Postal ALC 1 - Cove Thistle 4 - Div 1 North - Webster Park - Sat 14th Sep 2024

TEAM - 1.  Grant Cormack 2. Adam Veitch 3. David Russell 4. Steven Carter 5. Andrew Baxter 6. Steven Abel  7. Euan Brechin  8. James Steele 9. Kash Ahmed 10. Alex Clark 11. Jackson Bennett 12. Duncan Mackenzie 14. Bruce Webster 15. Harry Macauley 16. David Finch 17. Tomas Traca

OPPOSITION MOTM – Euan Brechin

After defeat last Saturday in the Scottish cup Postal ALC welcomed Cove Thistle in the league.  The two sides had met only a couple of weeks earlier in the league cup with Postal coming out on top in extra time so a tough encounter was anticipated following Coves near flawless start to the season.

Following last weeks result the management team changed personnel in the line up, Luca G, Alli Macrae and Scott Stuart unavailable, Postal welcomed Steven Able, Alex Clark and Kash Ahmed into the match day squad.

The game kicked off and from the get go Cove went onto the attack with their wingers pressed up against the Postal full backs.  With the Postal defence man for man on 5 min a long ball over the top of the Postal defence, evaded Andrew Baxter, and the Cove number 9 had a shot which went well wide. 

The Postal defence reorganised pulling in the midfield and the game began to be a battle in midfield for supremacy.  An even contest, Cove were awarded a penalty on 15 min, when Steven Carter was adjudged to have pulled the shirt of the Cove forward on 15 minutes.  Number 9 stepped up and dispatched well against Cormack in goal.  0-1

Postal almost equalised when a James Steele freekick into the box found Euan Brechin on 16 min, the tall midfielder couldn’t get a true contact with the ball and when struck squirmed past Kash Ahmed and Alex Clark and cleared. 

On 21 min Jackson Bennett drove in from the Postal right passing 4 Cove players before seeing his shot well saved from the Impressive Cove Thistle keeper. 

On 25 min Cove Thistle made a change swapping out number 10 who was injured.  28 min the substitute with literally his first touch of the ball had scored with a header at the back post.  The goal came from some good wing play from Cove down the Postal right, with the cross not able to be shut down the ball went back post to find the Cove substitute all alone and he produced a great header to send the away side 2 up.  0-2.

Substitute – Duncan MacKenzie for Kash Ahmed

32 min slack play from Russell on the Postal right seen him play a short pass to Baxter who was caught out and on strode the Cove thistle forward through on goal only to see his shot well wide. 

34 min Postal began taking the ball direct from the keeper, this resulted in some good interplay between the lads and resulted in a foul on the Postal right.  The resultant free kick was met by Veitch however his goal was chopped off for offside. 

38 min the game would become an uphill struggle for Postal.  A ball into Duncan Mackenzies feet was intercepted, tracking back the big striker fouled the defender in frustration and the number 9 for cove would dispatch the free kick into the top right hand corner of the net.  0 - 3

39 min a near carbon copy of the incident previous, a Russell short pass to Baxter seen Cove through on goal again…..again the shot went wide.

Postal received a life line when on 41 min a low Steele cross was met by Veitch at the back post to see the defender claim his second goal of the season. 1-3

45 min the Postal bench were positive of another goal when they seen Mackenzie race through in goal following an excellent Steele through ball.  Unfortunately the big striker fluffed his lines and the score remained 1 -3

46 min Jackson had a free kick off the wall as the referee called half time.

Half Time - Postal ALC 1 – Cove Thistle 3

Tomas Traca replaced David Russell at half time, with Andrew Baxter going to left back to give the team more attacking options. 

On 50 min a Baxter free kick was met by Alex Clark at the back post who nodded down to Mackenzie.  5 yards out with the goal at his mercy the big striker blazed over the bar. 

The game was a fairly even contest with Postal enjoying good possession however neither team had any clear cut chances until 70 min when a Clark free kick was tipped onto the bar. 

77min a long ball into the heart of the Postal half seen Tomas leap to clear the ball.  Stuck under the ball the defender mistimed his clearance and this then seen Carter in a foot race with number 9.  Carter pulled the striker back, who then went onto finish.  The ref pulled the game back for a foul and sent the Postal Centre half off. 

Postal left the same formation, leaving 3 at the back and were punished for this shortly after.  Tomas one and one with the Cove forward made an excellent challenge however the ball broke to Cove who played in number 7 who smashed the ball past Cormack. 1 – 4

87th minute an excellent through ball from Able seen Mackenzie shoot from the byline into the side netting.  

Full Time.

Overall the scoreline is perhaps an unfair reflection of the game.  Postal were right in the game, played some great combinations when the ball was on the deck and had some real quality going forward.  Cove Thistle took their chances and didn’t make any errors in defence.  The effort and quality from the week previous was like night and day.  With the same application the results will come.