Sunday 3rd October v Evening Times at Glasgow Green 8-2 (2-0)
James McLaughlin, Arthur McCue, Alistair Dorward, John Crosbie, David Ferguson, Alan Main (Paul Joyce), Logan Taylor, Roddy Davidson, Gordon Maxwell, Barry Cook (c) (John MacKay) and John Kirkland (Gordon Swinburne)
Back to elevens against the Evening Times (Logie's work) a team who comfortably beat us 5-2 on our only previous meeting.
We had fourteen available along with Mister Stormonth who decided to take a seat in the stand to watch as his back was playing up. Just what we need, another non-playing Manager !
Crossers returned from holiday and we had new boy Paul Joyce on the bench along with old boy John MacKay who hadn't played for about four years when he had a lot more hair and a lot less of a belly.
The Times were down to the bare eleven with another one of our old boys Stewart Paterson in the line up as well as celebrity trombonist Fraser Gibson.
The game started at a good rate with both teams looking no bad and looking fairly evenly matched.
It wasn't long however before the game became a bit tousy, down to the Times boys I might add, and Barry and Big John were getting a bit of stick from the defence (the Times defence that is).
It didn't unsettle us though and we took the lead when, from a corner, that well known strike duo Taylor and Dorward combined to somehow open the scoring for us.
The corner reached Logie who took a swipe at the ball but missed, it fell to Algie who had a shot blocked, it fell back to Logie who miskicked it to ALGIE and he finished in the bottom corner. Finishing of the highest order ! Where was the defence, or the rest of our attack for that matter, when all this was going on ? Probably watching in amazement at Algernon actually scoring a goal, only his second for the team.
Two minutes later and we were two ahead. Young Gordon made a run down the left and put over a perfect low cross to the back post where BARRY pounced to score. This gave Barry his Target of six goals, the first player to reach one this season.
Three changes at half time as Barry, suffering from a hangover, Big John and Young Al all made way for debutant Paul, John Mac and The Gazelle.
Paul immediately made an impact as he made a good pass through to YOUNG GORDON who fairly hammered a shot off the underside of the bar and over the line for our third. The Times defence claimed that the ball hadn't gone over the line but it's never wise to argue with the referee.
A couple of minutes later and we had another goal and killed the game off as a contest. Paul again did well down the right as he skinned a couple of defenders and put over a beautiful cross which RODDY headed in at the front post. After Roddy's misses in the previous game it was a bit of shock to see this one go in.
We were looking pretty good and James was dreaming of a shut ou...............The Times pulled one back as a player skipped past a couple of tackles in the area to shoot past our chubby keeper.
Not even that goal could dampen our goal threat and Young Gordon nearly made it five with a fierce shot off the post. The ball rebounded to John Mac and his shot was blocked then he had another blocked as the Times defence somehow held out.
This exertion was too much for John and he came off with Young Al taking his place in attack.
We were still the better team by far and even Crossers was pushing forward although he got harshly pulled up for offside when he was through on goal. He'd have probably missed anyway.
The rest of the game turned into the YOUNG GORDON show as he started to run at the defence who had no answer to him.
Gordon was getting the ball and carving open the centre of the Times defence and four times in a row he created a one on one chance for himself and each time he shot past the keeper. To be fair the keeper didn't put up much of a fight looking as if he knew he was going to get beaten.
It was a brilliant display of finishing and was the most goals an individual had scored in a game since it seems like ages ago (Note: must create a new Stats page for future reference, leave it with me).
Talking of keepers not putting up much of a fight, we lost the last goal of the game when Stewart Paterson shot from outside the box, someone shouted "keeper" and everyone else shouted "goal" as The Penguin was half asleep on his line !
All in all a fine performance despite the rough house tactics employed by the Times team ("just because your losing") who I think expected an easier game than the one they got.
Player of the Day: Could only be Gordon Maxwell
Donkey of the Day: Logan Taylor for telling everybody to calm down and trying to be the peacemaker. Is this not the guy who normally starts all the bother with a silly sliding tackle during a game ?