POSTAL ALC 9 - WESTEND UNITED 1 - DIV 2 NORTH

TEAM - 1. R.LAING. 2. S.CLARK 3. P.COUTTS. 4. M.STEER. 5. B.PATTERSON. 6. S.CARTER.

7. L.MACKIE. 10. L.BEATTIE. 8. S.ROBERTSON. 9. M.MACIVER. 11. R.LAW.

12. S.COTOVICI. 14. R.INSCH. 15. C.PATTERSON. 16. D.WOOD.

OPPOSITION MOTM – P.COUTTS

Postal took on, bottom of the table, Westend United in this Division 2 North league game at a chilly, but dry, Webster Park.

A combination of work, injury and holiday saw Postal without Frampton, Sheils, Cook and Davidson. With Insch just back from injury he took a place on the bench along with new signing Cotovici, leaving Postal without any recognised starting strikers in the lineup. Maciver and Law would prove to be able deputies.

Postal discussed starting quickly prior to the game, and did just that when they were awarded a penalty only one minute into the match. A well weighted through ball from Beattie sent Law into the box where he was crudely bundled over. A naïve challenge to make from the Westend defender so early in the match. Robertsonstepped forward to take the pen and slotted home low to the keepers right. 1-0.

Postal could have doubled their lead a minute later when good work from Maciver when he worked his way into the box on the Postal left saw the ball eventually drop to Mackie but his shot was blocked and sent to safety.

They didn’t have long to wait for the second though and it came only 3 minutes into the first half. A ball into the box was controlled expertly by Law 12 yards out. He took it down, shifted it to his other foot and slipped it under the body of the out running keeper. 2-0.

Postal were let off the hook on 9 minutes when Westend should have pulled one back. A

cross into the box was dropped by the keeper but luckily for Postal, when it fell to the striker’s feet he shot past the post with a toe-poke.

A minute later and Postal went three up. A cross from the Postal right was met by Maciverin the box who headed home for his fourth of the season. 3-0.

He should have got his second on 24 minutes when the Westend keeper kicked a bye kick directly to his feet but he took his shot early from about 18 yards out and it went past the post.

Some nice short passing around the Westend box by Mackie, Beattie and Law on 26 minutes resulted in a second penalty being awarded to Postal when Law was again bundled over. Robertson stepped up again and scored. The ref deemed a Postal player had encroached though and made him take it again. He made no mistake to strike home for his second of the match though. 4-0.

The game was over as a contest on 38 minutes. Good work by Maciver to drive into the box saw the ball fed to Law. His initial shot was saved but Beattie made no mistake to slot home the rebound and score his fourth of the season. 5-0.

The referee awarded the third penalty of the game on 40 minutes when he deemed Robertson to have handled in the box. It looked to the Postal sideline like it came off the midfielder’s chest but the pen was awarded. From the penalty, Laing made a good save, but again, the referee punished Postal’s Patterson, for encroachment and asked for a re-take which was scored. 5-1.

HALF TIME – POSTAL ALC 5 – WESTEND UNITED 1

The second half started fairly subdued from a Postal point of view. They never really got going until 15 minutes into the half when Patterson sent a good through ball into the right hand side channel for Carter to run on to. The defender, turned midfielder, kept his composure to slip the ball under the keeper for his first Postal goal. 6-1.

Ten minutes later and debutant signing Sergiu Cotovici scored his first goal for Postal after collecting a through ball from Law, keeping his composure and firing home low past the keeper. 7-1.

Ten minutes later he doubled his tally when good work by Postal’s Robertson saw the midfielder switch the play from left to right where he found Maciver. He then set-up Cotovici 12 yards out who, again, kept his composure to finish well, low, into the keeper’s right hand corner. 8-1.

Laing, in goal for Postal, made a good save on 35 minutes when the Postal defence were found napping and a Westend player went straight through, one on one with the Postal keeper.

The scoring was completed for Postal on 40 minutes when Law scored his second of the afternoon, and tenth of the season, low to the keeper’s bottom corner after he collected a long ball over the top. A good finish which sees him joint top scorer for Postal this season so far. A decent return from being predominantly playing midfield. 9-1.

A cross from the Postal left should have been converted on 41 minutes when the striker had an open goal to pass the ball into but he blazed it over the bar and the game ended soon after.

Overall a satisfying afternoon. Postal went into the game with a slight worry over who would score the goals with so many striking options missing but the boys who came in did really well. Well done.