Defeat tough to take for Pupils reduced to 10 men
Campbeltown Pupils took an early lead in their West of Scotland Football League clash with St Peter’s last Saturday but were undone by a second-half fightback by their visitors from Paisley.
Playing at Kintyre Park, and looking to turn the tables on a side that had beaten a depleted Pupils squad 5-0 the previous weekend through a flurry of late goals, the McFadyenssponsored Pupils took the lead within the opening minute.
Captain Keith Mitchell’s ball down the left channel found winger Scott Souden, who cut inside and rounded the far-advanced St Peter’s goalkeeper, way out of his penalty area, and tucked the ball home low from around 20 yards.
The first half was a well-contested affair, with chances at both ends, with the Pupils’ Lewis McNaughton and
Donald McCallum both going close with efforts at goal, while at the other end, St Peter’s continued to probe for an equaliser.
This arrived just a few minutes before half-time, albeit in rather fortuitous circumstances, when a low shot from the visitors’ centre-forward from just inside the box evaded the grasp of keeper Alasdair Ferguson.
Early into the second half, the Pupils found themselves 2-1 down after St Peter’s converted a penalty kick, skipper Mitchell having been adjudged to have brought down an onrushing midfielder.
Souden then had a good chance to double his and the Feather-sponsored Pupils’ goal tally after meeting Ryan Deans’ fine cross from the right-hand side of the box, but he couldn’t guide his cushioned header on target.
The Pupils played the last 25 minutes of the match with 10 men when Jamie Burns was sent off for a tackle which was not malicious but was late.
In believing that a goal-scoring opportunity had been denied, despite the foul taking place at least 40 yards from goal, the referee decided to show the Pupils defender a red card.
This numerical advantage eventually paid off for the visitors in the closing minutes as a long throw-in was flicked on into a gaping space inside the box where a St Peter’s midfielder calmly side-footed a low right-foot shot into the net beyond Ferguson.
It was a painful defeat for the Pupils, who acquitted themselves very well during the match and enjoyed spells of possession and pressure during the game, and in front of another healthy home crowd.
However, their more clinical visitors took their chances when they arrived and managed to keep at bay most Pupils attacks in the second half to take all three points from Kintyre.
Tomorrow (Saturday), the Pupils host Glenvale FC, another Paisley side, in league action.
Kick off is 2pm at Kintyre Park.
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