Monday January 5th 2015
Reporter Jim Dick
Newtongrange: Renton, McManus, Deland, Tolmie, Dunn, Thomson, Jamieson, Cherrie, K Renton, C King, M King Subs: Cropley, Swaney, Gillon, Amos
Penicuik: Bejaoui, Cunnison, McDermott, Young, White, Lister, Ross, McCulloch, McCallum, Gay, Jancyzk, Subs: McPartlin, Burrell, Dickson, Weir, Hill
Referee: Mr Peter Stewart
Penicuik travelled to New Victoria Park to play second placed Newtongrange Star in this East Super League match. The game was only minutes old when referee Stewart brandished the first of many yellow cards when Thomson was late with a tackle on Ryan Gay. The home side created the first chance when a cross by Renton was struck first time but deflected away for a corner. From the corner Cherrie got his head to the ball but his effort went well wide of goal. In the 8th minute a McCallum header from a Gay cross went past the post. In the 15th minute, a dangerous cross by M King into the Penicuik box saw Young control the ball on his own goal line and clear the danger. Three minutes later, Bejaoui was at full stretch to turn a Thomson free kick round the post. Then a Thomson free kick picked out Jamieson on the right. He got past McDermott but his excellent cross was missed by everyone and the danger cleared.
At the other end, Gay set up McCulloch in midfield. He drove forward at pace and shot from thirty yards only to see the ball go inches past Renton’s right hand post. In the 25th minute an inch perfect cross by Gay picked out Jancyzk. His header was net bound until keeper Renton somehow got fingertips to the ball to deflect it away and Dunn cleared the danger. In the 37th minute, Renton barged Lister in the back to gain possession and with no foul given crossed the ball into the box but the strike on goal went high over the bar. The home side took the lead one minute later when, following a corner, King’s strike on goal was toe poked past Bejaoui by Jamieson.
Forty seconds into the second half and a poor kick out by keeper Renton allowed McCallum to head the ball into the path of substitute Weir who volleyed the ball first time into the net from the edge of the penalty area, giving Renton no chance. In the 59th minute, with Newtongrange starting to apply pressure, a chance fell to Jamieson, but his strike went straight into the arms of Bejaoui. Minutes later, a Penicuik free kick caused problems for the Star defence, but McCallum’s strike was well covered by Renton in goal.
In the 69th minute, a slick move by the home side set up Renton, but Bejaoui was quick to dive at the striker’s feet and avert the danger. Five minutes later, a Cunnison cross into the heart of the Star defence was headed by McCallum, but Renton saved comfortably. In Penicuik’s next attack, Renton came to the rescue when he was at full stretch to save a McCallum twenty five yard strike. In the 83rd minute, that man Jamieson came close with another right foot shot that went narrowly wide of Bejaoui’s right hand post. In the 89th minute, came a moment of controversy when Dunn clearly handled the ball inside the box, but referee Stewart ignored the claims and waved play on.
Two minutes into injury time, with everyone expecting the final whistle and a share of the points, Deland got round the back of the defence. Penicuik stopped, claiming the ball had gone out of play, but Deland crossed the ball over and danger man Jamieson was there to slot the ball home for the winner. In a game where there was not one bad foul, it is difficult to comprehend why there were eleven yellow cards shown.
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