POSTAL ALC 4 - FEUGHSIDE 2 - DICKIE TROPHY QUARTER FINAL

TEAM - 1. R.LAING. 2. S.CARTER 3. P.COUTTS 4. M.STEER. 5. B.PATTERSON. 6. S.STUART. 7. L.MACKIE. 8. A.TAYLOR. 9. P.FRAMPTON. 10. R.LAW. 11. R.INSCH. 12. L.BEATTIE. 14. M.MACIVER. 15. G.DAVIDSON. 16. D.WOOD. 17. C.PATTERSON

OPPOSITION MOTM – N/A

Postal arrived at a wet and windy Webster Park to take on Div 2 East Feughside in this Dickie Trophy Quarter Final.

Postal made a number of changes from the recent BSFC defeat. Coutts came back in at left back, Stuart went out to right midfield, Mackie to left midfield with Insch coming back in up front.

Feughside had the first chance of the half on 2 minutes. A pass from Law to Coutts was't controlled by the defender. Feughside broke quickly down the Postal left and sent in a cross which was met on the edge of the box but sent over the bar and wide of the Postal goal.

The game was fairly even for the first 15 minutes with both sides struggling to get a foothold (literally at times).

It was the away side who took the lead on 15 minutes. A long ball down the middle of the Postal defence saw Patterson sclaff his attempted headed clearance. When the ball fell to the Feughside forward he did well to slam high into the Postal net from outside the box. Impressive finish and not a lot keeper Laing could do about it. 0-1.

Almost straight from the kick off Postal had a decent chance to equalise. Frampton drove with the ball into the Feughside box on the Postal right, but with Insch screaming for the pass inside on the 6 yard box, he elected to take the shot which went over the bar.

Postal were denied a penalty on 18 minutes when Mackie was bundled over in the box but the referee waved play on.

Postal equalised on 21 minutes. A corner from Postal wasnt cleared properly by the away defence and when Stuart crossed in from the right, Frampton continued his impressive recent scoring form by knocking home at the back post. 1-1.

On 36 minutes Laing kept Postal in the game by making a decent save after a Feughside forward skipped by the Postal defence unchallenged.

Postal also had a lucky escape on 42 minutes when the Feughside number 9 collected the ball just outside the Postal 6 yard box on the Postal left. Terrible marking from the Postal defence and lucky that the forward pulled his shot wide.

HALF TIME - POSTAL ALC 1 - FEUGHSIDE 1.

The second half didn't start to plan for Postal when they conceded an early goal 5 minutes into the half. A free kick wide on the Postal right was sent in to the 6 yard box where an unmarked player headed past Laing. Poor goal from a Postal defence that rarely lose goals from set pieces it must be said. 1-2.

The rest of the half was spent with Postal trying to get the elusive equaliser. Feughside rarely troubled the Postal defence but Postal were struggling to find the back of the net with the referee seeming to blow for offside every time the Feughside players shouted.

With time beginning to run out, Postal were eventually given a route back into the tie when Beattie (on for Steer) was taken down in the away box. Frampton stood up to the plate and fired past the Feughside keeper to equalise. 2-2.

With the game looking like it was going into extra time, Postal took the lead 40 minutes into the second half. With Postal down to ten men with Mackie off the pitch getting treatment to a cut head Postal were awarded a free kick on the Postal right. It was sent into the box and with the ball bouncing about in the 6 yard box, captain Patterson poked it low into the left of the Feughside keeper and into the net. 3-2.

Postal were attempting to just "see the game out" at this point but sealed their place in the Semi on 43 minutes when a short throw out from the Feughside keeper on the Postal right was latched onto by Maciver (on for Stuart). He spotted the keeper off his line and sent the ball high over the keepers head from around 30 yards out. Great goal. 4-2.

Overall a really heartening result for the Posties today. 2020 hasn't started well with a lot of question marks being labelled about the player's bottle. They answered that today with a tremendous battling performance showing good character to come back twice from behind to take their place in the Semis. Well done.