Young Pupils top of the table after win over Dumbarton
THE Campbeltown Pupils under-15s were playing at home this week against Dumbarton Yellows at the all-weather pitch in Campbeltown.
Both sides went into this game having a maximum of 15 points for their season so far having both won their first five games of the season. The Dumbarton side have until now had the better of this fixture as the Campbeltown team have never had a win against the Yellows.
The game got under way with the visitors having the best of the early play and they pressed the Pupils hard for the first 15 minutes making it hard for the Pupils to get out of their half.
Comfortable
As a result, the away team were looking much more comfortable than the home side and were awarded a number of free kicks in dangerous areas around the box but, with a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping by McKellar in the Pupils’ goal, the home team kept the visiting strikers at bay. And they were to see the game swing in their favour when the Pupils broke and saw Brown collect the ball on the 18-yard line before passing to Lang who struck it low to the keeper’s right into the net to give the Pupils the lead.
There were to be no more goals in the first half but there is no doubt that the goal changed the fortunes for the Pupils as they competed much better for the rest of the half and their confidence grew and finished the period the better side.
The second-half saw a much better start from the home side as they had much more fighting spirit in their performance and it was they who were now pressing the Dumbarton side. Their hard work paid off early in the second half when McBrayne took the ball to the right-hand corner of the pitch before swinging in a perfect cross to the head of Lang just inside the six-yard box and he headed the ball to the left of the goal for the Pupils’ and Lang’s second of the game.
Confident
The Yellows tried hard to get back into the game and although they did make chances the Pupils’ defence were now looking very confident and seemed to be coping with the away team attacking. And when the visitors did break through, keeper McKellar pulled off some brave saves to block the Yellows’ efforts.
Much to the anger of the away team’s coaches, the Pupils made it three when the referee pointed to the spot for an infringement inside the box. Ross Souden stood up to take it and kept a cool head to strike the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal giving the keeper no chance and giving the home side a convincing lead.
The away coaches were still furious with the decision and could not contain their anger, resulting in one of them being booked.
The Pupils could not have hoped for a better start to the second half as about 12 minutes into the period Souden collected the ball on the halfway line and made a fantastic run, dribbling round a number of Dumbarton players all the way to about eight yards from goal and, with a great strike to the bottom left corner, scored his second of the game.
Dumbarton were to get a controversial consolation goal when they scored from 10 yards but it looked as though the striker was well offside but the referee gave the goal for the game to finish 4-1.
This was the Pupils’ first victory over the Dumbarton side and leaves the Pupils clear at the top of the table with a perfect 18 points.