SHIRE 2 ARBROATH 3

Defeat was hard to take for Shire. Just two minutes from the end of a match which seemed certain to bring them a useful home point against Arbroath one loose pass cost dear.

The ball landed straight at the feet of Arbroath substitute Paul Tosh who ran it back at the Shire defence who soon found themselves exposed.

The former Hibs and St. Johnstone frontman then wasted no time in curling the ball beyond Darren Hill and into the net at the far corner.

That was the cue for great celebrations from the visitors which were probably tinged with relief after they got off to the worst possible start.

The Arbroath team bus had been delayed by traffic problems on the way down from Tayside and had arrived so late the kick-off had to be put back by five minutes.

Shire had, by that time, already announced a shake-up of the side that suffered at Elgin the previous week. In came on-loan Falkirk defender, Scott Gibb, and trialist Derek Colquhoun.

Kevin McBride returned from suspension to play in the outside-left position while the wide right berth went to Paul Brownlie. Sean Simpson was relegated to the bench while there was no place at all in the squad for Craig Donaldson.

And within two minutes the changes appeared to have paid dividends. Gary Kelly's pass found Joe Savage, who shrugged off Robbie Raeside's challenge and lobbed the ball over the stranded Craig Wight in the Arbroath goal to put Shire a goal up.

Two minutes later it could well have been 2-0 but Colquhoun's thumping long-range effort was only prevented from entering the net by a desperate, sprawling save from Wight.

After 17 minutes there was a let-off for Shire when Campbell's cross found the unmarked Bryan Scott inside the box but his diving header went wide with the goal at his mercy.

But the Arbroath effort was just a taster of things to come. After 20 minutes David King was booked for a crunching touchline foul on Kevin Webster and Paul Watson swung over the resulting free kick to the back post where Raeside headed home off the underside of the crossbar.

Seven minutes later Gibb was rather harshly judged to have impeded Chris Hegarty on the edge of the box, but that did not matter a bit to Barry Sellers, who curled the resulting free-kick round the Shire defensive wall and into the back of the net.

But the Firs Parkers did not crumble as they had done the previous week. On 36 minutes Derek Ure was unlucky with a shot which Wight fumbled before being able to clear.

And on 40 minutes the home team had fought their way back onto level terms. Colquhoun picked up the loose ball in the middle of the pitch, took a few steps towards goal and then crashed the ball in Hotshot Hamish style past a bemused Wight from fully 30 yards out.

A minute before the interval Carl Thywissen was unlucky with a half volley that was deflcted wide for a corner.

The second half was just five minutes old when Kevin McBride got a great cross in from the left for Ure to have an effort but he wasted the chance by putting the ball wide.

And, five Minutes later, McBride carved out another opening this time with a free-kick which Colquhoun headed narrowly wide at the back post.

Arbroath then enjoyed a period on top, during which time Webster gave King an absolute roasting down the Arbroath right, but for all that the visitors failed to create a noteworthy chance.

The longer the second half wore on the more it degenerated into petty squabbles and fouls. Referee John McKendrick entered into the spirit of things by showing yellow cards to Gary Kelly and to Arbroath's Raeside, Sellers, Watson and McMullan all within the space of 10 minutes.

It seemed those little battles were getting more important to both sets of players than getting a winning goal. But Shire had a glorious opportunity to wrap up the three points with just three minutes lft when Savage won a free-kick right on the edge of the box.

Unfortunately, Savage chose to take it himself, blasting it well wide of target.It was to prove a costly decision after Thywissen tried to play the ball out of defence rather than hit it long. Tosh intercepted the pass, turned Gibb inside out before racing into the box to prod the ball past the advancing Hill for the winner.

SHIRE : Hill, Moffat, Gibb, King, Thywissen, Kelly, Brownlie(Oates 66), Trialist(Simpson 84), Savage, Ure, K. McBride.

 ARBROATH : Wight, Campbell, McMullen, Raeside, Tully, Hegarty(McKay 46), Webster(Reilly 86), Scott(Tosh 63), Brazil, Sellers, Watson.

 Referee : J. McKendrick.

 Attendance : 407.

 

Trialist Derek Colquhoun scored on his debut.

A bit of ballet involving Gordon Moffat and Scott Gibb.

Photos : Falkirk Herald

Back