We All Dream of a Team of Ross McCabes

Petershill FC 3 – 1 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Saturday 12th November 2011 Stagecoach WOS League Super Premier Division

A strong winter sun burned low in the sky over this top of the table clash between second-placed Petershill and league leaders Kirkintilloch Rob Roy at Petershill Park. With only one point between them at the start of the match it would be the Peasy to comeback from a goal down to leapfrog the Rabs and take top spot in the Stagecoach WOS League Super Premier Division.

This game was an interesting match-up of two differing philosophies. Both teams had struggled in the league last season with the Peasy needing to win a play-off to avoid relegation. Rob Roy changed their management team and the new boss, Jimmy Lindsay (an ex-Petershill player in their successful 1980s team), overhauled the team in the summer to the extent that only 1 player in their starting lineup today was a regular in the team last season. Petershill chose the different route and kept faith with their management duo of Willie Paterson and Scott Smith who in turn have kept their squad of players together with the heart of the team remaining unchanged. However they have managed it both teams have surprised many with their great start to the season.

Petershill were coming off the back of a bitter-sweet week having been knocked-out of the Emirates Cup on the Saturday then winning the Sectional League Cup two days later on the Monday. Such an effort from the players meant that their squad was being tested to the full and six changes had been made from the team that started the cup final. The Rabs also had selection troubles of their own as injuries meant they could only name two substitutes. 

The game started tentatively with Petershill lined up in a 4-4-2 with a diamond shaped midfield – Murch (6) dropping deeper and Green (8) sitting more advanced ahead of him. Up front McGregor (10) would drop deeper while top scorer McGladrigan (9) would make runs off the last defender. Rob Roy started with a 3-3-2-2 shape with their captain, former Rangers star, Marvin Andrews (4) sitting in the middle of 3 centre backs. Midfielder Cairney (5) dropped back to sit in front of the defence in the same line as wing backs McAleenan (3) and McLachlan (7). Two advanced midfielders and the strike pair formed two attacking lines up front. The result was that Petershill’s full backs had a lot of space and time to advance with the ball but the crowded Rabs defence limited their options.

The first half had a few half chances with shots over from Rob Roy’s strikers Mackie(10) and Gormley(9) but McNeill was not tested. Petershill had a lot of the possession but limited opportunities until 26 minutes in and McGladrigan and Andrews chased a through pass down the right hand channel. The Rob Roy defender appeared to clip the Peasy man who went down inside the box right in front of the linesman who flagged for a penalty. The referee agreed and Peasy had a chance to open the scoring. McGregor took responsibility to score at the opposite end from where he’d finished so well from the spot against Beith a fortnight prior. Unfortunately for the home fans his penalty kick was poorly hit and the Rabs goalie, Robertson, guessed the right way to save well - he even held onto the ball.

Spurred on by their keeper’s save Rob Roy duly opened the scoring eight minutes later. Chris Mackie received a pass just inside the Peasy penalty box on the left hand side of the ‘D’. With his back to goal he feigned to his right then twisted back to the left and fired a low drive with his right foot which beat the diving McNeil at his near post.

GOAL Petershill 0 Rob Roy 1 (Mackie 34)

Petershill had just the one chance to respond before half-time when Murch, Green and Palmer (3) combined well in a free-flowing passing move that resulted in Finnigan(11) getting the ball in some space 20 yards out before drilling the shot just wide of the Rab’s left hand post.

HALF-TIME Petershill 0 Rob Roy 1

The crowd was the biggest I have witnessed at Petershill Park with the stand full and plenty of fans from both sides also taking up standing positions around the pitch. The Peasy Ultras were out in force again and were in good voice. I had the opportunity to witness a “noise-off” across the years as the modern Ultras with drums, conductor and singing were pitched against one the Rabs fan’s 1920s style wooden rattler. For sheer noise the rattler was loudest although for longevity the sans-Megaphone Peasy Ultras were much more persistent. They also had added to their repertoire since the Beith game. My favourite was to the tune of The Beatle’s Yellow Submarine:

“We all dream of a team of Ross McCabes,

A team of Ross McCabes, a team of Ross McCabes”

With the verses going like “Number 1 is Ross McCabe, Number 2 is Ross McCabe, Number 3 is Ross McCabe” and so on.

Both teams emerged from the dressing rooms unchanged and would serve up a cracking second half. Rob Roy’s formation was different however. Their right wingback McLachlan now dropped back to be a more orthodox full back with Donnelly (6) moving to left back. Cairney and McAleenan still maintained a line just in front of the defence while Fulton (8) and Easton (11) shifted more to the right than in the first half. It gave the team a strange tilted feel and unfortunately for the Rabs it left McLachlan overly exposed to the Peasy attacks.

