 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
It was with much disappointment that Vale were forced to call
off this hotly anticipated league meeting with local rivals
Peebles, after heavy rain had ensured that the Victoria Park
pitch was completely unplayble.
|
Vale exited the SFA South Region Challenge Cup at the hands
of Edinburgh City, but it seemed that just getting a team
on the park for the start of this game was a victory in itself.
Vale were denied the services of no less than seven regulars
through a combination of unavailability, injury and suspension.
Due to rules banning the use of trialists in cup ties, Vale
brought back Steven Whiteford for his first action in over
three months, while coach Jack Diamond was registered as a
player during the week to allow him to take his place as the
only substitute. The starting line-up also featured Ross McManus
and Aaron Somerville, suffering the effects of injury and
illness respectively, while Fleming brothers Raymond and Ronald
were delayed on their way to the game, arriving at the ground
just 20 minutes before kick off. Taking all that into consideration,
the only sensible pre-match prediction was for a comfortable
win for the capital side. However, the Vale team defied logic
to deliver a stirring performance that would've brought victory
against any lesser a team than the Citizens. The visitor's
Duncan Monteith was by far the busiest keeper in the first
half, with Vale's best chance coming in the 22nd minute as
Ryan McManus exchanged passes with Somerville, to leave him
one-on-one with Monteith. Rather than shoot early, McManus
elected to round the keeper, with Monteith forcing the midfielder
wide before gathering the ball. Following what could safely
be assumed as a half time roasting from manager Shaun Steven,
City emerged determined to raise their game, and within three
minutes of the restart, a Jordan Caddow cross found Robbie
Ross, who stole in between two defenders to poke the ball
home. The Vale defence had more work to do as shots from Jamie
Speed and Kevin Morrison were cleared off the line by Raymond
Fleming and Ross Alexander, while keeper Mark Wilson saved
well from Neil Campbell. Ross McManus then denied City a second,
hooking a header by substitute Drew Calladine off the line.
But Vale roused themselves for a late rally, with Robbie Clark
poking the ball wide of the upright after good work by Ryan
McManus. Somerville then ran on to a ball played forward by
Scott Johnston, but his attempted lob was off target, while
Johnston himself got into the act, rising to meet an Alexander
free kick, but couldn't find a way past Monteith.
Vale of Leithen: Mark Wilson; Ronald Fleming, Ross McManus,
Ross Alexander, Scott Johnston, Ryan McManus, Robbie Clark,
Raymond Fleming, Mike MacKale, Aaron Somerville, Steven Whiteford
(Jack Diamond 83).
Edinburgh City: Duncan Monteith; Kevin Morrison, Neil Campbell
(Scott Hunter 62), Ross Macnamara, Craig Fraser, Jamie Speed
(Drew Calladine 79), Jordan Caddow, Jordan Hall, Robbie Ross,
Callum Monteith (Karim Ksai 76), Dougie Gair.
|
Highlights of Vale's last major trophy win, when Gala Fairydean
were defeated 4-0 at Netherdale in the Scottish Qualifying
Cup (South) Final on November 28th 1992 was recently posted
on the video sharing website YouTube. It's taken from an edition
of Sportscene, in which you can marvel at how kind the intervening
years have been to Dougie Donnelly. Unfortunately, the answer
to Chick Young's final question to two-goal hero Big John
Thorpe (as he is referred to throughout), has been cruelly
cut off. Anyone know what the big man said? Or will we be
forever left in limbo? Watch it here. |
Vale picked up a good three points in Hawick against a Royal
Albert side who provided stuffy opposition, particularly in
the first half. Despite a fair amount of rain, the Albert
Park pitch held up well and the crowd were rewarded with an
entertaining game that remained at a high pace throughout
and featured plenty of goal mouth action. Vale were perhaps
fortunate not to find themselves a man down in the fifth minute,
as captain Campbell Forsyth tugged the home side's Barry Sheil
back as he ran onto a through ball. While another referee
might have taken a dimmer view of the incident, Andy Rooney
was content to show only yellow to the big centre-half. Three
minutes later Vale took the lead with some nice interplay
between their strike force, Mike MacKale backheeling the ball
into the path of Aaron Somerville, who rolled it into the
net. While the Innerleithen men were passing well and spreading
play about, Hawick worked hard at closing their opponents
down and, shortly after Barry Raeson saw his header from a
Ian Turnbull free kick brilliantly turned away by Mark Wilson,
they got back on level terms in the 31st minute when a Malcolm
Cooper free kick from 20 yards deflected off the wall and
in. Having got back into the game, Hawick found themselves
chasing it again, as poor defending allowed Somerville to
ghost into the box and turn a Ryan McManus corner into the
net in 37 minutes. The younger McManus brother was having
a great game on the right of midfield, and in the 55th minute
showed superb skill as he turned two Hawick defenders inside
out before crossing for Ronald Fleming to volley just over.
