Lowland League: Spartans close gap with Welfare win

Posted on Saturday, October 7th, 2017

Spartans closed the gap at the top of the Ferrari Packaging Lowland League with a 2-o win over Whitehill Welfare at Ainslie Park on Non-League Day.

Former Spartans and Welfare Manager Mike Lawson was an interested spectator amongst the boosted attendance for a clash which has offered many pre and post talking points following encounters between the sides over the decades.

There were few matters for fans to mull over whilst munching their half time pies following an opening forty five minutes largely remembered for the decidedly unseasonal summer-esque mercury recording and the requirement for sunglasses needing to be worn at the footy in October.

Two noteworthy moments in the opening period included a fine stop by the feet of Welfare keeper Easton who launched himself to deny Ross Allum from close range as he looked to convert Mikey Herd’s low cross inside the box.

Then, at the other end, Wright thankfully found the wrong side of the crossbar when his long range shot towards an unguarded net, following a rear-guard faux pas, landed on top rather than inside, the empty goal.

Half Time: Spartans 0-0 Whitehill Welfare

Despite being on the wrong side of the final result, the outcome may have been greater but for the Welfare keeper.  Easton was on hand to deny Ross Allum with a first class save as both teams came out of the sheds following the break looking to take control of a match where a draw wouldn’t really benefit neither club.

On the hour mark, Spartans made a double swap with Blair Atkinson and Scott Wilson coming on for Alan Brown and Jack Nixon.  We’ll call it a stroke of managerial tactical brilliance as, seconds later, Wilson’s first touch of the ball was to deliver the awaiting corner kick onto the head of Blair Tolmie who bulleted his header beyond Easton to give Spartans the lead.

Twelve minutes later, Jamie Dishington collected the ball from a throw-in on the stand-side before eyeing up a cross that found Welfare defender McKenzie caught in three minds and his outstretched leg diverted past his own keeper to double Spartans’ lead.

Ross Guthrie was next to enter the fray at the expense of Allum and he was a shoelace away from adding to his side’s tally late on following trickery by Blair Atkinson who outfoxed his marker to send another inviting ball across the face of the goal.

Full Time: Spartans 2-0 Whitehill Welfare

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Ian McFarland

Spartans: Stobie, Nixon (Wilson), Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson, Greenhill, Brown (Atkinson), McFarland, Allum (Guthrie), Herd, Dishington.  Subs (Unused) Khutsishvili, Corbett, Pettigrew.