WoSFL Conference A

CRAIGMARK 4 ARTHURLIE 6

By Frank Cassidy

WHEN Arthurlie raced to a 2-0 lead it looked like another three points were safe.

The win was achieved but they had to overcome a home side that played their part in a tremendous 90 minutes’ entertainment.

Gary Smith gave Arthurlie the lead with a great piece of opportunism followed by a Dale Simeon strike to make it two.

With 20 minutes gone the script was written for another win..but the home side hadn’t read the script and levelled the match.

Steven Tan scored from the spot before player-manager Ryan Caddis fired a free-kick into the bottom corner in the 36th minute and it was all square.

While the home fans were still celebrating, Arthurlie regained the lead within 60 seconds with Simeon the creator this time.

He gathered a loose ball wide right of the defence before sending over an inviting cross which was met perfectly by Lee Roulston.

It might have been 3-3 at half-time but Ross McIver’s cross was inches away from Ryan Connelly who was in a dangerous position.

So five goals in 45 minutes…that couldn’t be repeated in the second half, could it?

Arthurlie hit the ground running and Tam McGaughey found Gary Carroll at the far post but he was quickly stopped in his tracks at the expense of a corner.

It was only half-cleared with McGaughey in a good position to find Simeon with a cross, but his header lacked power.

Caddis had been tormenting the defence with some powerful runs and set up Alistair Boyle, who shot just past, on the hour mark.

We now had a tremendous end-to-end contest developing and Nad Zeb, Simeon and Smith combined in an attacking move which won a corner.

Refereeing mistakes happen in matches, some for and others against you, but Arthurlie scored a legitimate goal which was chopped off.

Simeon found himself in the clear with ample time and space to score into the empty net – it stopped before it hit the net but was over the line!

To add insult to injury, a magnificent solo run and equally fine finish by Connelly made it 3-3 in the 73rd minute.

There was much more to come in this magnificent match as Darren Ramsey floated a free-kick into the box and Roulston beat everyone to head home.

Game over? No chance. Sub Andy McLaughlin controlled a ball with almost his first touch after coming on and scored an amazing chipped goal with his second.

Game over? If only. Craigmark came back yet again as Tan got his second goal of the match with a low shot on the box.

Everyone expected a grandstand finish but Arthurlie put paid to that idea thanks to a clinical finish by Smith after a Simoen pass in stoppage time.

Understandably, Craigmark were frustrated at having put so much into the match, scored four goals, but were to finish empty handed.

This manifested itself in two separate incidents which resulted in Caddis and James Lamont being red-carded.

Credit to the players who stayed on the park for a match which will be talked about for some time to come.

ARTHURLIE – Scott; Zeb, Ramsay, Pearce, Nolan (McFarlane 45), Leyden, Carroll (McLaughlin 80), Roulston, Smith, Simeon, McGaughey (Mackay 77)

Subs not used – Chalmers, trialist, Black (G/K)

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