Under 20s: Spartans battle bravely in BSC defeat

Posted on Saturday, October 31st, 2015

There was to be no happy Halloween for Les Atkinson’s Spartans Under 20s who were defeated by four ghouls to two (that’s enough puns already! – editor) by BSC Glasgow at Ainslie Park.

With a host of injuries and availability challenges, a threadbare young Spartans side took on their west coast opponents who sit second in the table.  It was the second clash between the sides in the space of a month, with BSC claiming the bragging rights in the earlier Qualifying League fixture.

The visitors got off to the perfect start when they took a 5^th minute lead courtesy of Evans Lamboh.  The tricky right winger saw his audacious long range effort evade the home keeper and the ball hit the back of the net.

Worse was to follow for Spartans when the same player doubled his tally – and his side’s advantage – when he found himself in space deep inside the 18 yard box to head home from a corner kick.

Spartans were offered a lifeline in the 26^th minute when Referee Nikki Smith pointed to the spot after Jonny Grotlin was bundled to the deck in the penalty area.  The striker dusted himself down before sending the ball low and hard into the bottom corner.

Just six minutes later, BSC’s two goal margin was regained.  With the home defence looking for an offside shrill from Smith’s whistle, Vinny Newlands who poked it through the stranded keeper’s legs to make it 1-3.

The lively Grotlin was unlucky not to get his second of the evening when his shot was unconvincingly flapped onto his near post then behind for a corner by BSC keeper Joe Wilton.  Moments later, the young playmaker looked on in frustration as his next effort could only find the side netting.

HT: Spartans 1-3 BSC Glasgow

The opening quarter of the second half saw Spartans camped in the Glaswegian half, desperate to get an early goal to find their way back into a match that was more evenly matched than the scoreline suggested.

Grotlin was once again in the thick of it, this time he was wrestled to the ground in a move Seth Rollins would have been proud of in WWE. Despite claims for a second spot kick of the evening, the match official waved play on.

A block of sheer goalkeeping instinct by Wilton then denied Harry Girdwood as the BSC shot-stopper somehow pushed the ball onto his crossbar and to safety from point blank range.

Despite the sustained pressure offered by a resolute and determined Spartans side, it was the visitors who sealed the points just before the hour.  A corner into the danger zone found Mark Toner who headed home from six yards out.

With two minutes left on the clock, Dylan Tait drew warm applause from the crowd when his 25 yard drive narrowed the deficit in a game Manager Atkinson noted he was “pleased with the effort and forward passages of play.”

FT: Spartans 2-4 BSC Glasgow