Postal ALC - 4 - Monymusk 3 - Dickie Trophy 2nd round - 22/10/2022 - Webster Park

TEAM - 1. D.Cruickshank 2. S.Carter 3. A.Baxter 4. L.Giulianotti 5. C.Collie 6. A.Clark 7. N.Wiley 8. J.Steele 9. L.Melia 10. B.Webster 11. P.Frampton 12. S.Cotovici 14. K.Dowbekin 15. R.Webster. 16. N.MacDonald.

OPPOSITION MOTM – N/A

Postal welcomed Monymusk to Webster Park today after the venue was changed at the last minute for this Dickie trophy 2nd round tie.

With heavy rain during the previous day, the Postal committee (and supporters) had to do a bit of work on the pitch to get it playable. They managed to clear any sitting water and the game was given the go-ahead to progress.

Postal started the game well and dominated the opening proceedings. They had the first chance of the match only 1 minute in, when a cross to the back post was met by Melia but his header hit the bar and no Postal players were on hand for the rebound.

Although dominating possession, Postal were also giving the ball away far too easily. Admittedly, the pitch wasn’t the best to play passing football, but it wasn’t really an excuse for the amount of times Postal’s passing wasn’t reaching the intended target.

Against the run of play, Monymusk took the lead on 14 minutes. A free kick approximately 30 yards out was smashed towards goal by the musk number 5. It looked to be heading straight for keeper Cruickshank’s hands but somehow found its way into the back of the net. 0-1.

Postal responded quickly and equalised 2 minutes later. A corner from the Postal left was cleared only as far as Alex Clark. His shot from outside the box was deflected by an away defender and sailed over the head of the keeper and into the goal. 1-1.

It was hoped that this would settle Postal down again but it would be the away side who would again take the lead 5 minutes later. Another free kick, this time 25 yards out. Number 5 stepped up again. Postal set up a wall but the big defender smashed another shot past the Postal keeper, this time low to his left. Another great strike. 1-2.

On 30 minutes a high looping ball to the back post found Frampton unmarked but his header sailed over the bar.

Postal got lucky on 40 minutes when a Monymusk player, already on a booking, said something to the ref and was sent off. Looked very soft, but with Postal struggling to break down the Monymusk defence, any advantage was welcomed.

The half ended with Postal behind.

HALF TIME – POSTAL ALC – 1 – MONYMUSK - 2

Shooting down the slope in the 2nd half, the Postal management were hopeful that Postal would grab the game by the scruff of the neck and they were nearly rewarded only 1 minute into the half. A chip over the top of the musk defence found Frampton one-on-one with the keeper. He got his shot away but the keeper made a great save to push the ball over the bar. At this point, it was worryingly looking like it might be “one of those days”.

Ten minutes into the half and Postal got another bit of good fortune when the ref gave them a penalty for a hand ball in the box. Frampton stepped forward and scored, hitting the ball down the centre of the goal, under the keeper. 2-2.

Postal still weren’t playing particularly good football but they were still the team with the majority of the possession and looked the more likely team to score next.

Unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot, 15 minutes into the half ,when they tried to play out from the back, lost the ball and the Monymusk player finished expertly with a little dink over the top of the Postal keeper. Really disappointing but, as someone pointed out after the game, the team had been asked by the manager at half-time to be brave and continue to try passing the ball so they cant be judged too harshly for trying to do just that. 2-3.

Monymusk were reduced to 9 men towards the end of the game when the ref deemed a tackle on Baxter to be reckless and showed a straight red.

Postal huffed and puffed but were struggling to create any real chances while still dominating. With 15 minutes remaining they went 3 at the back with Collie coming off and Cotovici joining Melia up front. Bruce Webster was also replaced by MacDonald on the right as Postal tried to change the way the game looked like panning out.

On 43 minutes their persistence was finally rewarded. A free kick was sent in to the box from the Postal left and it was top scorer Melia who was on hand at the back post to head home the equaliser, and his tenth of the season so far. 3-3.

With the Postal sideline breathing a sigh of relief and getting ready for extra-time, they were handed the best feeling in football…..a last minute winner.

Postal worked the ball forward, Steele hit a shot from outside the box which the keeper could only parry and Neil MacDonald rolled back the years to run in on the rebound and slam the ball home with a controlled finish. Excellent from the veteran. 4-3. The game finished soon after.

While it couldn’t be argued that Postal had the majority of the play today, a lot of the play wasn’t up to the standard of the season so far. Monymusk will feel hard done by, getting two players sent off and losing two goals in the last 5 minutes but credit to Postal who never gave up on the tie and played till the final whistle to take their place in the Quarter Final. Well done.