2-8: M1s vs Grange 1s (Premiership) - 04/03/23

After a solid performance but disappointing exit from the Scottish Cup quarter final the previous weekend, the Hillhead Men’s 1st Team faced another trip east to face off against league leaders Grange. A daunting task, but with a top six place still up for grabs, the team had nothing to lose and went into the game feeling bold and ready for the challenge.

A solid start was dashed after not too long with a very generous first short corner award which subsequently had a rebound put away quick as a flash to put Grange 1-0 up, and it seemed the ball might start rolling. However, after some patient build up play Andrew Sinclair received the ball somewhere ahead of the half way line which meant only one thing on his mind: a Sincy Slider Slung Slickly, hopefully Slightly towards the Slircle. And this one was bang on, causing the defence all sorts of problems which allowed Jimmy Lynch Small the opportunity to nudge the ball through the legs of an unsuspecting Grange keeper. 1-1.

Parity didn’t last long though, and in a busy opening to the game Grange again found themselves ahead and Hillhead had work to do again. The forward line was up to the task though, with Ruari Thomson, Matt Carder and Jackson Corry-Duff all a nuisance for the Grange defenders, winning the ball numerous times. On one such occasion, the latter broke away with space ahead and found exactly the right pass to Carder, who slotted away calm from close distance to shock a Grange side that realised the game might not be as easy as they had expected. 2-2.

To put their minds at ease though, Hillhead were good enough to roll a between the legs back-pass straight to a Grange centre forward when (supposedly) attempting to clear out of the circle - a very belated Christmas gift, it seems, and Grange went ahead once again to make it 3-2.

Half-time. A really great and resolute performance, more than deserving of the current scoreline and perhaps unlucky to not actually be even at this stage - the team went out pumped and excited for a second half performance, buoyed by the inspiring leadership of player-coach Yan Adams.

Yellow card for Yan. 5 or so minutes into this second half against the best team in the league. For a flagrant and undeniable stopping of a quick free hit taken a metre from him. Perfect. And such is the devotion that Yan has inspired in the team that defender Dan Hoare sought to join him 3 minutes later, showing better defensive footwork than any Manchester United player from the weekend* to leave the team with 9 players.

Those 9 defended fantastically and Yan could scarcely believe when his time was up and he got back on with the home team still just one goal ahead an- 4-2 Grange. Not quite.

Grange then pulled away in the the third and then fourth quarter, scoring a lovely looping deflection, some more corners, and a sweetly hit tommahawk. Not one of those came from a dispossession of young Kyle Flockhart though, who controlled under pressure multiple times and is really starting to hit his stride.

MoM: Jimmy Lynch Small for a poacher’s finish rousing spirits early

DoD: Coach Yan for not leading by example