Trills and spills at Whitehill as Spartans earn draw

Posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2014

Keith McLeod’s 280^th goal in Spartans colours earned his side a 2-2 draw against Whitehill Welfare in a proverbial game of two halves at Ferguson Park.

In what were near perfect overhead conditions for another pulsating clash between two old foes, Referee Lorraine Clark got the game underway in front of a vocal crowd swelled by the empty football league calendar due to the International weekend.

McLeod almost gave Spartans the ultimate dream start within 14 seconds of the opening whistle.  Errol Douglas made an early drive through the Welfare midfield to set up McLeod who let fly, only to see his shot shave the bar.

At the other end Wayne McIntosh sent his side’s first opportunity at goal wide, troubling the corner flag instead of Kevin Swain in the Spartans net.

Spartans took the lead in the 18^th minute.  A Craig Stevenson free-kick into the six yard box saw Mikey Bruce’s miskick edge towards the line, Welfare keeper Bryan Young couldn’t keep the ball in his hands and tenacious play by the former Whitehill man saw him win the battle on the deck to poke the ball into the net.

Andy Martin the former Spartan almost scored for this old club when he scooped an inviting Errol Douglas cross round his own post as the visitors rampaged down the lush and long Ferguson Park surface.

The save of the day came in the 42^nd minute when Swain acrobatically tipped a McIntosh header over the bar, bringing the crowd to their feet.

Half-Time: Whitehill Welfare 0-1 Spartans

Spartans were delivered a double whammy as Aaron Somerville grabbed two goals in as many minutes to give the home side the lead for the first time in the game.

With home crowd whipped into a frenzy and the sizeable travelling support urging their side forward to grab an equaliser, up popped talisman McLeod in the 62^nd minute to level proceedings.

Douglas leapt like a salmon to knock the ball into the path of the Spartans hitman who slotted the ball past Young for what turned out to be the goal that earned his side a share of the spoils.

Full Time: Whitehill Welfare 2-2 Spartans