Junior Latest News

Posted on Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 11: Edinburgh Evening News (Iain MacKay)

ONE of the great football clubs currently emerging in the Capital city of Scotland is The Spartans FC and the lovely atmosphere generated by officials, players and fans alike from this club was in evidence again at their first section tie in the East Region Juniors League Cup at City Park. There is something special about all those people connected with Spartans and club captain, Craig Graham, was at the ground to welcome everyone as they entered this venue which is well and truly on its last legs. The new boys in the Junior grades will be moving to the palatial Academy at Ainslie Park, hopefully, next month, and it will in many ways be their very own ‘homecoming’. Possibly, it cannot come quick enough for the Spartans players and their opponents as City Park was a bit of an eyesore for the Edinburgh club’s first home tie in the Juniors League Cup. It ended with honours shared in a 1-1 draw but Spartans could have, and possibly should have, taken all three points. However, assistant boss, Jim Rae, admitted: “It was a difficult one (game), but we will take the one point. We played much better in the second half as a team and we dominated the game!” The visiting side from West Lothian were the better of the two sides in the first half of the game, in fact the Armadale players looked much more ‘streetwise’ than Spartans. Both sets of players huffed and puffed their way through a frantic opening spell of play on the roughly-cut playing surface – whoever prepared the pitch left piles of grass lying where it had been cut! Robbie Feeney showed up well in his striking role with Armadale, holding the ball up well before laying off good passes to set up attacks on the home goal. It was an impressive start by the Armadale No 9. Spartans keeper, David Paterer, was very busy in the opening spell and to the disappointment of the home fans, it was he who picked the ball out of the net in the 21^st minute when Feeney stroked a very good spot-kick in to the Spartans net to put his side 1-0, deservedly so, as well. It was also Feeney who won the penalty when he went down in the box in a clumsy tackle and great match referee, Michael Banks, was right up with play and he had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Spartans kept up their workrate but the Armadale defence, with man-mountain No 5, Gavin Brogan, a dominant figure in the centre of the park. However, Spartans added to their problems in the first half by giving the ball away needlessly and they were also guilty of wild shooting in front of the Armadale goal. The ball continually landed in the back gardens of houses bordering City Park on the Ferry Road end of the ground. At the end of a frustrating first half, Armadale still led by the solitary goal from Feeney. Armadale previously won the toss and decided to kick down the pronounced slope at City Park in the first half and that almost proved to be their undoing in a tremendous second half of great cup football. Spartans were liked a changed team on the restart and all roads led to the Armadale goal, where Bob Ward was in terrific form. The transformation in the home side was, frankly, amazing. They found each other with their crisp passing, the ball was switched to both flanks and the moves kept flowing while Armadale also contributed to the proceedings and this game became absolutely absorbing. The visiting defence will, possibly, still be having nightmares at the way they lost the ball to present Spartans with a deserved equaliser in the 62^nd minute. The experienced David Cunningham had loads of time to clear the ball on the right side of the Armadale defence, but he didn’t and Dale Robertson pounced to rob Cunningham of the ball then side foot it across the face of the Armadale goal for Scottish Amateur Internationalist, Nick Reid, to pop it in to the empty net. Ward had come off his line to try to retrieve the ball but he was left in ’no man’s land’ as Reid scored the equaliser. This cup tie moved to a much higher level after that. Spartans lost Paul Sutherland when the big No 4 bravely went in at the left-hand to get to a cross from the right. He connected but his header went wide, but the impetus of Sutherland’s dive saw him strike the upright and the experienced Spatans player picked up a really sore knock and had to be taken off. As he hirpled to his car after the finish, Sutherland said: “I have hurt my hip, but I thought at first it was much more serious than that. But I am very sore!” The home side were given a boost, however, when Feeney was sent packing by Mr Banks after an incident on the more popular side of City Park in the 70^th minute. To say Spartans poured forward in pursuit of a winner and give them their first success in the Junior grades would be an understatement. Urged on by substitute Gary Young, they fired on all cylinders and it was a really great game of football to watch. Ward and his colleagues in the Armadale defnece worked wonders as Spartans tore in to them, with brilliant passing attacking moves. It was not all one-way, however, and the West Lothian combine still set up some good dangerous attacks at the other end. But it was at the back that Armadale excelled. They kept Spartans out despite all the pressure and it was still 1-1 at the final whistle. I forget how many near-misses there were at the Armadale end, but this experienced Junior side from West Lothian used all their skill and know-how to deny Spartans the win they, possibly, should have been celebrating. The facilities at Spartans Community Football Academy are so far ahead of what is available at City Park. It will be a real boost to the Spartans Junior side and their visitors when they move over the road. It will, in every respect, be like moving from the ridiculous to the sublime. Then, hopefully, the real Spartans will emerge and they will be given every opportunity to produce the same great football that brightened up the second half against Armadale. Well done, to Armadale, as well for getting a draw against all the odds in the second half at City Park. They won their first tie against West Calder 4-0 so they are sill in with a chance of qualifying from their group. Spartans lost 3-2 in their opener against Newtongrange Star.

*This match report and file of pictures is produced free of charge by Ian Mackay who is part of www.passionforsport.tk team. Everything will also be sent to the clubs involved, the Scottish Juniors and also the East Region Juniors FA in a bid to promote the game at this level. Best wishes and thanks to both teams for allowing us to cover this cup tie at City Park. Good luck to everyone in Junior Football as well. Despite the current run-down state of City Park, there was still a very warm glow about the place at this game. The pictures can be viewed as a slide show on Kodak Gallery by clicking on -

http://www.kodakgallery.co.uk/ShareLanding.action?c=6pr9aqgt.2x0rvljp5&x=0&y=-nevlck&localeid=en_GB

Anyone who would like the pictures sent direct by email should contact mackayian@blueyonder.co.uk and the pictures requested will be sent on.

Last night’s teams:

Spartans FC – David Paterer, David McLeod, Iain Cartwright, Paul Sutherland, Oliver Antoni, Gary Gannon, Sam Scott, James Hair, Adam Perry, Kenneth Young, Dale Robertson, Gary Young, Nick Reid, Martin Douglas, Raymond Fleming, James Rae.

Armadale – Bob Ward, David Cunningham, Neil McMeechan, Gregor Buchan, Gavin Brogan, Scott Mauchline, Peter Lynch, Ryan Johnston, Robbie Feeney, Craig Chilton, Graeme Small, Daniel Malone, Dario Vita, Lee Johnston, Dean Purcell, Lee Suchinskyj, Kenneth Mannion.

This report and picture file can be used on any other website as long as no one tries to get payment from doing so. The match report and pictures should be credited to www.passionforsport.tk Everything can also be sent to newspapers if clubs want to give the game the publicity it deserved.