We start this post looking at new recruit Dylan Pooler, playing for Troon IRL having left Auchinleck Talbot in the summer. In game we have taken him off of Auchinleck’s hands. He is ranked as our 4th best player, but unfortunately for him Mark Burbidge is our best player
Mark is a fair bit better in most areas, with only First Touch, Decsions & Agility going with Dylan. As such he will be a bit part player this year unless there are injuries and the like.
Onto the game. East Stirlingshire still have a decent squad, although I can only see 15 first team players and 3 reserves for them now. The quality of their players is pretty useful, but they were on the wrong end of a 5-1 thumping from Queen’s Park.
We stick with the Gegenpress, though East Stirlingshire are playing the 4-5-1 which caused a few problems with attacking play last season. We have the much slower Control 4-1-4-1 if we have issues breaking them down that we can go to, or the 3-5-2 Wingbacks if we get a lead.
HT Civil Service 0 East Stirlingshire 0
A solid start, with East Stirlingshire pretty much all behind the ball. I’ve come to the conclusion that the issue with this Gegenpress (1 up top) against a very low-sitting team is we shoot from too far out, because its easier than trying to get through a wall of 9 outfielders. I will change to the 3-5-2 to see if 2 up top will give us something different from a crossing perspective.
FT Civil Service 2 (Mair 52, Lumsden 77) East Stirlingshire 2 (MacGregor 70, Allum 74) Att 139 (36 Away)
Straight away we looked more dangerous with the 3-5-2 and in the 52nd minute a cross from Scott Mackay found Burbidge, who passed inside to Mair who fired home. Then out of nowhere in the 70th minute East Stirlingshire equalised – pinball after a corner that wasn’t cleared let MacGregor in to finish and 4 minutes later a free kick wasn’t cleared and Allum was in the right spot to finish. All of a sudden we were 2-1 down. We went Attacking from Positive (We should have wrapped this up a long time before now) and 3 minutes after East Stirlingshire took the lead a Burbidge cross was volleyed home superbly by Lumsden. 2-2. And that’s how it finished. Really disappointing to be found out defensively by Set Pieces like this – guess what we will be doing in training in the coming weeks…..
On a brighter note we had 103 home fans turn up – We were in the 60’s last year so hopefully our league win has attracted a few more people to Christie Gillies Park. Next up is a bit game Away to Kelty 7-in-game-days-hence – See you then.