Football Nation Cup: Spartans get back to winning ways at Whitehill

Posted on Sunday, December 3rd, 2017

Spartans got back to winning ways as they cruised into the next round of the Football Nation Qualifying Cup with an emphatic 0-5 victory on the road at Roswell against Whitehill Welfare.

Fine pitch-fork work on the paddock by the hosts ahead of the early afternoon kick-off ensured that game one of two between the old ‘frienemies’ in December went ahead.  It was to be a stamina sapping encounter that saw the hosts finish the match with 10 men following a late dismissal.

Kick-off was temporarily delayed as last minute repairs to one of the nets was carried out and as the half played out, it didn’t seem like they were in any danger of being damaged any further as the deadlock remained unbroken.

An early adventurous backpass to Welfare keeper on the bumpy surface put Connar Easton under pressure and after a scramble, the ball was unceremoniously hoofed away to safety.

Debutant Jason Stevens almost made a perfect start to his Spartans career when he got his head to a cross but couldn’t direct it on target.

Welfare’s attacking prowess was limited and a rare excursion into the Spartans half saw Andrew Stobie gather with consummate ease.

Jack Wright was then booked by Referee Shepherd, a caution that was to haunt the Welfare midfielder later in the game.

Then, with five minutes before the interval, the home rear guard was finally overcome.  Craig Stevenson’s pinpoint delivery found Blair Tolmie who outjumped William Kidd to head home past Easton.

Spartans were to head into the sheds with a two goal cushion when, on the stroke of half time, a telling run down the line by Stevens saw him scoop the ball low into the box for the onrushing Scott Maxwell to beat Cameron Watson to the ball and double his side’s lead.

HT: Whitehill Welfare 0-2 Spartans

Five minutes into the second half, Spartans passage into the next round was all but secured when the match official had his easiest decision of the match to make when Ian McFarland was upended in the box.  Ross Allum stepped up and sent Easton the wrong way to make it three.

Craig Stevenson was next up to have a pop and his free-kick cleared the wall, only to find the welcoming hands of Easton between the home sticks.

When Ross Allum broke the offside trap it looked as if number four was on its way.  A corner kick was the outcome despite the remonstrations of the home defence however a knowing smile from Easton meant he could count that one as a fine save.

The game entered its final stages as the bed of treacle continued to hold up as well as it could.  A throw in from Stevenson was collected by Ross Guthrie who squeezed between Cameron Watson and Kerr Dodds before firing past Easton.

It went from bad to worse for Whitehill when Jack Wright was shown his second yellow of the afternoon for an infringement.

With almost the last kick of the ball, Jamie Dishington broke free to deliver for David Greenhill who made no mistake with the head from 10 yards.

FT: Whitehill Welfare 0-5 Spartans

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Scott Maxwell

Spartans: Stobie, Stevenson, Brown, Nixon, Thomson, Tolmie, Allum (Guthrie), Stevens (Dishington), Maxwell, Greenhill, McFarland (Corbett) Subs Carswell, Atkinson, Herd