Match reports for 18/10/03

Falkirk GHG 4
Aberdeen GSFP 3

Falkirk gained their first home points of the season at their new Linlithgow pitch on Saturday, as the victory lifted them above their opponents into third place in the league. With Aberdeen narrowly losing out on promotion to division 2 through the play-offs last year, the home side new that they would face a tougher test than they had done in the previous 2 weeks, and so it proved, although Falkirk did their best to make things difficult for themselves. Both teams started the game well, but it was Falkirk that made the breakthrough, Michael Watson rounding the goalkeeper before being stick-tackled from behind, and Stafford Dickson converting the resulting penalty flick. Falkirk doubled their lead minutes later when Chris Anderson battled through a series of challenges before passing to Watson, whose return ball was picked up by Arthur Robertson to score.

Aberdeen fought back, and forced some penalty corners, but solid defending from Paul Paton, a superb block from Graham Miller and numerous saves from Scott Morrison kept the visitors out. With Douglas Nicol having another tireless game in the middle of the park, Falkirk drove forward again, and when Calum Taylor picked out Anderson in the box, he rounded the keeper before being hauled down, leaving Dickson to score his second penalty for a three goal lead that didn't reflect the balance of play. Aberdeen came out strongly at the start of the second half, but the home defence was managing to contain them, and the lead should have been increased further, but the visiting keeper blocked Anderson's run into the box. This appeared to turn the game as from looking good for a 4-0 lead, within minutes Aberdeen had scored twice.

Slack marking allowed them a tap in at the far post, before intercepting a clearance straight from the restart, and driving into the box gave them a second goal after an unfortunate deflection had wrong footed Morrison. With the visitors sensing an equaliser, they pushed forward, but Falkirk countered when Anderson dribbled past his marker and into the box, before passing to Watson who shot past the goalkeeper from 12 yards. Aberdeen continued to press, and when they scored a third with just a minute remaining, it ensured a tense end to the game for the home side as well as the spectators. With two attempts at penalty corners in injury time, the Falkirk defence of Miller, Sutton, Dickson, Paton and Morrison held firm, and gave Falkirk a well deserved 3 points.

Falkirk GHG III 12
Waverley Inveresk IV 0

This Last 64 of the Reserve Cup saw Falkirk emphatically stamp their name on a place in the next round scheduled for Saturday 14th November. Just forty seconds into the game, Jonny Anderson failed to put away an Iain Cameron through ball such that it was wondered if this was to be the way of the game. Happily this was quickly shown not to be the case, when, ninety-two seconds later, Iain Cameron put away the first of the game, and joining with Jonny Anderson to set up Danny Gibney for the second. Jonny Anderson made it three from a ball from John Russell, and Danny Gibney converted a penalty corner award for the fourth. Iain Cameron put the ball to Jonny Anderson for the fifth, while in the dying seconds of the first half, Graeme High pupil Craig Callahan saw his first shot saved by the Edinburgh keeper, before he sent the ball into the net to bring the half time tally to six. After the break, half time team changes saw Scott McNeill move from right back, and after a mere twenty-five seconds had been clocked, Scott scored his first ever with a well-struck shot from the top of the circle. Cameron and Anderson combined for Anderson to claim goal eight, and then it was the turn for Mark Stewart to reach the scoresheet with a ball from Cameron. Anderson made it ten before John Russell put a skilful reverse-stick touch to a long corner hit into the circle by Scott McNeill, to give Russell the penultimate goal of the game. An Iain Cameron run saw the ball fall to Mark Stewart for him to tie up the game.

Falkirk GHG IV 5
Carnegie VII 0

Falkirk started promisingly in the Reserve Cup tie at Bathgate Astro, but with only the one goal from a David Sharp strike from the top of the circle, their performance looked lacklustre. With fresh legs coming on in the second half, Falkirk pushed forward, and Gordon Anderson took the credit for Falkirk's second, after inspirational work in the midfield by Amrit Dhillon. David Park slammed the ball home, before Scott Usher and Stuart Gardner both had mazey runs to create Falkirk's fourth. Graeme Pitcaithly had a legitimate goal disallowed before Stuart Taylor came off the bench to score and secure a second round place for Falkirk. All in all a vast improvement on last week's team performance.

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