POSTAL ALC V MONYMUSK - SATURDAY 21st Sep

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

6. S.CARTER. 7. A.TAYLOR. 8. S.ROBERTSON. 9. C.MACANESPIE. 10. R.LAW.

11. C.SHEILS. 12. C.COOK. 14. C.PATTERSON.

This Div2 North game saw Postal arrive at Webster Park with no fewer than 12 signed players unavailable for a variety of reasons. Manager Patterson put the sub suit on for the first time (and hopefully the last) this season along with the returning Cook on the bench.

Chris Sheils made his first start of the season upfront, Coutts and Steer returned to the defence, Law and Taylor returned to midfield and Carter moved from his usual right back slot to right midfield.

Postal started the game slowly in the first 15 minutes, perhaps understandably given the amount of changes from last week.

Only 2 minutes into the game and Monymusk missed an absolute sitter. With Postal shouting offside, Postal keeper, Laing, keep to collect the ball in the box but when he dropped it at the Musk player it looked like Postal would go behind. Luckily for Postal the player put the ball past the post.

On 6 minutes, Postal hit the woodwork. A good run down the right from Clark saw the ball played into Carter in the box who swivelled and shot but the strike hit the post and away to safety.

Sheils was sent through on the keeper on 18 minutes from a big punt down the pitch from Laing. Unfortunately his shot went over the bar.

On 22 minutes, with Postal starting to dominate, a corner from Sheils was headed just over the bar by Clark.

Postal had control of the game at this point but on 31 minutes conceded the opening goal. Coutts went to intercept the ball but when he missed it, it left the Monymusk number 7 the easiest of tasks to fire in a cross which the unmarked number 9 did well to fire past Laing. 0-1.

Credit to Postal, they kept at it and were rewarded when Coutts celebrated his return to the starting 11 with a goal. He collected a clearance from the away defence, deep in the Monymusk half, and strode straight through the heart of their defence to fire past the keeper. Good goal. 1-1.

HALF TIME - POSTAL ALC 1 - MONYMUSK 1.

The second half was a high scoring roller-coaster with both teams scoring goals, gifting goals, taking and losing the lead at times.

Postal started this half really well and created their first chance a minute into the half when Macanespie was sent in one-on-one with the keeper. Unfortunately he saw his shot go just wide.

Postal took the lead 2 minutes later though when a good Sheils corner was met by Robertson to head Postal into the lead. 2-1.

The lead was short lived though. With Postal defending their box the ball was sent into the feet of a Monymusk player with Clark closely shadowing him. The attacker seemed to lose his balance and went down. Then, much to everyone watchings utter bemusement the referee blew for a penalty. No claim at all from any of the away side and the on-watching Postal sideline were raging with the decision. The Monymusk number ten duly dispatched. 2-2.

The decision to award the pen seemed to unsettle Postal and their good start to the half was lost as they looked a bit ragged for the next 5 minutes.

It wasn't long, after that though, before they were back in the lead when a great ball from the Postal left by Taylor was controlled by Macanespie and he sent a daisy cutter from the edge of the box low past the keeper. 3-2.

Postal were looking really strong at this point and there only looked like there would be more goals coming.

They were given a warning on 20 minutes though, when the number 7 got in behind the Postal defence. Luckily for Postal the number 9 sent his shot over the bar from the resultant cross.

On 24 minutes a bad miss from Robertson when a chipped free kick from Taylor was headed off target and past the post when it looked easier to hit the target.

Very similar to the first game against Monymusk then staged a late comeback beginning on 32 minutes of the second half. The equaliser was basically handed to them on a plate. A free kick into the box looked to be going out of play at the Postal back post before midfielder Law touched it back into the danger area where an unmarked Musk player was on hand to say thank you very much and blasted into the net for the equaliser from 6 yards out. 3-3.

4 minutes later and the away side were celebrating taking the lead. With Postal attacking the away box, a long clearance saw the away number 7 again go by the Postal defence like they weren't even there down the Postal left. His pass was met by the unmarked away forward to put the country side into an unlikely lead. 3-4.

Credit to Postal though, they could have rolled over and felt sorry for themselves but they kept going.

With 5 minutes remaining, sub Cook sent a header just over the bar from a Postal corner at the Musk front post.

Four minutes remaining and Law drove forward but the keeper made a good save from his long range shot.

A minute later and Law made another run from deep where he was fed the ball by Taylor and did really well to slip the ball past the away keeper for the equaliser. 4-4.

With the game coming to an end, the Postal bench erupted on 45 minutes when Cook found himself one-on-one with the Musk keeper. The striker did well to keep his composure to place it under the on-rushing keeper and give Postal all 3 points. Absolutely brilliant scenes as Postal celebrated on-mass. 5-4.

FULL TIME - POSTAL ALC 5 - MONYMUSK 4

Man Of The Match - REECE LAW.

Overall, Postal are conceding too many goals at the moment. That needs to be sorted out if a promotion challenge is to be achieved.

But the attitude and character to come-back today after the disappointment of going behind was superb. Everyone loves a winning goal but a last minute winning goal is something special to experience for everyone involved today. Well Done.