Six minutes into the half and McGregor burst through a tackle before a rush of blood to his head made his lash wildly from 35 yards sending the ball high, wide and handsome. However it was a statement of intent from the home side. Although it would be McGregor’s last involvement as he and Green were replaced 2 minutes later by Woods (15) and Dickson (14) respectively.  A switch  of wings for Burke and Finnigan and Petershill started to look much more dangerous. Demonstrated on 56 minutes when Richie Burke showed lovely touch as he dribbled past a few Rob Roy men down the left wing before hitting the by-line. His cross caused a scramble in the box which ended with a the ball being smashed off Dickson’s face from a few yards. The Peasy midfielder was down for a minute before being able to resume.

Rob Roy could have a penalty of their own as a corner on 58 minutes was drifted in from the right there was claims of a push on one of the Rabs’ strikers in the box. The ref waved claims away but Mackie complained too much and found his name being taken for a yellow card. Two minutes later and it was Peasy captain Ryan Jordan who was booked for mouthing off to the ref too.

The game was getting hotter as the air was getting chillier and on 62 minutes Mackie took the ball towards the right hand corner flag with Murch and McCabe following close behind. The striker jumped up in the air with a scream but it didn’t look like any tackle had been made. The linesman was right beside the incident and didn’t see anything wrong as Murch drove on with the ball. Mackie remained off the pitch while the physio looked at him for a couple of minutes. Immediately after however Fulton looked to take retribution himself with a wild tackle on Murch that could have easily been more than the yellow he received.

Sixty-seven minutes into the game and Petershill were level. Burke again dribbled down the left wing and found himself one-on-one with McLachlan on the left edge of the penalty box. The tall winger glided effortlessly round the full back and slid the ball into for McGladrigan to score his 18th goal in only 19 appearances this season. The Peasy striker looks set to break the 20 goal mark that has evaded him in previous seasons.

GOAL Petershill 1 (McGladrigan 67) Rob Roy 1

The home side were now well on top of the game and continued to cause Rob Roy’s defence problems. McGladrigan almost doubled his tally on 71 minutes when his low drive from the right beat the goalie before rebounding off the far post to be cleared by defender.

The second did come 32 minutes into the second half and it will be one that right back McLachlan will want to forget. Finnigan was released in space down the right wing but his deep cross missed both strikers. The Rob Roy man failed to clear at the back post and the ball ended up at the feet of the Peasy number 9 who’s shot was saved well by Robertson but it fell to Woods on the goalline to poke it home.

GOAL Petershill 2 (Woods 77) Rob Roy 1

Three minutes later and Petershill had wrapped the game up as a contest. A high ball upfield was allowed to bounce by Andrews who then failed to deal with it properly allowing McGladrigan to cut across him and advance into the box. He looked up and slipped the ball into the path of the supporting Dickson who swept the ball into the net for Petershill’s third goal.

GOAL Petershill 3 (Dickson 80) Rob Roy  1

Rob Roy were rattled by how quickly the game had turned in the home side’s favour and it could have been worse. McGladrigan again latched onto a mistake in the Rob Roy defence but Robertson saved his left foot volley from point-blank range. Woods then hit the post before Andrews was mugged by McGladrigan who shot when he should have passed. There was just time for Rob Roy almost to get one back in the last minutes when McNeil fumbled a through ball at the feet of Mackie. The Rab’s striker was harried out of the box by McNeil and lack of support meant the danger passed.

Full-Time Petershill 3 Rob Roy 1

The win took Petershill to the top of the league and having played 9 games we are nearly at the half way stage of the Stagecoach West Region Super Premier season. Results went their way with Irvine Meadow XI losing away to Pollok but the Ayrshire team still have 2 games in hand and are still able to go ahead of the Peasy if they win both of those.

With both Petershill and Rob Roy out of the Emirates and WoS Cups earlier than they’d have liked both teams can now concentrate on the league and who knows if they can keep their early form going. One thing is certain that both teams will continue to entertain.

I’ll even stick my neck out and say Stephen McGladrigan will break the 20 goal barrier and the Peasy Ultras will need to write a new song.

Petershill:

McNeil, Hadden, Palmer, McCabe, Jordan, Murch, Burke, Green, McGladrigan, McGregor, Finnigan

Subs: Black (GK), Turnbull, Dickson, Woods, McArdle, Barr, Maxwell

Rob Roy:

Robertson, Carter, McAleenan, Andrews, Cairney, Donnelly, McLachlan, Fulton, Gormley, Mackie, Easton

Subs: J. Lindsay, Lochhead