Match reports for 20/11/04

Grange V 1
Falkirk GHG II 2

The first of Falkirk's two back-to-back visits to St. Georges began well with good passing and movement putting the home side under pressure in all areas. David Jewell scored Falkirk’s first goal midway through the first half with an instinctive finish from close range, Falkirk kept it tight and ended the first half ahead. The lead was doubled soon after the break through David Sharp, justifying his forward role expertly beating the home keeper with a back stick flick. Grange pulled a goal back 15 minutes from full time capitalising on a gifted pass, breaking from midfield and slotting the ball under the diving Falkirk keeper Kevin Cummings which was the only blot on an otherwise perfect game, getting in the way of everything Grange threw at him. A well behaved and well earned victory at one of the tougher venues the Falkirk 2nd eleven will visit this season, back again next week to face the Grange third eleven.

Falkirk GHG III 3
Carnegie IV 5

The Astroturf at Linlithgow was still suffering the after effects of the previous night’s sub-zero temperatures, but, as the schoolgirls had just trained on it, it seemed prudent to attempt to fulfil this league fixture. In the event, Falkirk may have wished they hadn’t, as the resultant scoreline may suggest. Johnathan Anderson had the first chance to put Falkirk ahead, but it was after a scramble in front of goal, a deflected high ball was cleverly struck into goal by Craig Callahan in the 11th minute. Later Anderson passed the ball to Iain Cameron who made it two. The first half had been played most delicately, as both sides produced an interpassing game, in the knowledge that to run and try to stop quickly would be somewhat problematic on the slippery surface, but as the second half progressed, the visitors turned the game around and, becoming accustomed to the surface, pulled them selves back into the game. Falkirk always had the chances to keep their grips on the game, but the inability to finish was to cost them dearly, as the visitors went on to take their chances.

ESMFP III 2
Falkirk GHG V 3

This game should have been designated an ice hockey game with the pitch at Mary Erskines just like an ice rink especially with the late start in the afternoon, but the home umpire designated it possible to play while both captains said it was dangerous, especially as they both had more time on the sideline than actual play, age does bring some sense. The home side should have won the game, on paper, but Falkirk went out to upset the form card and produced one of these games where all the players came off with a glow and smile to their faces. The home side, all in their twenties went at Falkirk from the start but once Falkirk had sussed their tactics and absorbed all they could throw at them, they then turned the tables on Erskines and kept them in their own half, with both sides using their allocation of subs to their full advantage the game finally produced a goal through Jonny Anderson and Duncan Kehoe hitting a ball off the home keepers pads and the final ball being put over the line by David Humphreys. The second half produced an interpretation of the rules that had not been seen for a while, which resulted in Erskines getting an equaliser through a penalty corner. Falkirk’s captain Chris Taylor then came on from the sidelines as a substitute and with an excellent screamer of a ball from Jonny Anderson from the half way line, found him unmarked at the top of the D and again at full stretch flicked the ball over the advancing home keeper into the corner of the net to bring the lead back to Falkirk. Ten minutes later the home side obtained another disputed penalty corner, which again resulted in an equaliser. Falkirk kept up the pressure and were finally rewarded by the home keeper lying on the ball on the goal line, the resulting penalty and winning goal was converted by Jonny Anderson with a nice flick into the top right hand corner of the net while the home keeper miscalculated and went the wrong way. This game was played at a faster then normal pace due to the state of the pitch, which was frozen, but both teams adapted and produced a very good game of hockey.

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