INFO
BATHGATE THISTLE JUNIORS 3-3 AIRDRIE UNITED XI
FRIENDLY
VENUE � CREAMERY PARK
KICK OFF TIME � 7:30PM
DATE � TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2008
STARTING 11
1 � LEE HOLLIS, 2 � TRIALIST A, 3 � CALLUM BRADY, 4 � TRIALIST B, 5 � TRIALIST C, 6 � MICHAEL BROWN � 1 GOAL,
7 � DARREN SMITH, 8 � TRIALIST JOHN BAIRD, 9 � STUART NOBLE, 10 � KEVIN WATT � 1 GOAL,
11 � STEPHEN MAGUIRE � MAN OF THE MATCH
SUBS -ALL USED
12 � TRIALIST GARY PEEBLES � 1 GOAL FOR 2 � TRIALIST A, 14 � PAUL BYRNE FOR 4 � TRIALIST B,
15 � TRIALIST DAVID BROPHY FOR TRIALIST JOHN BAIRD
MAN OF THE MATCH
11 - STEPHEN MAGUIRE
MATCH REPORT
AN AIRDRIE UNITED XI TOOK ON BATHGATE THISTLE JUNIORS IN A FRIENDLY AND CAME FROM 0-3 DOWN TO DRAW 3-3 THANKS TO GOALS FROM KEVIN WATT, TRIALIST GARY PEEBLES AND MICHAEL BROWN.
FOR THE GAME SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE FIRST TEAM SQUAD AND FOUR TRIALISTS WERE IN THE STARTING 11 AND ON THE SUBSTITUTE�S BENCH WAS ANOTHER TWO TRIALISTS AND UNDER 19S PLAYER PAUL BYRNE. MEANWHILE BATHGATE THISTLE JUNIORS HAD FORMER AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER WILLIE WILSON IN THERE STARTING ELEVEN AND FORMER AIRDRIEONIANS AND AIRDRIE UNITED PLAYER BRIAN MCPHEE ON THE BENCH AND ANOTHER FEW FORMER AIRDRIEONIANS PLAYERS IN THERE SQUAD FOR THE GAME.
FIRST HALF
BATHGATE THISTLE GOT THE GAME OFF TO A TERRIFIC START AS AFTER THE OPENING TEN MINUTES OF THE GAME THEY HAD FIVE CHANCES AND WERE 3-0 UP. FIRSTLY DURING THE OPENING MINUTE OF THE GAME THEY HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT LEE HOLLIS GOT A LEG TO IT TO TURN THE BALL AROUND THE POST HOWEVER THE REFEREE AWARDED A GOAL KICK. FIVE MINUTES LATER BATHGATE HAD A CHANCE FROM INSIDE THE BOX AND THEY HIT A SHOT WHICH WENT INTO THE NET TO GIVE LEE HOLLIS NO CHANCE AND BATHGATE THE LEAD. TWO MINUTES LATER THEY HIT ANOTHER SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT LEE HOLLIS TURNED THE BALL AWAY AND THE DEFENCE CLEARED THE DANGER. THERE WAS NOTHING LEE HOLLIS COULD DO ON THE 9TH MINUTE THOUGH AS BATHGATE BROKE IN AGAIN AND TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET FROM INSIDE THE BOX. SHORTLY AFTER THIS BATHGATE HAD THEIR THIRD GOAL OF THE GAME AS AGAIN FROM INSIDE THE BOX THE BALL WAS TURNED INTO THE BOX TO GIVE LEE HOLLIS NO CHANCE.
ON THE 15TH MINUTE A MOMENT OF HISTORY WAS MADE AS AIRDRIE UNITED GOALKEEPING COACH AND FORMER SCOTLAND INTERNATIONALIST STEWART KERR HAD TO COME ON SO LEE HOLLIS COULD GET TREATMENT TO HIS HEAD WHICH WAS BLEEDING. DURING THE TIME STEWART WAS ON HE KEPT A CLEAN SHEET AS ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS TWO KICK OUTS AND SEE A SHOT FROM BATHGATE FROM INSIDE THE BOX GO WIDE. STEWART�S CAMEO APPEARANCE CAME TO AN END ON THE 19TH MINUTE AS THE REFEREE ALLOWED LEE HOLLIS TO COME BACK ON AFTER HE HAD BEEN CLEANED UP BY PHYSIO MICHAEL MCLAUGHLAN.
BATHGATE HAD THE NEXT CHANCE SHORTLY AFTER THIS WHEN FORMER AIRDRIEONIANS PLAYER PAUL MCGRILLEN HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. STUART NOBLE SET UP AIRDRIE�S FIRST CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 22ND MINUTE WHEN HE UNSELFISHLY CUT THE BALL BACK TO KEVIN WATT WHO WAS ABOUT SIX YARDS FROM GOAL AND HE HIT A SHOT BUT THE BATHGATE GOALKEEPER MADE THE SAVE. TWO MINUTES LATER AIRDRIE WON A PENALTY AND KEVIN WATT TOOK IT HOWEVER HIS PENALTY WENT HIGH AND WIDE. BATHGATE HAD THE NEXT CHANCE AS THEY HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT BUT IT MISSED THE TARGET. THEN ON THE 30TH MINUTE BATHGATE HAD ANOTHER CHANCE AS FROM A CROSS INTO THE BOX AN UNMARKED PLAYER SENT A POWERFUL HEADER INTO THE NET BUT THE GOAL WAS CHOPPED OFF FOR OFFSIDE.
