VICS STORM TO VICTORY
Visitors make the most of gale-force conditions
PETERSHILL’S hopes of easing their relegation fears were blown off course on Saturday when they went down to a 4-3 defeat at home to Blantyre Vics in challenging circumstances.
For long spells, Martin Lauchlan’s men gave as good as they got against title contenders Vics but a strong wind, gusting down New Petershill Park, conspired to make a mockery of their efforts on a horrible day for football where three goals were farcically conceded.
In fairness, the conditions were the same for both teams and even the most ardent Peasy fan would admit their side enjoyed a wind-assisted goal of their own. However, Locky certainly felt that the lion’s share of the breaks went the way of the visitors.
“It was difficult out there and crazy at times, so both sets of players deserve the utmost credit for serving up such great entertainment,” he said.
“That said, my guys are disappointed at not taking anything from the game because no team should be beaten when scoring three goals at home, but how do you guard against two if not three fluke goals?
“Gibby has put together a very good side and I think they are certainties f o r promotion but Lady Luck’s smile was the difference between the teams today and it’s galling to think how often that happens when you are down battling for your lives in our position.
“Feeling sorry for ourselves won’t get us out of trouble so there’s nothing for it but to prepare to go again next week when Arthurlie come here.”
A hardy if windswept crowd were in attendance at kick-off and Blantyre, despite playing into the wind, were holding their own in the early exchanges with Simon Eeles, Ross Caldwell and Lewis McDonald catching the eye going forward.
But they were left ruing a short pass-back with 16 minutes played that allowed home striker Fraser Team a close-range shot at goal that was touched away by goalkeeper Kieran Bell, only for the resulting corner-kick by David Aubrey to be sublimely headed home by Roddy Patterson for 1-0.
Petershill created several near things but a failure to build on their lead proved costly just after the half-hour mark. Energetic Vics full-back Dale Jones advanced down the right flank and fired over a windassisted cross that flew over Peasy keeper Chris Henry’s flailing reach and into the net.
That high was followed by a low for visiting fans as McDonald pulled up with a hamstring strain before halftime and was replaced by John Cunningham.
The resumption saw Petershill take up the early running, and Patterson cutting goalwards from the right flank should have done better than to fire straight at Bell with two team-mates screaming for a cut-back just six yards out.
However, all was forgiven when the resulting cornerkick, taken short, led to Aubrey firing over a cross that was almost identical to Jones’ in the first half, and the ball swept high past Bell to put the Peasy back in front once again.
The cheering had hardly died down when Blantyre Vics won a corner at the other end of the pitch and Eeles fired over an inswinging beauty to beat Henry all ends up and level the scores.
The end-to-end action continued as Team set up Patterson but his six-yard drive was blocked by Bell and the clearance upfield led to the Lanarkshire outfit taking a 3-2 lead. Fraser Allan sent in a low cross and substitute Cunningham controlled the ball first-time before wheeling to tuck away a low shot.
The visitors doubled their advantage moments later in bizarre circumstances with an unceremonious punt upfield by Jones, who looked on from 70 yards out as the ball bounced high and was lifted by a strong gust over Peasy keeper Bell and into his unguarded net.
Petershill might have been understandably shell-shocked but they rallied again in the closing stages for Patterson to get the break of the ball and clip a shot high past Bell to round off the scoring at 4-3.
A delighted Blantyre gaffer John Gibson beamed: “Locky has Petershill playing so much better than they were earlier in the season, so to come here on a day when conditions were downright awful and to go away with all three points is a marvellous outcome.
“Yes, the wind played a part and both goalkeepers had an extremely difficult time of it with some of the goals scored a tad fortunate to say the least, but we are not complaining.
“That’s 13 league wins in a row now and we can only continue to take one game at a time and see whether we can accumulate enough points to get into the Premiership – that’s if there’s a Premiership to get into of course!”