GeoSonic Lowland League: No change at the top as stalemate offers share of the spoils

Posted on Sunday, September 23rd, 2018

There is no change at the top of the GeoSonic Lowland League this weekend as Spartans and East Kilbride played out a 0-0 draw in the North Edinburgh sunshine at Ainslie Park.

Manager Dougie Samuel made his return to the Spartans dug out following his successful recovery from a spell on the sidelines and he rung the changes following the previous week’s disappointing South Challenge Cup exit with Blair Carswell returning between the sticks, with Gary Cennerrazo, Jason Stevens and Scott Maxwell all back in the squad.

The sides had already locked horns back in August in the Irn Bru Cup, with a penalty shoot-out the only way the top two could be separated following a 1-1 draw over ninety minutes.  It was to be yet another tight affair this time out in a match that wouldn’t have looked out of place if Anatoly Karpov and Veselin Topalov pulled on respective team jerseys.

A decent crowd of 290 assembled inside the affectionately nicknamed Pilton San Siro as Referee Iain Sneddon got proceedings underway.  One of his early interventions wasn’t with the whistle but his feet as the man in the middle was more of a man in a muddle, effectively tackling David Greenhill after the playmaker outfoxed opposition and official with a turn of pace in midfield!

Opportunities proved to be few and far between in the opening exchanges.  Great for goalkeepers mind you and there was a save from Kilby keeper Matthew McGinley from a Willie Bremner shot whilst at the other end, acrobatics from Blair Carswell so him extend his frame in Inspector Gadget fashion to save under pressure – too much in the Referee’s eyes as the Spartans No.1 came back down to earth with a dunt.

The rain came, it went. Michael Herd poured forward.  His speculative effort from decent distance looked to be heading for the fives court before taking a dip at the death, forcing McGinley to look sharp and tip over the bar.

Jason Stevens came close with the best opportunity of the half when he sent his shot wide of the target from 12 yards as Spartans looked to head to sheds with their noses in front.

HT: Spartans 0-0 East Kilbride

Aerial challenges were in plenty supply during the match.  Fans were also looking to the sky as the Police helicopter made its way across the blue blanket a couple of times – at least they tried as the low sunshine offered more of a challenge to them in the stand than the players who continued to huff and puff without blowing any doors to the net down.

Spartans continued to press, with a large spells of possession inside the East Kilbride half however the visitors were keen to exploit any weaknesses and from a broken down attack, the visitors almost capitalised on the counter with Craig Stevenson’s timely tackle preventing what may well have been a likely winner.

Gary Cennerrazo’s quick thinking with a throw-in caught Kilby napping and when Craig Stevenson’s turn of pace took him past his man to the bye-line, his cross found the head of Jamie Dishington only for this header to land the wrong side of the bar.

Anthony Brady was almost the South Lanarkshire hero as he forge open a last minute opportunity which thankfully (for the hosts anyway), went wide of Blair Carswell’s frame.

FT: Spartans 0-0 East Kilbride

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Ian McFarland