Match Report
Match Report - 21 Sep 2019, Dunfermline City Hockey Club Dunfermline City First Team drew with Reivers
City went into the first game of the season with high hopes of a victory against a team which they had a couple of battles with last season.
Due to the lack of facilities at Woodmill – our home game against Reivers was played at Kinross.
City welcomed Pat Forrester to the side – and had a pretty solid line up out – despite the late no show from James Spreng City still had 12.
City lined up with Brown in goal, Al Green RB, Fleming and Mitchell in the centre and Buchanan LB. Campbell started RM, Cromb and Forrester in CM and Rintoul wide left – this left Santi and Miller as the duo up top.
The game started well for City – with Miller having a shot at goal saved with the umpire playing advantage after a short corner should have been awarded.
Miller then managed to beat the last defender only to be blatantly taken out – for what we thought would be a short corner only for the away umpire to state that it was the defender that got a touch to the ball before Miller hit him and it was a free hit to Reivers!!
Both teams were fairly even – Reivers had a couple of short corners in the first half while City were given no decisions in attacking areas at all.
City almost scored when Miller drove into the D from the left and squared to Creag Campbell – who unfortunately with the keeper beat lost the ball under his stick – and the chance was gone.
Reivers closest chance was a short corner cleared of the line by Mitchell. Mitch also received the first card of the game – when he was penalised for Broonie shouting something which the umpire heard incorrectly – he presumed it was Mitch so sent him off for a couple of minutes.
Into the second half – City again looked more dangerous from open play – Rintoul played Miller in wide left – and again Miller drove into the D and played the ball perfectly to Santi – with the open goal at his merci – the striker could only push the ball on to the post – it was turning out to be one of these days for City.
Rintoul was green carded for some unknown reason – again taking City down to 10 men – and this was around the time Reivers started to get awarded short corner after short corner. One of them was an excellent tackle by City which was leading to a counterattack only to be given a short. Another was because Cunniffe put the ball where the foul had been committed – and the umpire decided he was throwing the ball away!!! He was not – he clearly put the ball where the foul was – apparently this decision was for the umpire to make and not Colin.
Fleming was played 5 balls through to Miller from 16’s all lifted but only one should have been deemed dangerous – but all bar 1 of them there were no players were in between Miller and the ball……apparently todays rule was you weren’t allowed to play a lifted ball.
Fleming then saw Green taking City down to ten again – not sure what the reason was for this again.
City should have tied the game up when Miller should have scored – but instead of lifting the ball high when in front of goal he went low and the keeper saved. Santi also ripped through the defence at one point but just failed to keep the ball in play to play the ball across.
City did win a short corner in the second half, but it came to nothing.
In the meantime, Reivers had by the end of the game wasted around 30 short corners. Brown made a couple of saves – Andy Buchanan had a fine clearance – but there was not one clear cut chance made by Reivers in the game all their chances came from short corners the majority of which were what City felt were dubious awards.
Late in the game Miller in trying to win the ball back – just missed the ball and managed to avoid the man – was told by the away umpire to stay of the park for what he deemed a “sinister” challenge – yellow card – (never in a million years – wasn’t even a foul) – City were down to ten again.
Santi was next Yellow carded. The umpire unsighted when a Reivers player went down – chose to blow the full-time whistle while at the same time Carding Santi – he told Santi that he had thought about issuing a red – despite again there being absolutely nothing in the tackle.
City should hold their heads high on a day the ball just didn’t break for them in front of goal. Reivers were a good side and played well – and with what felt like 12 men on the park against 10 for City at times they had the upper hand – but City never let this get to them. If this had been last season their would have been friction – but we behaved ourselves throughout.
We feel there should never have been any cards in what was a clean but tough game. City as stated had the better clear-cut chances – but weren’t clinical enough. Reivers will go home wondering how they never converted one of their 30 short corners.
There were a lot of good performances – Forrester and Cromb linked up well in midfield – Iain, Alan, Neil, Andy and Colin all did well at the back. Creag put in a power of work wide right as did Rintoul wide left. Miller and Santi linked up well – but there was no killer finish today – other days there would have been 2 or 3 goals. While Brown was unbeatable in goal.
Next up for City a trip to Stirling to play Stirling Wanderers.
Dunfermline City Hockey Club Dunfermline City First Team 0 - 0 Reivers