Postal ALC 6 - AC Mill Inn 1 - Div 1 North - Webster Park - 15th Feb 2025

Postal ALC, following a dramatic 2 – 1 loss to Cove Thistle the week previous, took on AC Mill In at Webster Park.  Webster park had been called off 3 weeks in a row however looked good for the encounter although soft underfoot.

Postal had struggled to beat AC Mill In in recent encounters with a heavy 7 – 2 defeat in the Semi Final of the league cup in the previous encounter.

Postal made one chance to last weeks starting line up, Sultan Ahmed dropped out of the first team and Duncan MacKenzie took the number 9 jersey following a great display and scoring against Cove from the bench.

Team Selection:

Grant Cormack

Bruce Webster

James Steele

Adam Veitch

Peter Frampton

Kieron Dowbekin

Doug Russell

Phillip Wallace

Alex Clarke

Steven Abel

Duncan MacKenzie

Bench:

Sergiu Cotovici

Duncan Paterson

David Finch

Sultan Ahmed

Harry McAuley

Allie MacRae

Postal Kicked off the encounter.

Postal started the brighter of the two teams and on the 2nd minute Duncan MacKenzie took the ball down and advanced with real purpose only to shoot well wide. 

On the 7th minute Postal would tale the lead, a ball into Duncan Mackenzie was laid off to Phillip Wallace who slipped in Steven Abel who slipped the ball past the keeper into the bottom right hand corner (keepers left).  Great one touch football and a great goal from Steven Abel who looked like he had just walked off muscle beach.

On the 10th minute AC swung in a free kick and won the first ball, luckily for Postal captain Steele was alert and cleared the second ball, which would have seen the previously offside forward onside in the second phase of the attack

15th minute Postal advanced up the field through Wallace, who played the ball into Duncan Mackenzie who in turn fed Steven Abel.  Abel, with a first time shot, slammed the ball home into the same corner of the goal as previous much to the joy of the Postal crowd.

5 minutes later Alex Clarke would play a long ball up the line to Abel who, lobbed the keeper into the top corner of the net. An unbelievable finish from Abel who was running riot.

On the 25th minute Phillip Wallace would be booked for a tackle. As would Dowbekin on 30 min.

Postal would go a further goal up on 33 min.  Long throw to Mackenzie, who flicked it up the field landed to the AC centre half.  In an attempt to play it back to his keeper, crashed the ball off his centre half partner, Abel pouncing on the mistake raced towards goal shooting off the goalkeeper.  The rebound landed to the feet of the tireless Doug Russell who lived every schoolboys dream and smashed the ball into the empty net.

Captain Steele following a head knock with Dowbekin was taken off the field of play to clear blood from his ear.

With Postal down to 10 men, AC launched the ball up front, Frampton took a heavy touch and number 7 drove toward goal.  Shooting the ball deflected to Bruce Webster who seen his clearance land to the feet of the AC winger who dispatched past Cormack.

36 min Duncan Mackenzie was booked for impeding the AC goalkeeper.

On the 39th min Duncan Mackenzie would pick the ball up 5 yards from the half way line and race towards goal shooting over the bar.  Great work on his own. 

40th min Mackenzie would hit the byline and cross to Wallace who would shoot over the bar. 

HT

At half time the Postal management team asked the team to continue to apply pressure and not take the foot of the gas.

On 49 min following a AC corner, Abel picked up the ball and raced down the entire length of the pitch, leaving everyone in his wake only to see the AC keeper save his shot. 

On the 50th min Abel again advanced down the left crossing for Doug Russell who seen his left foot drive go over the bar.

On the 55th min a scare for Postal, Dowbekin then Veitch had fresh air swipes and AC were in on goal only to see Cormack equal to the task. 

60th minute Dowbekin missed the ball to see number 12 advance on goal onto to shoot wide.  A real let off for Postal.

On the 61st min vice captain Clarke advanced up the field and played in Abel who slammed the ball home to score his forth of the game.

70th min Wallace had a pop shot from the edge of the box well saved by the AC goalkeeper.  

71st min Duncan P, Harry and Sully entered the field of play replacing Doug Russell, Duncan Mackenzie and Steven Abel

76th min Wallace would get the goal he deserved.  Postal corner was headed off and Wallace banged the ball into the net from 20 yards.  A moment of real quality.

80th Min Macrae comes on to replace Dowbekin. 

The final moments of the game seen Harry hold the ball up, lay it off to Duncan Paterson who fed in Sultan Ahmed who shot wide.  Great play and unlucky not to see Ahmed add to his tally for the season.

Man of the Match – Steven Abel

Substitutes Not Used – David Finch