Match Detail

Salters versus Alba games are always played like a grudge derby game with plenty of verbal and tackles flying in from both teams. Regardless of how each team is getting on prior to these ties it has always been a close fought match and the first meeting of the 2008/9 season was no different. Both teams were fighting for the win from the very first whistle. Alba have started the season in indifferent form, however they welcomed back some key players for this game and were clearly up for it from the start.

Salters struggled to get any kind of passing and moving going in the first half. We did not get in to our usual fluent passing game and all credit to Alba they closed things down well and used the ball well themselves. Chances in the first half were rare and both defences were on top. Set pieces and long range shot were pretty much the only threat. Salters did take the lead though, with the only half decent move of the half. Salters played the ball out from the defence, through midfield and on to Danny Watson who played a great defence splitting pass through to Paul Nelson who raced clear, rounded the goalkeeper and rolled the ball home. Half time 1-0 to Salters.

The second half Salters had the sun in our eyes and wind against us as Alba did in the first half. With the height of the big centre midfield causing problems Alba put a lot of good balls in to dangerous areas and forced a succession of corners and free kicks. The closest they came to scoring was a free kick from 20 yards which deflected off Salters Richard Murray and on to the top of the cross bar. After seeing out a period of Alba pressure Salters went up the other end and earned a corner. Paul Nelson delivered an excellent ball in and Paul Milligan rose highest at the back post to thunder home a header. At last some breathing space for Salters and we finally started to pass the ball. We went 3-0 up after excellent work from Paul Nelson sent Richard Murray through; Richard lobbed the goalkeeper with his knee and effectively ended the game as a contest. Towards the end Salters played some better stuff and kept the ball better, however it was never really comfortable and we still didn’t get in to our stride. The full time score was Salters 3-0 Alba.

Plenty of crunching tackles some head to head arguments, a lot of verbal and many bookings sum up the commitment of both teams to win this match. Although it never really boiled over there was always something going on for the ref to sort out.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing was that despite not playing well Salters still beat one of our big rivals 3-0 and that can only be a good sign. Special mention must go to goalkeeper John Paget and the whole of the defence who were simply brilliant all day and despite being under pressure at times they never looked like conceding. We dealt with the threat of the massive Alba midfielder much better and Mikey Thomson had an excellent game doing a lot of the unselfish work marking the threat. Paul Nelson with one goal and two assists made the difference at the other end.

Best of luck to Alba, they will clearly take points from most other teams. Salters will have to get back to playing the way we can in the coming weeks, although if we keep get the 3 points that’s the main thing.

To sum up, a clean sheet, another three goals and most importantly another three points in the bag.

Well done lads.

Team: John Paget, Steven Illingworth, Ryan Newton, Michael Jones, Kris Murdoch (Darren Smith), Richard Murray (Steven Duncan), Shane Thomson, Mikey Thomson, Danny Watson, Paul Nelson, Paul Milligan (Stephen Brown). Subs not used: Dani Muir and Neil Wilson.