Magnificent Seven for Spartans in season opener

Posted on Saturday, July 29th, 2017

Spartans got their Ferrari Packaging Lowland League campaign off to a winning start with an emphatic 7-0 win over Hawick Royal Albert at Ainslie Park.

The match was slightly late in kicking-off due to an the unfortunate Borders man Ali Simpson unable to stem the flow of blood from his nose in the warm-up.

It was the fast flowing play of Spartans however that had Hawick on the back foot from the off and within the opening 60 seconds, Craig Stevenson made his way to the bye-line, whipping in a telling cross that was narrowly nudged wide by Ross Allum.

Eight minutes had lapsed when the deadlock was finally broken.  Alan Brown’s cross to the back post eventually found its way into the path of Jamie Dishington who managed to manouvre himself in behind his marker to poke home.

There was almost a double for Dishington shortly after however the Hawick Trialist between the sticks was equal to the task, spreading himself well to deny a second.

That fine save was merely offering respite, as shortly before the half hour mark, Dishington made his way into the box before nudging past a defender before sliding the ball beyond the keeper into the empty net.

Dishington was causing chaos and his trickery earned Spartans a free-kick on the edge of the box five minutes later.  Ross Allum stepped up and curled it into the top corner with the keeper perhaps feeling he may have done better in making a stop.

HT: Spartans 3-0 Hawick Royal Albert

It didn’t take long after the break for Spartans to press for more.  Just two minutes into the second stanza and Ross Allum’s free-kick was pushed wide by the keeper, with Alan Brown hitting the post with the rebound.

Allum wasn’t to be denied six minutes later when he raced in unopposed before composing himself to make it four for Spartans.

Craig Stevenson was next to try his luck.  A barnstorming run into the Hawick half saw the industrious defender take a shot from all of thirty yards, with the Trialist stopper having to keep his eye on the ball as it narrowly went over the bar.

Spartans made a treble substitution with Thomson, Allum and Guthrie retiring and Blair Atkinson, Jack Nixon and Dachi Khutsishvili taking their place.

With twenty minutes left, Spartans extended their lead courtesy of Atkinson who was first to react inside the penalty box following a shot saved.

Then, it was the turn of the second sub to get in on the goals.  Khutsishvili broke the offside trap before taking the ball for a run and shooting across the keeper to find the opposite bottom corner to make it six.

Perhaps saving the best for last however was Captain Michael Herd who cut inside before looking up and unleashing an unstoppable drive that flew into the top corner to seal an emphatic lead.

FT: Spartans 7-0 Hawick Royal Albert

Spartans: Carswell, Herd, Stevenson, Tolmie, Thomson (Nixon 63), Greenhill, Brown, Dishington, Allum (Atkinson 63), McFarland, Guthrie (Khutsishvili 63).  Subs (Unused) Bremner, Wilson, Archibald, Trialist GK)

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Ian McFarland