WITH ONLY NINE MINUTES OF THE HALF REMAINING TRIALIST JOHN BAIRD SENT STEPHEN MAGUIRE THROUGH ON GOAL AND FROM INSIDE THE BOX HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WAS SAVED. BATHGATE HAD A GO SHORTLY AFTER THIS FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. THEN ON THE 41ST MINUTE BATHGATE SENT A LOW CROSS INTO THE BOX AND PAUL MCGRILLEN GOT ONTO THE END OF IT WITH A SHOT FROM ABOUT SIX YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT WIDE. TWO MINUTES LATER PAUL MCGRILLEN HAD ANOTHER CHANCE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT LEE HOLLIS MADE THE SAVE. A MINUTE LATER LEE HOLLIS WAS CALLED INTO ACTION AGAIN AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX THEY HIT A SHOT BUT LEE HOLLIS EXCELLENTLY TIPPED IT OVER THE BAR AND FROM THE RESULTING CORNER THE BALL WAS CLEARED. BATHGATE HAD THE FINAL CHANCE OF THE HALF DURING INJURY TIME WHEN THEY HIT A SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR AND BATHGATE WENT INTO HALF TIME WITH THE THREE GOAL LEAD.
SECOND HALF
BATHGATE MADE A NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTIONS BEFORE THE HALF BEGAN AND ONE OF THESE SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF BRIAN MCPHEE. MEANWHILE AIRDRIE MADE ONE CHANGE AS TRIALIST A HAD TO COME OFF INJURED AND THIS MEANT TRIALIST GARY PEEBLES CAME ON.
AIRDRIE STARTED THE HALF BRIGHTLY AND DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF IT STUART NOBLE HAD A CHANCE FROM INSIDE THE BOX WHEN HE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WENT WIDE. ON THE 53RD MINUTE THOUGH OUR RESERVES PULLED A GOAL BACK AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX STEPHEN MAGUIRE HIT A SHOT BUT IT WAS PARRIED BY THE BATHGATE GOALKEEPER AND KEVIN WATT REACTED QUICKEST TO THE REBOUND AND TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET. FIVE MINUTES LATER STUART NOBLE HIT A FIERCE SHOT FROM ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT BUT IT WENT JUST WIDE. BATHGATE HAD THEIR FIRST CHANCE OF THE HALF ON THE HOUR MARK WHEN THEY WON A FREE KICK ABOUT 35 YARDS FROM GOAL AS FORM IT THE BALL WAS CROSSED INTO THE BOX AND BRIAN MCPHEE SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR.
ON THE 62ND MINUTE AIRDRIE PULLED ANOTHER GOAL BACK AS MICHAEL BROWN�S SHOT LANDED AT THE FEET OF STEPHEN MAGUIRE AND HE PASSED THE BALL TO AN UNMARKED TRIALIST GARY PEEBLES ABOUT SIX YARDS FROM GOAL AND HE TURNED THE BALL INTO THE NET. BATHGATE NEARLY EXTENDED THEIR LEAD TWO MINUTES LATER AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX THEY HIT A SHOT BUT IT RATTLED THE POST AND THE DEFENCE CLEARED THE DANGER. AIRDRIE PUNISHED BATHGATE FOR NOT TAKING THIS CHANCE TWO MINUTES LATER AS FROM INSIDE THE BOX STEPHEN MAGUIRE CUT THE BALL BACK TO AN UNMARKED MICHAEL BROWN AND HE SENT A POWERFUL EFFORT INTO THE NET TO GIVE THE BATHGATE GOALKEEPER NO CHANCE AND FOR THE EQUALIZER. BEFORE THE GAME WOULD RESTART AIRDRIE MADE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTION AS TRIALIST DAVID BROPHY CAME ON FOR TRIALIST JOHN BAIRD.
WITH ONLY FIFTEEN MINUTES OF THE GAME REMAINING AIRDRIE HAD THE NEXT CHANCE AS KEVIN WATT HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. AIRDRIE MADE THEIR FINAL SUBSTITUTION AFTER THIS AS UNDER 19S PLAYER PAUL BYRNE CAME ON FOR TRIALIST B. IT WAS BATHGATE WHO HAD THE NEXT CHANCE THOUGH AS FROM ABOUT 25 YARDS OUT THEY HIT A SHOT BUT LEE HOLLIS FLEW THROUGH THE AIR TO EXCELLENTLY TURN THE BALL AROUND THE POST AND FROM THE CORNER THE BALL WAS CLEARED. WITH ONLY TEN MINUTES LEFT STEPHEN MAGUIRE HAD A CHANCE WHEN HE HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE. TWO MINUTES LATER BATHGATE SENT A CROSS INTO THE BOX AND BRIAN MCPHEE SENT A HEADER GOALWARDS BUT IT WENT OVER THE BAR. BATHGATE THEN HAD THE FINAL CHANCE OF THE GAME ON THE 87TH MINUTE WHEN THEY HIT A SHOT FROM INSIDE THE BOX BUT IT WENT WIDE AND IT FINISHED 3-3 IN A GAME WHICH CAN BE SUMMARISED AS A CLASSIC GAME OF TWO HALF�S.