Pre-Season Friendly: Craigroyston 0-3 Spartans

Posted on Tuesday, July 26th, 2016

Spartans handed Manager Dougie Samuel another boost ahead of Friday’s Ferrari Packaging Lowland League opening fixture against Stirling University with a well-worked 0-3 win over Ferry Road rivals Craigroyston at St Marks Park.

The hosts, who will ply their trade in the Junior ranks following their transition from the East of Scotland league, had former Ainslie Park man Kyle Boggie up top, in a game that offered a plethora of robust challenges in this pre-season ‘friendly’.

Dan Ward was the first to feel the ‘Craigroyston crunch’ when he went airborne under an early tackle that may have warranted more than a word in the ear from the match official in a competitive tie.

Stirling boss Shelley Kerr was on hand to see Jack Beesley deliver a pin-point cross to the back post and whilst the Craigie defenders looked back across the line for an offside flag, A Trialist reacted quickly to slide past the stranded keeper.

Amongst the wilderness of the terracing banks, the football supporting fraternity were treated to the summer delights of sweeping rain and a hoolie blowing across the North Edinburgh ground.  The romanticism of a rainbow offering no pot of gold – just pies from the hut beside the sheds.

On the stroke of half time, Spartans doubled their lead.  Jamie Dishington’s shot stung the mitts of the man between the sticks and David Greenhill played poacher to nip in first to find the net.

HT: Craigroyston 0-2 Spartans

Midway through the second spell, it was Dishington who turned provider once again.  This time his perfectly weighted pass on the lush St Marks grass found the en-rushing Scott Maxwell who let fly from just inside the box to send the ball low into the bottom corner.

Craig Stevenson looked to get in on the goalscoring action after coming off the bench.  His penetrating run saw him dart towards the dangerzone before unleashing a strike that just gathered an upward trajectory as it reached the goals.

Craigroyston’s best chance came from Boggie who sent in a rasper of a shot from long range, with Blair Carswell keeping a watchful eye on proceedings to ensure his clean sheet was intact.

FT: Craigroyston 0-3 Spartans