Date: 02-May-09
Competition: League
Scorers: Ally Gray
Man of the Match: Robert Roy
Match Report:
Hamilton Harvest took on Anniesland at Blantyre on Saturday, again more injuries and late call off’s left Harvest with only 13 players and Davy & Alex were again unable to name the same eleven for the second game in a row. Harvest lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Shug in goals, right to left in defence was Yusef, Gizzy, Jaffa & Aiky, right to left in midfield was Omar, Hammy, Alex & Rab and leading the attack was Ally & William. Davy & Gareth started the game on the bench. Harvest got right at their opponents and took the lead in the 11^th minute, Rab swung in a corner to the near post and Omar flicked it into the path of Ally who rose highest to head the ball in to the net. Anniesland then went on to dominate possession as they looked to get back into the game and were dangerous going forward, but the Harvest defence stood firm and cleared any danger, the only threat up until this point was a long range effort which Shug palmed away. In the 35^th minute Anniesland then got the equalizer that their domination probably deserved, a ball in to the area was deflected at the near post in to the path of an Anniesland player who calmly slotted the ball past Shug and in of the far post from a tight angle. With no further first half action both teams went in level at the break.
Harvest started the second half on the front foot and dominated possession for the majority of the half but could not convert their chances in to goals and it was Anniesland who could have stole the lead on a few occasions, the first was a ball over the top of the Harvest defence and as Shug rushed from his goal the Anniesland striker chipped his shot which bounced of the top of the bar and over. Harvest then made their first change when Davy replaced Yos, David went to right midfield and Omar slotted in to the right back position. Harvest continued to press forward and were enjoying lots of possession, however some desperate defending kept the score at 1-1. Since coming on Davy was running the Anniesland defence ragged and almost scored when he flashed a low drive across the face of the goal but it went narrowly past the far post. Anniesland were only mounting attacks on the break, and once again a long ball out of defence fell to the feet of the Anniesland forward but as he bore down on goal Shug came out and dived at his feet as he tried to round him and smothered the ball. Harvest then made another change when Gareth came on to replace Ally, Gareth went to right midfield and Davy moved up front to partner William. Harvest were then denied a stone wall penalty, Davy picked up the ball and went past a few Anniesland players and when in the box he knocked the ball past the defender who barged in to him, Davy went down but the referee waved away the claims for a penalty. Harvest continued to press forward looking for a winner and in doing so left themselves open to the counter attack and another ball forward saw the Harvest defence split and when one on one the Anniesland striker shaped to shoot but Shug done well to narrow the angle and block the shot. Despite dominating the majority of the second half it was looking unlikely that Harvest would score and the game looked to be heading for a draw but just as the game was coming to a close Anniesland broke forward down the Harvest left, the Annielsand winger made it to the bye line and cut the ball back across the face of goal and despite Omar’s best efforts he couldn’t get in front of the Anniesland striker who was running in and he knocked the ball in to the net from close range to steal the points and the game finished 2-1.
It was a hard one to take today, we done well to dominate the entire second half but we need to be more ruthless in front of goal and start taking those chance, we have lost too many points this season to last minute goals. Well done to Ally who scored his 3^rd goal in only his 3^rd appearance this season and to Rab who was awarded Harvest’s man of the match. Unlucky today guys we should have won today but you don’t always get out of a game what you put in.