A couple of minutes later though, the favour was returned,
as Fleming embarked on a run down the left and McManus beat
Royalists' Jamie Thomson to Fleming's cross and find the net.
As the Hawick challenge started to fade, Ronald Fleming had
a shot cleared off the line by Cooper and Vale notched a fourth
in the 65th minute. Striker Mike MacKale wasn't having the
happiest of days in front of goal, but was accurate enough
with a free kick into the box towards Creag Robertson, who
rose to send a header high into the net for his first goal
for the club. Hawick kept going, with Thomson seeing a shot
come off the bar, before Joss Shearman combined well with
fellow substitute Michael Moir, but the latter's shot was
kept out well by Wilson.
Hawick Royal Albert: Scott Dowie; Michael Clark (Jordan Gracie
74), Alan Campbell, Malcolm Cooper, Jamie Thomson, Steven
Noble (Michael Moir 78), Ian Turnbull, Brian Stavert, Derrick
Stavert, Barry Sheil (Joss Shearman 67), Barry Raeson.
Vale of Leithen: Mark Wilson; Ross Alexander, Ross McManus,
Creag Robertson, Campbell Forsyth, Ronald Fleming (Colin Smith
74), Robbie Clark (Scott Johnston 50), Raymond Fleming, Aaron
Somerville (Alan Hardie 67), Mike MacKale, Ryan McManus.
Referee: Andy Rooney
|
Heavy rain forced the postponement of this SFA South Region
Challenge Cup tie. The game will be be replayed on a date
to be announced.
|
|
For anyone who couldn't make it along and worried that they
might have missed a cracker - don't worry, you didn't. Quite
frankly, this encounter was about as bad as it gets. A strong
wind didn't help, but really neither team deserved to win.
Ormiston took the lead after three minutes - a corner from
Paul Lynch was met by a crowd of players and the ball somehow
ended up in the back of the net, via the arm of a Vale defender.
That was all you want to know about the first half. The second
saw a slight improvement, with Vale starting to get their
act together and a Ryan McManus shot was cleared off the line
by Graham Nisbet, before the 53rd minute equaliser when Mike
MacKale drove home a Ross McManus cut-back. Vale had keeper
Mark Wilson to thank for keeping the scores level as he pulled
off superb stops from a Mike Sneddon header and an Alfonso
DeGaetano shot. At the other end, a MacKale snap shot was
beaten away by James Daly, but it was obviously not going
to be Vale's day when Aaron Somerville ran on to a long ball
played forward by Ross Alexander and, with only the keeper
to beat, scuffed the ball wide.
Ormiston: James Daly; Simon Heyes, Graham Nisbet, Mark Leslie,
Tommy Donnelly, Alfonso DeGaetano (Steven Adams 83), Craig
Fisher, Stewart Fisher, Paul Lynch, Mike Sneddon (Barry Arthur
72), Graeme Purves.
Vale of Leithen: Mark Wilson; Ross Alexander, Ross McManus,
Creag Robertson, Campbell Forsyth, Ryan McManus, Colin Smith
(Scott Johnston 83), Robbie Clark (Lewis Montgomery 66), Mike
MacKale, Aaron Somerville, Greig Shortreed (Ronald Fleming
h-t).
|
|
|
|