Lowland League | Woods bags brace as Spartans clip Colts

Posted on Saturday, December 5th, 2020

A Malt and Hops Man of the Match double scoring Gregor Woods guided Spartans to a 2-6 victory over Cumbernauld Colts in the rain at Broadwood Stadium.

Friday night under the lights has been a happy hunting ground for the Ainslie Park side, having won 18 out of their last 22 and it took all of a minute for the visitors to set themselves on the road to adding another victory to the tally.

Blair Atkinson went on a gallop through the heart of the Colts defence heading back in field before passing the ball to Gregor Woods who composed himself inside the box to unleash a strike that flew low into the net to cue excitable scenes as he was flooded by teammates dashing from all corners to celebrate.

A great start got a whole load better when Blair Atkinson’s effort was well stopped deep inside the penalty area, only for the rebound to come back into the path of Archie Meekison who curled the ball home.

The rain continued to lash down as whilst two goals in four minutes perhaps threatened the floodgates to open, the hosts looked to bounce back and it took a fine save by Matt Baines to deny the Colts.

The Spartans keeper had to then look lively as he double fisted an effort from long range that moved in the air like a £1.99 fly-away your Mum bought you for the summer holidays as a kid.

With Spartans still the dominant force in the half, it was against the run of play that the Colts were the next to score. A low and lengthy pass from just inside the visitor’s half found Ewan MacPherson who beat Baines to the ball, getting enough of this laces onto it to force it over the line.

Spartans two goal advantage was restored in the 25th minute when a throw-in on the far side conjured up some fine passing play before Blair Atkinson played in Scott McCrory-Irving who obliged by sliding the ball under the exposed Colts keeper.

It wouldn’t be a game against the Colts without some excitement and with the just four minutes to go before the break, that man Ewan MacPherson took advantage of some loose defending to slide the ball home from a cross out wide.

Five goals and a chance for a breather at the break – along with a change of jersey for the soggy Spartans lads.

HT: Cumbernauld Colts 2-3 The Spartans

Eight minutes after the interval, Spartans, for the second time, opened up a two goal cushion. A bit of a dither in the home defence is never a good idea when the wiry Blair Atkinson is on your tail and the striker got in behind his man to cause chaos before the ball broke to Scott McCrory-Irving who had the easiest of tap-ins.

Then, clearly boosted by his earlier goal, Gregor Woods let fly, only to be left with head in hands as the effort shook the goal frame with the keeper a mere bystander.

On the hour, Colts sub Martin Wright had the ball in the net within minutes of coming on, but the stand-side linesman was on hand to raise his flag and rule it out.

A few minutes later, Colts double scorer MacPherson went down in the box with loud appeals for a home spot-kick echoing around the empty stadium. Those fell on deaf Ref ears, indeed, the man in the middle was so unimpressed, the booked him for simulation in the box.

It was jam packed five minutes or so and any hopes of a Colts comeback were totally dashed when Spartans went up the other end of the park and score their 5th of the evening.

Michael Bolochoweckyj winning back possession in the heart of his own half, his pass finding Scott McCrory-Irving who fed in Blair Atkinson who only had one thing on his mind as he raced into the penalty area before sending an unstoppable shot into the net.

That breath-taking chain of events all too much for the home dug-out with the Colts gaffer earning a yellow card for his remonstrations over the penalty claim.

With a quarter of an hour left, Spartans concluded their scoring for the evening. Scott McCrory-Irving sweeping the ball across the park to Gregor Woods who gave it some welly to grab his second of the night.

FT: Cumbernauld Colts 2-6 The Spartans

Spartans: Baines, Watson, Maxwell (Baur 80), Corbett, Woods (Tait 80), Atkinson (Grant 67), Jones, Brown, McCrory-Irving (Russell 80), Meekison (Murrell 55). Subs (Not Used) McFarland, Dawson