YOUNG GUNS NET VICTORY
Coupar Angus’ away league win over Letham rivals
Coupar Angus Juniors’ U19s enjoyed a welcome spell in the spotlight on Sunday as the recent cold snap meant the vast majority of the local football scene was placed into cold storage at the weekend.
The Foxhall Park youngsters travelled to Perth and triumphed 4-2 over a stubborn Letham Tangerines on the artificial surface at Seven Acres in DDYFA President’s League tie.
Coupar lined up with the same starting eleven which secured an emphatic home victory against Forfar West End the previous week.
The squad also included two players on trial – defender/midfielder Paul Bennett and striker/winger Olegs Polanskis – who would later pen deals with the club.
After nine minutes, stand-in striker Ross Campbell got his head on to a vicious Cammy McKinlay cross from a corner to steer the ball into the corner.
Letham equalised within a minute after a quick breakaway with direct football and, after three touches, had levelled the score.
After 23 mins, the home keeper had a rush of blood and came for a ball wide inside the box which was never feasible, and brought down McKinley.
Up stepped reliable stopper Fraser Matthews to clinically send the keeper the wrong way by placing his low drive into the right-hand corner.
For the remaining 20 minutes or so of the first half, Coupar totally dominated, restricted Letham to a few half-chances but failed to take any of their own.
Ross Campbell turned quickly in the box heading in to stoppage time, but saw his shot go past the post.
Coupar went into the second period knowing the next goal would be the most important.
After 47 minutes, Letham equalised with a carbon copy of their opener as the Fair City side’s striker cut across Coupar’s defence and dispatched his shot into the net.
In fairness to Letham they huffed and puffed for the next 20 minutes or so, and whilst not creating clear cut chances for themselves, they certainly knocked Coupar out of their stride for a short time.
In the game’s closing stages, the visitors’ fitness and ball retention took over and they then got a grip of the game and took control.
A switch to a 4-4-2 formation paid dividends for Coupar as striker Ross Campbell and midfielder Moray Robertson began causing the Tangerines no end of problems. Both were unlucky with close efforts.
Movement in the box from Campbell, Matthews and skipper Ryan Beedie pulled the Letham defence all over the place and on 72 minutes Matthews rose majestically at the back post to send a bullet header across the keeper into the corner of the goal from yet another trademark McKinley corner.
For the last 10 minutes, and with Letham visibly tiring, Coupar’s pace, strength and fitness told all over the park.
After 88 minutes Callum Cocker-Tough cut in from the left and sent a shot across the goal into the keeper’s left-hand side of the net.
McKinlay earned the coaches’ man of the match award for his display.
Team: Andy Smith, Paul Scott, Ryan Beedie, Fraser Matthews, Greig McLagan, Marc Pattullo, Cammy McKinley, Callum Cocker-Tough, Ryan Robertson, Ross Campbell, Moray Robertson. Subs used: Trialist, Scott McGechie.
The side’s next game is on Sunday this week away to Luncarty U19s in the quarterfinal of the DDYFA U19’s Maryfield/G Kerr Cup. It’s a 2pm kick-off, although the venue has still to be announced.