MATCH REPORT : RED at home to South Morningside, 14th May 2011

Sciennes RED 3 - 3 South Morningside

After the thriller last week SM arrived at the Meadows with a modified team to take on the RED team.  The usual squad assembled - Keir The Goalie, Ollie, Jack, Kjartan, Danny, Eyvindur, Struan, Hector and Alex A.

"Start well.  Lots of passing.  Encourage each other.  I've got this complicated short corner drill I'd like to show you...".  One or two of the squad drifted off to sleep as the team talk came to a close.

SM raced out of the blocks.  Not that there were any blocks.  It is just an expression people use.  Doesn't make sense in football.  Athletics yes but only for running races, short ones, upto 400m.  Anyway - SM started well.  An early break should have seen them take the lead but under pressure from Ollie the SM forward thrashed his shot straight at KTG (Keir The Goalie).

After a very quiet week last week Struan looked better.  Some nice early dribbling took the ball up the pitch and forced a corner.  "Ah-ha..." said the coach "...watch this...".  Just then one or two RED players bumped into each other and Danny fired the corner over everyone and out for a throw.  "...ho-hum...".

Another nice run from Struan took the ball into SM box, a great cut back and Kjartan, arriving at speed, was very unlucky to see his shot saved by the goalie.  More RED pressure forced the SM goalie to look smart as a shot from Eyvindur was pushed round hte post for a corner.

"Think about it..." yelled the RED coach.  Danny took the corner short to Hector.  Hector dummied the pass back to Danny and instead rolled the ball across goal and Struan smashed the ball into the net.  1-0 RED.

Wow.  Improvised short corner routines!

RED team had their tails up now.  Great play in midfield from Kjartan released Danny, a fantasic cross to the back post was just missed by Alex as he flew in from left midfield.  "We've seen that one before" mentioned the coach to no-one "...Hector has scored a couple like that...".

Move of the game coming up.  Jack out to Struan, to Danny, to Struan, to Eyvindur, skips past a defender and crosses to the back post...where a flying Hector nudges the ball home.  Wow.  2-0 RED.

Quick reshuffle of the team.  Eyvindur goes up front, Alex on the left of midfield, Hector on the right, Danny in the middle.  Ollie and Jack at the back are looking good.  SM pressure but O&J are doing their thing.  The pressure on the RED defence is growing though and SM are firing shots from distance.  Keir is handling them well.  A quick ball to Jack is fired out wide to Eyvindur who takes the bal in his stride and charges forward.  Not much support so the coach yells "help him" as Eyvindur rounds the first defender, "help him midfield" as Eyvindur rounds the last defender.  The charging midfield players slow to a trott as Eyvindur smashes the ball into the net!  No help required.  Great finish. 3-0 RED at HT.

"Same again please.  Nil-nil.  The wind is getting up so this is going to be hard.  Now about these corner routines...".  Team talk ends with the wind causing some concern to the RED coaching team.

SM do their quick start thing again.  Lots of pressure, lots of saves but following a magnificent leap Keir is unlucky to see the rebound being poked into the net. 3-1 RED.

The game flows from end to end now.  RED are soaking up trouble but Eyvindur and Struan are helping out, dropping deep then taking the ball up the pitch away from danger.  SM have the wind and taking over in midfield.  Their flying winger gets the ball and sets off at speed again.  Skipping through a couple of tackles being being faced by O&J.  One smack of the ball later and a helpless Keir is kicking the ball out of his net as a wind assisted beauty flies into the top corner.  3-2 RED.

Things are getting tense now.  SM post is rattled by Struan.  Keir makes a couple of wonderful saves.  The wind is really getting up now.  It looks like only a matter of time before the equaliser is fired home.  A shot from SM is curling into the top corner when Keir, from flies to his right and tips the ball round the post.  Coaches notes read "save of the century - Keir".  It was truely magnificent.  Celebrated like a goal by KTG!

Into the final minute now.  Can RED hang on.  Getting the ball away is proving more and more difficult.  The RED team look exhausted by their efforts into the biting wind.  30 seconds to go.  SM midfielder breaks a challenge.  Shoots. Oh no.  In off the post.  Very, very, very unlucky. 3-3.

Ref blows his whistle.  To the RED team it feels like a loss but they should be proud of their efforts, great passing, great keeping, great goals.  A couple of unlucky goals against.  All round a great display from the RED team!