Match Detail

Salters travelled to face last season’s double cup winners Currie not really knowing what to expect. In the end we came away with all three points in a battling performance in terrible conditions.

Salters kept the same starting eleven that beat Edinburgh Thistle the week before. Starting the match playing into the huge wind we knew it was going to be a difficult half for us and set up stall not to concede a goal. JP in goals was struggling at times to get bye kicks past the 18 yard line so we were camped in for a lot of the game. The first half chance however fell to Salters, Steven Faughnan over hit the through ball to Paul Milligan and it gave the goalkeeper a chance to get their first and he was able to clear the danger. At the other end Currie were using the wind and playing some decent balls into the box. One delivery forced Kevin Cornwall into a last ditch clearance attempt which smashed off the post and out again. Currie had a couple of other half chances however the ball keep catching the wind and going out of play. Despite long periods of pressure there weren’t any clear cut chances as both teams struggled with the conditions. So half time Currie were on top but the score remained 0-0.

The second half kicked off and early on Currie played some decent stuff as the wind died a little. However as the play went on Salters got more involved in the game and started to make our own chances. A great delivery from the left hand side was headed goalwards by Shane Thomson; it looked a certain goal but the goalkeeper produced a magnificent save to push it round the post. Shane was unlucky again not long after, a scramble in the box and two or three attempts by Salters before Shane rose highest and again headed the ball in the corner, again somehow the goalkeeper managed to claw it out. At the other end Currie had a couple of decent chances, a header across goal was brilliantly tipped round the post by John Paget and late on JP was again called into action as he rushed from his line to save brilliantly at the feet of the forward on the 18 yard line. Blair Mathewson was sent clean through by Paul Milligan and looked composed and ready to get a goal, however the young wingers shot went miles over the bar and cleared the buildings behind the goal. The winner for Salters did come however and it was down to hard work and composure by Blair. Chasing down the full back deep in his own half, Blair won the ball and squared for the on coming Paul Milligan. Paul hit it first time and despite the best efforts of the goalkeeper the ball spun up and into the top corner. Huge sighs of relief from the players as the hard work had paid off.

This was an excellent game of football. Two teams really going all out to win a game and despite the terrible wind it was a decent game to watch. Currie look like a strong side and gave us a really good test, they were at times as good as we have faced so far. At times in the first half we could barely get out our box but we were much better in the second half and created a few decent chances. We defended magnificently and at the other end we managed to get the goal that mattered.

Well done everyone and best of luck to Currie.

Team: John Paget, Kevin Cornwall, Steven Illingworth, Ryan Newton (Kris Murdoch), Niall Malone (Darren Smith), Steven Faughnan (Blair Mathewson), Shane Thomson, Michael Jones, Stephen Brown, Paul Nelson, Paul Milligan. Subs not used: Dani Muir, David Jamieson.