Lowland League: Spoils shared in stalemate against BSC

Posted on Sunday, January 14th, 2018

Spartans and BSC Glasgow shared the spoils in the Clackmannanshire rain with both sides having to be content with a point in a top of the table slog.

New signing Gavin Malin took his place on the bench following his move from Edinburgh City. The midfielder returning to the club after a five year break.

Billed as a proverbial ‘six-pointer’, the match had all the potential of a Karpov v Kasparov chess classic with a midfield war of attrition seeing each side carefully look for that decisive ‘check-mate’ moment.

There was lots of early bluff and bluster in the opening stages and the best of the chances came in the 6th minute with Murray dragging his shot wide of Carswell’s net.

A claim for a spot-kick in the 15th minute by the home side when Smith went down theatrically inside the box did indeed see the Referee blow his whistle and stop play, only for him to brandish a yellow to match the BSC striker’s kit for simulation.

Spartans were forced into making a replacement on the half hour mark with Blair Tolmie retiring and Gavin Malin making his second debut for the club.

Perhaps the highlight of a first half played out in dreich conditions saw Stevens drill a low shot across the synthetic surface, only for the home keeper to get down low to push the effort round the post.

With half-time on the immediate horizon,  a free-kick tight on the bye-line from Craig Stevenson had the potential to deliver danger but the opportunity went a-begging and the teams went into the sheds all square.

Half Time: BSC Glasgow 0-0 Spartans

Six minutes into the second stanza, Maxwell made good yards to the bye-line and his cross almost caught everyone off guard and it was inches away from creeping into the back post.

At the other end, Blair Carswell was the Spartans hero of the hour (and a half) when he made himself big to pull of an instinctive save to deny Smith inside the six yard box.

Malin the delivered a corner deep into the BSC area causing some confusion for the home stopper and perhaps with an air of non-expectancy, the ball landed on the head of Bremner who could only head wide.

The honours at the end were even and with results elsewhere in the top four going to plan, there’s plenty to play for as the business end of the season heats up.
Full Time: BSC Glasgow 0-0 Spartans
Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Stevenson, Nixon, Tolmie (Malin 29), Greenhill (Bremner 73), Brown, McFarland, Stevens, Corbett, Maxwell (Allum 77). Subs (Unused): Atkinson, Khutsishvili, Guthrie, GK. Stobie