Match reports for 1/3/03

Falkirk GHG 3
St Andrews University 5

On the resumption of the outdoor season after the winter shutdown, Falkirks' visit to St Andrew's got off to a terrible start, conceding 2 goals inside the first 10 minutes and barely getting out of their own half. Despite this set back, Falkirk started to play their way into the game, and forced a series of penalty corners which brought little reward. The breakthrough came after Michael Watson broke into the circle and crossed for Arthur Robertson to convert at the back post. Falkirk leveled the match 5 minutes later, Iain Fraser winning a penalty corner after a strong run and Dougie Blakeley converting with a strike into the bottom corner. Chris Anderson almost gave Falkirk the lead after rounding the keeper, but his shot from a tightening angle missed the goal, before Dickson and Watson combined to put Blakeley clear in the box, where he was thwarted by a sliding challenge from the University keeper that took a lot of the man and, perhaps, a little of the ball. This period of sustained pressure eventually brought a third goal for the local side, Blakeleys' shot was saved by the St Andrews keeper, but fell to the stick of Watson who flicked into the net at the near post. This lead was short lived as almost directly from the restart, St Andrews outpaced the Falkirk defence to tie the game at 3 apiece. The second half failed to live up to the 6 goals of the first, and despite strong play from Douglas Nicol in midfield, Falkirk found themselves on the back foot for large periods of the half. St Andrew's retook the lead from a penalty corner rebound after Scott Morrison had saved the first effort, and added a fifth from another penalty corner conceded after a Stephen Sutton goal line clearance. Stafford Dickson almost pulled a goal back near the end with a shot from the edge of the box, but his goal bound effort was deflected wide by the keeper.

Edinburgh University III 1
Falkirk GHG III 1

Of the two sides, the Students were possibly the more skilful of the two sides, but in a backs to the wall performance, Falkirk played particularly well and the chances to win were there. James Robertson saw to it the scoreline was level at the break and that was the way it was to stay as the teams shared a point a-piece from this encounter at Peffermill.

Edinburgh University IV 1
Falkirk GHG IV 2

John Russell put the ball into the net just before the break, having seen Falkirk with a bit more of the play in this first half. Adrian Lewis netted their second from a corner award hit out by John Russell, and although the Uni pressured well and realised one goal. Clearances off the line by Scott McNeill and an excellent performance once again by Jamie Ballantine in goal, showing the class goalkeeper he can be, served to deny the hosts the chance to level.

Falkirk GHG V 1
Grange HC V 4

Once again the Edinburgh Club were to prove too powerful for the Falkirk side, which now continues to get the team onto the pitch but without the satisfaction of league points to show for all the effort that goes into it. Down by two goals at the interval, the Edinburgh side added two more, and to brighten things up for Falkirk, Gregor Maxwell did the entire running to se him put a consolation score away.

Falkirk GHG VI 2
Livingston II 1

This game unfortunately started off being a hard fought match with the visitors tackling very strongly with one of their players being yellow carded for a vicious tackle and both captains being green carded as warning to keep both teams calm. The game then settled and although it was a hard match for both sides everybody knew they had played a game of hockey. After the first half the score was still 0-0 and it was in the second that the visitors were awarded a Penalty flick, which they converted. This only psyched up the Falkirk side to produce some excellent hockey and got the equaliser from a penalty corner routine that was scored by Stuart Brown. Falkirk kept on fighting and pushing for the winner and it came from play up the right wing with ten minutes to go. The move started through a pass from Ian Webster to Stuart Brown to Chris Taylor who at full stretch on the pitch hit the ball past the unsuspecting Livingston defence and keeper who all thought he was too far away to be of any danger. Falkirk kept defending to the end and brought on young Andrew Malcolm for the third week running for the last five minutes and he almost scored again, one of these weeks he will. The player of the match had to be young Duncan Kehoe who ran his heart out, defending and attacking at full tilt and was unlucky not to score with one of his runs. Unfortunately Livingston did not take to kindly to being beat but in the eyes of hockey this was a good game with both sides taking the credit for producing some excellent youngsters who can all play hockey to a high standard.

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