Derek Hall’s report on the Leith Athletic v Tweedmouth Rangers game on Tuesday 17th August

Leith Athletic 4-0 Tweedmouth Rangers

A top versus bottom clash at Peffermill in the EOS Conference A between unbeaten Leith and a Tweedmouth side still looking to get their first point on the board. The home side got off to the perfect start and were ahead on two minutes as Kayne Paterson and Rhys Dixon challenged for the ball on the edge of the Rangers penalty area and the loose ball fell to Martin Maughan who got the ball onto his left foot before firing crisply past Danny Fletcher in the Tweedmouth goal from around fifteen yards. Four minutes later Craig Colquhoun fed Craig Bell for the visitors but the return pass to send the Rangers No3 in just failed to come off and Colquhoun was involved again a minute later as he just overhit a pass down the right flank to Miguel Friere. On eleven minutes, Paterson worked a nice one two with Brodie MacKenzie but on the angle his chip to the far post went a yard over as the home side looked to stretch their lead. Bell then cut in from the left wing and his low 24 yard drive had home keeper Kyle Rankin diving low to his left to make the save. A Cummings pass to Colquhoun then saw the Rangers no3 try to catch Rankin off his line from around 45 yards but the ball drifted well wide and he then sent Bell into the box but the strikers 16 yard drive was lashed wide at the near post when he really needed to go across the Leith keeper. On 21 minutes, a lovely passing move ended with Bell finding Regan Graham whose 17 yard right foot drive brought out a magnificent save from Rankin who dived full length to his right to turn the ball round the post when an equaliser looked a certainty, and the visitors at this point were the team on top. At the other end, Maughan and Paterson combined well and only a good block by Dixon prevented the home side creating a very decent chance. On 23 minutes, Bell found Graham at the back post and his 9 yard drive was blocked by Rankin and the rebound was clipped to the back post by Graham only for Friere to hammer high and wide but once again the visitors were causing real problems for the league leaders. A Jack Forster shot was blocked and when the ball landed at Bell’s feet, the Rangers striker was offside. Leith responded on the half hour with a MacKenzie 30 yarder which was well off target before the first caution arrived soon after as Bell caught keeper Rankin a bit late on the edge of the Leith box trying to get on the end of a Graham pass and was promptly cautioned by referee Andy Gamble. A minute later, a casual touch by keeper Rankin almost had Bell right on top of him again inside the box, but the ball was scrambled clear and at the other end, a poor pass from Craig Heath had MacKenzie in for the home side but a great block from Dixon denied the striker. Right on half time, Craig Hume played out from defence for Leith and found Maughan who quickly fed Keith Murray on the wing and when his cross arrived in the box, Hume had run the full length of the park but his header looped up into the air and was gathered a yard out by keeper Fletcher. At the break then, the home side being ahead wasnt entirely unexpected, but spending a good deal of the first half on the back foot as an energetic and enterprising visiting side took the game to them at every opportunity certainly was, and all the plaudits in the first half went to the young Tweedmouth side.
Robinson and Baverstock were on at the interval for the visitors who clearly were looking to keep up their first half momentum with some fresh legs, but it was Murray Hand for the home side who had the first chance with a 30 yard left foot drive which saw keeper Fletcher diving to his left to make a confident save and he was involved a minute later to grab the ball just in front of Maughan at the edge of his box. On 50 minutes, MacKenzie was far from happy with a Dixon challenge inside the centre circle, but referee Gamble contented himself with a warning for the Rangers man. However a minute later, Maughan was pulled down as he raced towards the Rangers penalty area and Evan Smith could have no complaints at all about his yellow card. James Redpath floated the free kick to the back post and the ball dropped to Kerr Allan who saw his ten yard drive blocked by the boot of keeper Fletcher and Leith already looked a lot livelier at the start of the second period. Another careless Tweedmouth clearance then saw Redpath find Paterson and his first shot was blocked by Fletcher with the ball then spinning off the striker and going behind. Ten minutes in, Leith brought on Jay Watson and Robbie Walker for Redpath and Murray and almost immediately they were two goals ahead with a somewhat fortunate goal as a shot from the edge of the box from Walker deflected off the leg of Adam Mutch and past Fletcher who looked to have the original shot covered, a tough break for the visitors but the substitution had done the trick for the home side. On 69 minutes, Tweedmouth replaced Bell with Khasim Mdlasini before Rangers Dixon was then cautioned for a fairly robust challenge in midfield on Watson and at this point referee Gamble had a quiet word to calm down the visiting technical area. The game was now heating up and on 66 minutes, Shaw of Leith was next in the book for a challenge from behind on Friere right in front of the dugouts before Hume showed real composure as he calmly defended the edge of the Leith penalty area with Robinson right there looking for any mistakes. On 68 minutes, Hand played in Maughan and his goal bound shot deflected off Heath bringing out a brilliant save from Fletcher who made the adjustment and threw himself to his left to turn the ball behind. The corner was blocked again but before the set piece was delivered, keeper Fletcher fell to the ground clutching his ankle and Leith striker Paterson was immediately red carded by referee Gamble for a stamp and the home side were a man down. On 72 minutes, MacKenzie of Leith joined the ever growing crime count after a foul on Mdlasini brought out the yellow once more just before an excellent cross into the Leith box saw Robinson completely miss his header no more than six yards out and a great chance had gone begging. Maughan almost made the visitors pay right afterwards as he sprinted into the Tweedmouth box and only a fantastic last ditch tackle from Heath prevented the striker getting his second of the match. However with 81 minutes gone, Leith were sensationally reduced to nine men as Shaw picked up his second yellow for another foul on Friere which prompted some fresh legs for the home side in the shape of James Henderson and Michael Barfoot coming on for MacKenzie and Robertson. Four minutes from time, Dixon had an ill advised long range effort from fully 30 yards which he dragged wide with the other supporting players from the visitors showing their frustration at that decision, and to compound their misery, the frightening pace of Maughan then saw him race away from the halfway line and into box before calmly slipping the ball past Fletcher from fifteen yards to finally kill the game. The drama wasn’t over though and with a minute left, referee Gamble then sent a member of the Leith coaching staff from the dugout after showing the third red card of the evening. This was followed almost immediately by a coming together between Hume of Leith and Robinson of Tweedmouth and the result was a Leith free kick and two further yellow cards. Two minutes into stoppage time, Maughan again picked up, this time coming in from the right and he showed lovely balance to step inside his defender before then rounding Fletcher and completing his hat trick from about twelve yards, finishing off the scoring in what had been a lively contest to say the least. Another win and another clean sheet for the home side will keep the Leith faithful happy but this was far from the well oiled machine which this team have been for the first weeks of the season but to win on an off day is said to be the mark of a good side. Tweedmouth are a young side who showed no fear at all whilst taking the game to their well fancied opponents and for them to be sitting bottom of the league with no points after a really decent performance like this one leaves me, and I suspect many others present, scratching their heads.