Spartinios Utd 0 vs 6 Greenock HSFP Black

The second game of the Divisional Cup group stage saw us take on Spartinios Utd in a later kick-off yesterday afternoon.

It wasn't the prettiest start, with no real clear-cut chances at either end. A lot of the play was made up of high bouncing balls, and both teams struggled to really get a foot on the ball and settle into any rhythm in the early stages.

We did manage to open the scoring after 16 minutes when Kaiden won a free-kick on the right wing. Kieran stepped up and delivered a trademark left-footed free-kick that flew over the keeper and into the back-post area to make it 1-0.

As the half went on, we started to get the ball down play a bit more football and put together some nice short passing moves in the final third. That led to a few decent chances, although many of the efforts came from around the edge of the box and never really troubled the Spartinios keeper.

The second goal came at a really important time, around five minutes before half-time, and helped settle any nerves. A quick throw-in from Kaiden on the right released Kieran, who brilliantly beat three defenders before unselfishly cutting the ball back for Mure to tap in. 2-0 at the break.

The second half started much the same as the first and it took us a wee while to get back into our rhythm. Dylan started to cause problems down the right wing though, linking up well with Sam and Ashton and helping us move the ball into some good attacking areas.

Around 10 minutes into the half, Shammy was called into action and produced a terrific point-blank save to keep the clean sheet intact. Taylor was heavily involved in the build-up from full-back, winning tackles and driving us forward by playing the ball into some dangerous areas.

We eventually got the third just before the hour mark. Lucas dropped deep to collect a clearance and went on a strong run past two defenders before his shot was saved by the keeper, with Mure reacting quickest to score the rebound. 3-0.

Two minutes later it was four. Sam cut the ball back to Zak just inside the box and he somehow managed to take it past three or four defenders before finding the net. A brilliant bit of individual skill to create a goal out of nothing. 4-0.

We then added a fifth from a corner. Ethan delivered a great ball in and Kieran made no mistake, heading home unmarked. 5-0.

Zak then capped off the scoring from left-back when he latched onto a clearance, drove past two defenders and fired into the far post from the edge of the box. A very good finish to round things off at 6-0.

That’s the way it finished. Another dominant performance right through the squad. Jay and Bob are building a really solid partnership at centre-half, with not much getting past them all game once again. Some shift they both put into every single game and it doesnt go un-noticed.

Goals:

Kieran ????

Mure ????

Zak ????

Coaches’ MotM:

A tough one this week, but we couldn’t split Shammy and Taylor in the end so we’ve gone for joint Man of the Match this weekend ??

Shammy continuing on his great recent form, some brave shot stopping and always making himself available for a pass as well. And Taylor had an excellent game playing at both right and left full back. He was heavily involved in the build-up play, worked hard defensively and was strong in the tackle throughout.

PS. Hope Ben is okay after coming off injured at half-time. Let us know how he is before training tomorrow. Wee man having a great season so far, hopefully it's nothing too serious.