntosh, Williamson, Gibran, Toss, Robertson, Grant, Forrest, Armour, Dolan, Hawkshaw.

Subs: McDonald, Orr, Walker, Strachan, Lang