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29th August 2007
Harraby Catholic Club 1 - 1
Gillford Park
Since the earliest days of Gillford Park
Football Club, there has been one game anticipated more than any other;
Harraby Catholic Club v Gillford Park. But despite all the build up, the
first meeting of the sides turned out to be something of an anti-climax,
as two attacking sides nullified each other, on a cool autumn night and
under increasingly cloudy skies.
The first talking point of the game came after seventeen minutes when the
injured Steve Skinner, who had missed Saturdays game, was forced to be
substituted with only seventeen minutes played and, although the sides
were both eager to go forward, the defences stayed strong and when called
upon, the two 'keepers were never found wanting.
Remarkably, it took until the thirty-fifth minute for either side to have
a clear-cut chance, when a handball just outside the box earned the
visitors a free-kick. With Skinner now on the sidelines, it was Mark
Butlers job to convert the chance and that he nearly did, with an
excellent effort kept only from the top-left corner by an equally
impressive save by the home custodian.
Although nothing came of the corner, as referee Andrew Sproat penalised
Lee Otway for a supposed push in the box, it sparked the Catholic Club to
life and they enjoyed a spell of pressure in the final few minutes.
However, despite a string of corners, they couldn't work to find that
opening and despite some rather harsh treatment of Gillford's goalie,
there were no further chances.
Having already started late, and without the need to trudge back into the
changing rooms, the two sides each spent only five minutes at half-time
before re-taking their positions in the other half of the field.
The home side, now having to play up the very noticeable slope, kicked-off
the second forty-five and Dan Rayson performed his party-trick,
immediately stealing possession and striding forward. A short pass right
to Butler was not converted, though, as he shot way over from inside the
centre-circle.
Despite having had a reasonably adept first-half, the referee, (who - I'm
sorry if this offends - is renowned for being a clown) soon reverted back
into his old style after two minutes, when his lack-of-height induced
complex came into play and he booked a player who disagreed with him.
The opening stages were far livelier than the rather dull first half, but
their keeper was on hand to deal easily with any balls into the box, while
with only five minutes of the second period played Gillford's first nervy
moment comes as Number 7's cross found it's way into the visitors box.
Gillford stopper Armstrong had to fight through a myriad of feet and heads
trying to knock it any one of two ways to take possession and relieve the
danger.
As the ball was played up field and Gillford pressed for the opening
strike, a home player conceded a free-kick to the left of the goal. The
kick was played in to the crowded penalty area and headed on and over the
by-line for a corner.
Moffat played the flag-kick short but possession was lost, the ball played
up field and in the ensuing attack a free-kick was conceded by Robbie
Short. As the midfielder passed the ball out to their kick-taker, it
appeared from the writers position that referee Sproat thought he was
booting it away in anger and he duly dived into his card pocket to show
Short a yellow.
Gillford took the lead on sixty-one minutes, when Stuart Moffat played the
throw down-field to Dan Rayson. The young forward skilfully took it past a
defender but as he tried to chip it home the keeper got a hand to the
ball. Nevertheless, he regained possession, knocked it to the left and as
a crowd of players divulged on him tapped it over the line from a now
point-blank range.
The lead stayed intact for only two minutes, though, as Harraby
immediately raced up field and in the spell of pressure earned a corner on
the left. The original kick was played straight back out, but the follow
up found it's way to the back post where a player had got high to
powerfully head across goal and into the top-left corner.
With the sides now locked in a struggle to take the lead again there were
few chances, though not for the want of trying, and the next real scoring
opportunity came on thirty-five minutes.
Referee Andrew Sproat - now living in Gretna but previously of Harraby -
committed dual atrocities when first he sent off Lee Otway for either
telling the linesman a decision was a bloody joke or, lo and behold,
raising his middle finger higher than his other four digits (which depends
on whether you believe the account of Dickie Wilson or an HCC official),
before awarding a penalty for a supposed push by a Gillford defender, as
two players jumped together to reach a cross.
Justice was done when Harraby shot clean over.
Three minutes later an attack earnt the hosts a corner, before which Ally
Lang was shown yellow for complaining about the lack of consistency when
this time it is a Harraby player making contact with one of the Green and
White visitors, but nothing came of the flag kick.
Gillford, spurred on by the injustices, continued to battle with the
one-man deficit hardly noticeable, and the crowd got increasingly partisan
with every wrong decision by the pint-sized official.
The rejuvenated, if disadvantaged, Gillford
Park earned themselves one final chance - a shot from edge of area that
glided straight through to the keeper at the near post, while the
following goal kick is straight through to the keeper at the other end.
Full Time - 1-1. |