POSTAL ALC 2 - CONTINENTAL 4 - FRIENDLY - WEBSTER PARK 20/5/21

TEAM - 1. R.Laing 2. S.Carter 3. L.Mackie 4. S.Clark 5. B.Patterson 6. M.Hunter 7. R.Law 8. S.Robertson 9. P.Frampton 10. K.Dowbecin 11. N.Cain 12. M.Maciver 14. P.Coutts 15. A.Riddell 16. S.Ure. 17. R.Insch

OPPOSITION MOTM – N/A

Covid friendly number 9. This was the first game back after 6 months out due to the second lockdown. Postal took on Continental at Webster Park.

Postal started well and dominated the opening half hour. Lots of half chances created and one or two clear cut efforts missed.

On 5 minutes a free kick from Postal’s Frampton on the left saw Robertson get a header towards goal but it lacked any real power to trouble the keeper.

Two minutes later Postal had another similar chance when Carter swung in a free kick from the right and it was Patterson who managed to get his head on to the ball but it fell just wide of the post.

A continental player was lucky not to be booked on 11 minutes when Frampton was cynically taken out of the play.

Patterson missed a sitter on 12 minutes when he latched on to a free kick into the box. Unchallenged he sent his side foot shot wide.

Postal eventually turned their dominance into goals on 17 minutes and what a goal it was. Clark chipped the ball over the top of the Continental defence and Cain latched onto it to volley over the keepers head. Very impressive strike. 1-0.

On 29 minutes poor marking from Postal at a free kick saw a Continental player miss the targe from only 6 yards out. This seemed to galvanised Continental though and they had the better of the last 15 minutes of the half with Postal sitting far too deep.

On 31 minutes a simple enough cross into the box saw another lack of defending from the Postal central defenders and they were lucky Laing got them out of jail with a good save.

Postal broke away from a corner on 32 minutes and should have doubled their lead when Dowbekin was sent in on the keeper but he saved it and the rebound from Cain.

On 43 minutes Frampton managed to work himself some space to get a shout away just outside the box but it went wildly over the bar.

HALF TIME – POSTAL ALC 1 – Continental 0

Postal put on all 5 subs at half time. (Riddell for Carter, Coutts for Mackie, Ure for Hunter, Insch for Frampton and Maciver for Cain).

Again, Postal were very much the better side for the opening 20 minutes of the half with even more chances created (but unfortunately mostly spurned).

Ure and Insch both had half chances on 2 minutes to score when they did well to win the ball back on the Continental right hand side of the box but the keeper denied both players.

On 3 minutes Laing made a very good save from a long range effort when he dived high to his left hand side to force the ball away to safety. Really good save.

On 7 minutes Postal were handed a penalty when the keeper inexplicably punched Insch in the face in the box. Robertson stepped up but his side-footed effort was easily saved low to the keepers left.

Insch missed an open goal on 10 minutes when his shot lacked power to get over the line and was cleared.

On 14 minutes Dowbekin found himself with only the keeper to beat but he blazed his shot over the bar.

As is usual in amateur football, if you don’t take your chances the opposition will usually score at some point. They did on 16 minutes when Clark sclaffed a potential clearance over the top of the Postal keeper and into the goal for an O.G. 1-1.

On 21 minutes Postal regained the lead. Ure was fouled just outside the Continental box but when the referee waved play-on Maciver was on hand to slam a long range effort high into the net from about 20 yards out. Really good finish. 2-1

That was about as good as it got for Postal as they proceeded to cut their own throats for the rest of the game.

On 22 minutes, Robertson was dispossessed in the middle of the park, the Continental player hit the ball early from a long way out and it went low into the net past Laing. 2-2.

Postal put all the 5 players who had come off at half time back on for Patterson, Clark, Robertson, Dowbekin and Law.

A few minutes later Maciver was hacked down from behind. A really poor challenge which resulted in him needing to be replaced by Law.

On 25 minutes a cross from the Postal right came into the box far too easily and was met to score past Laing far too easily. 2-3

Continental scored a killer 4th on 40 minutes when the forward dispossessed Coutts and ran through to deposit easily past Laing. 2-4.

Overall, despite the result, it wasn’t a bad performance. Especially given it was the first game back after 6 months out, and the chopping and changing of the team to bring subs on and off. Created a lot of chances but defensively poor at times. Great to be back.