Spartans click to see off Clach to progress in Youth Cup

Posted on Monday, November 7th, 2016

Spartans U20s marched on in the Little Big Shot Scottish Youth Cup after overcoming tricky customers in Clachnacuddin at Ainslie Park on Sunday.

The Highland side made the pilgrimage to the capital for this Sunday session and they were under put under pressure from the start as Les Atkinson’s youngsters looked to turn early possession into goals.

That came inside 10 minutes. Jonny Grotlin, who pushed an acrobatic effort wide moments before, was on hand to tap home from close range following Brandon Archibald’s pass inside the box.

Grotlin continued to terrorise the Clach defence and it was a mixture of woodwork and fine goalkeeping that denied the striker from extending the lead.

The players trudged off for some heat at half time with Spartans remarkably only one goal to the good despite the lion’s share of possession.

HT: Spartans 1-0 Clachnacuddin

Spartans continued where they left off and started the second half with similar tempo to the opening stanza.

Cameron Dawson was left wondering how his netbound shot stayed out as some desperate goal line defending kept Clach in the game.

Harry Girdwood was next up to try his luck, a shot pushed wide for a corner then another attempt just shy of the goal as the visitors rear guard led a charmed life.

Then, against the run of play, McPhee bundled the ball past Cameron Rae into the Spartans net after a corner was whizzed into the penalty area.

Before the travelling support could get halfway through their ‘Gimme a C, Gimme a L…’ the home side regained the lead.  Dawson raced in from the restart and kept his composure to slide the ball into the net for the eighth game in succession.

Atkinson introduced Lewis Hall for the industrious Girdwood then with twelve minutes left, it was another Lewis – Temple this time – who entered the fray, replacing opening scorer Grotlin.

It was to be an inspirational substitution when just sixty seconds after coming on, the youngster found himself with the freedom of the Clach 18 yard box before calmly sending the ball home – and his side into the Last 16.

FT: Spartans 3-1 Clachnacuddin

Spartans: Rae, O’Neil, Sutherland, Grant, Corbett, Laing, Hand, Girdwood, Dawson, Grotlin, Archibald. Subs: Shaw, Hall, Currie, Brady, Allan, Temple