Saturday 7 November 2009

Newtongrange Star v Bathgate Thistle - Scottish Eastern Region - Super League

Saturday 7th November 2009. Scottish Eastern Region - Super League
New Victoria Park, Newtongrange, Midlothian

Newtongrange Star (0) 4
(Meaney 49, Roseburgh 56, Thomson 74, Umatang 90)
Bathgate Thistle (0) 0
Admission £5 Concessions £2, No programme or team sheet available.
Newtongrange 2PM 07.11.2009 "Err, where did last weeks crowd disappear to?"

Last week Star put Pollok out of the Scottish Cup to reach the 3rd round in front of 680 fans.
This week it was the turn of the Edinburgh Derby at Tynecastle to capture the imagination of the local floating fans ... the pubs were also doing a brisk lunch time trade showing the Hearts v Hibs clash live on ESPN.
After the Setanta debacle, I don't actually know anybody who subscribes to ESPN, do you? Thought not!

I saw the first half of the Pride of Edinburgh v Hibs game in The Chase, a public house in downtown Bonnyrigg.
The so called 'flair team' were getting bossed by a big clumsy man in maroon called Christian Nade from what I could see.
But there were no goals.
At half time we made a quick dash up to the road to Newtongrange and saw the first twenty minutes of the second half from 'Tynie' in their social club, it followed the same pattern as the first up to that point ... but then I paid in at the turnstile at New Victoria Park, to take in the whole 90 minutes of Newtongrange Star v Bathgate Thistle, figuring that I'd be able to catch any meaningful incident from the remainder of the Hearts game on t'internet later on.
Like here --> http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8340780.stm
And also on BBC1 Scotland's Sportscene programme at 11.20PM Monday night (viewers outside Scotland can still watch this channel if you look for it on your Sky TV menu).
From what I'm told Balogh in the Hearts goal had quite a good game once I'd abandoned the TV for a live game.


Autumn sunshine with a bit of a chill in the air ... ideal conditions for running around in and putting on an entertaining game of football, alas 'Nitton' seemed to be suffering from a bit of a cup hangover in the first half and Bathgate weren't offering much in the way of any real effort or endeavour either in the early exchanges, as both teams seemed to be going through the motions in an effort to increase the NSFC bar takings by driving everyone back in there to see the final chapter of the Jambos v Hibbees game (0-0 for those of you who don't want to look away and wait until you've seen the highlights).
Fortunately the tempo of the game picked up (it really needed to) and it was both number 10's who came the closest to scoring.
First Grant Meaney had two chances for the home side that he flashed high (1) and wide (2), then Brian McFee responded in kind with two similar efforts for Thistle before he narrowly put the ball over from a text book header (see picture below).
In my opinion McFee looked the player most likely to break the deadlock, but when he was substituted later on (75 minutes or thereabouts) it was apparent that his manager didn't agree with me.
Newtongrange's Damien Gielty slammed a shot over the bar on 35 minutes which he maybe ought to have done better with. 'Damo' was considered by many to be the best player in his school team, St. David's in Dalkeith (since demolished to make way for housing) but when the Manchester United scout came to have a look he preferred Darren Fletcher instead, the rest is history.
The home side finished the first half the strongest ...

... and then started the second half the strongest too.
On 49 minutes, Grant Meaney surged into the box, turned, and smashed home the opening goal. He was rampant throughout the second half - probably relieved to not be carrying the burden of worry around on his shoulders that had handicapped him throughout the first 45 minutes caused by the fear of how badly that horrible football team he supports might be doing against Hearts elsewhere.
Three minutes later Meaney cut through the defence again and pulled back the ball for Gielty who justified the Man Utd scouts decision a few years ago by bashing a few tiles about on the dressing room roof from just 10 yards out.
It's ginger, it's fizzy and phenomenal

Stewart Roseburgh cleverly lobbed Carlin in the visitors goal from out on the left to put Star two nil ahead. Two classy goals both scored from virtually the same spot in the space of seven minutes.
Thistle's number 7 Gary Fallon then earned himself a booking a few minutes later for elbowing Roseburgh, much to the delight of the home fans who had a verbal exchange with him as he left the field at half time. It had been suggested, given his 'fuller figure' that he should go and stand in the pie queue instead of going to the dressing room and his response was, err ... unprintable.
Gary, you missed a treat. I don't eat football ground food as a rule, but this delicious, meat packed Bridie, at just 90p, was too much of a bargain to resist. Piping hot, tasty and wrapped in a pastry case that melted in your mouth. Ten out of ten for the food 'Nitton'. But I digress ...

On 75 minutes, Grant Meaney charged through the defence yet again and Bathgate's right back Wilson hacked him down just outside the box. Meaney was through on goal and it was obvious Thistle's number 2 would be dismissed for a so called 'professional foul' but Gary Fallon decided that giving the referee a load of verbals might somehow rescue his team mate from a straight red card. It didn't. But it did mean Wilson wouldn't be alone in the dressing room, because they were both dismissed.
Steve Thomson then hammered home the free kick to make it 3-0.
Meaney was fouled once again en route to goal a few minutes later, it was seriously the only way the visitors could stop him today, Gupwell was booked this time. And Thistle were relieved that Thomson only hit the wall with this effort instead of the target.
Ubong Umatang came on as a substitute late in the game ... fellow substitute McKenzie played a lovely ball out to him on the left, he ran into the box and from the same spot as the first two goals (the groundsman must've painted an extra X there) whacked the ball across the goal and beyond Carlin's reach. "Bathgate no more!"
Four quality second half strikes more than made up for an almost forgettable and lack lustre first half.
4-0 Full time