Uddingston show some class against plucky Arran
Arran Ladies 0 Uddingston 3s 10 West District League Div 3
Arran Ladies played host to the young ladies of Uddingston 3s last Saturday in glorious spring sunshine in the West District League division 3 game.
Captain Jenny Crockett led her team Mia Walker, Suzi Haddow (goalkeeper), Bella Reid, Dawn Lyle, Susie Murchie, Lynda Fenton, Marie Craig, Kayla Hewie, Meghan McCartney and mum and daughter combo Faith McKelvie and Annie McKelvie.
The visitors showed their training skills in super 1-2-3 set piece passing throughout the game. With their coach on the sidelines calling encouragement and instruction, Arran were under pressure from the first whistle.
However, Arran played well defensively, and some superb clearing saw the ball travel out wide and then passed into space for the forwards to collect.
During the first half, Uddingston managed to sneak in three goals, one through a short corner with the other two due to relentless rebound collecting.
Arran were not without their own chances, with a hard hitting strike from Lynda only just being deflected wide by the pad of the Uddingston goalkeeper and a well-versed penalty corner attack by Susie sadly just missing the mark.
It was such an engrossing game both umpires lost track of time and ran over the quarter break and even half time! ‘I have never enjoyed watching a game so much,’ said Arran umpire Pauline Reid. ‘With the fluid play up and down the field and good-hearted banter between the teams at moments of comedy, it has been a joy.’
One accident on the pitch was the only dark patch on the game, when young Annie McKelvie clashed heads with the Uddingston captain which took both of them off their feet and they crashed to the ground.
The umpires stopped time and mum Faith rushed to Annie’s side to ascertain the damage. Sitting up and saying she would like a few minutes off the pitch to recover herself, Annie was bravely back on the pitch a short time later resuming her position and attacking the opposition goal area.
She is going to have a real shiner which her mum said she was ‘quite proud of’.
With the new members of the team getting some more game experience Jenny Crockett said: ‘The score did not reflect the effort and performance of this newly-formed team. ‘This was an ideal training opportunity to bring on this development team against an experienced 3rd division team. ‘The defence did a great job holding back the constant attacking pressure from the visitors and Dawn Lyle as left back was awarded Dame of the Game for her outstanding defensive game.’ Arran are once again at home this weekend, but on Sunday March 13 with an 11.15pm pushback at the Ormidale astroturf.
All supporters would be greatly appreciated as their encouragement from the sidelines means a lot to the team players.