Postal ALC 1 - Kemnay Youth 1 - Div 2 North - Webster Park - 17/5/2023

TEAM - 1. D.Cruickshank 2. S.Carter 3. A.Baxter 4. L.Giulianotti 5. B.Patterson 6. K.Dowbekin 7. A.Clark 8. M.Hunter 9. L.Melia 10. B.Webster 11. N.Wiley 12. S.Cotovici 14. E.Martin 15. P.Frampton. 16. N.MacDonald. 17. M.Maciver. 18. G.Cormack

OPPOSITION MOTM – L.Melia

Postal took on league champions-elect, Kemnay Youth, for the 5th time this season, with Postal trailing by 3 games to 1.

A bit of drama on arrival saw the game being put in doubt when the cross bar was found to have been vandalised. Some patch up work by John Fowlie and the local neighbours managed to do enough to get the game put on with only a ten minute delay to kick off.

Postal started well and had a decent chance to score in the first minute when Webster was put through on the goal keeper, running in from the Postal right. He got his shot away before the defender got to him but the keeper saved to put it round the post to safety.

On ten minutes, number 20 for Kemnay got round the back of Baxter on the Postal left. It looked like he was going to score but Cruickshank made a great save with his feet for Postal.

Postal were struggling to get any sort of passing game going. Far too many balls were getting played up in the air and far too many long “passes” going astray. If anything, Postal looked more nervous than the away team, looking to finish off the title.

Apart from that, the first half was fairly even.

Much like many of the goals Kemnay have scored against Postal this season, they were gifted another one on 40 minutes. Giulianotti allowed a ball to bounce when it should have been headed away and when it was taken off him, the forward made no mistake to fire past Cruickshank, low into the keeper’s right hand corner. 0-1.

HALF TIME – POSTAL ALC – 0 – KEMNAY YOUTH - 1

Shooting down the slope, Postal started much more positively.

15 minutes into the half, they scored a deserved equaliser. A great corner from the Postal right by Baxter was met by a brilliant header from Patterson who powered into the net giving the keeper no chance. 1-1.

Five minutes later the home side had a chance to take the lead. Another Patterson header dropped to Hunter but his shot was saved by the impressive Youth keeper.

On 35 minutes, Melia was played in from a decent overlap down the Postal right but his shot was sclaffed and went well wide of the keepers post.

It was all Postal at this point. Any excursions forward by the away side were mopped up by Carter and Patterson, both having excellent games. To be honest, the away side’s defence were also as steady as usual and their goals against column is a major reason as to why they will win this league.

On 40 minutes an overlap by Maciver played in Martin but his shot went agonisingly past the post.

Frampton was sent through on goal in the last minute for Postal but was cynically brought down just outside the box. Clark stepped up to take the kick but fired it against the wall. Poor free kick by his standards. The game ended soon after.

Overall a draw was probably a fair result. Postal were not great in the first half and only marginally better second half. Equally, Kemnay weren’t great tonight either. Too many draws this season killed any hope of challenging for the league but Postal should be reasonably happy with a season which has seen a brand new squad get promoted.

Well done.

Roll on Pre-Season and Division One.