⚫️⚪️⚫️ South of Scotland Football League ⚫️⚪️⚫️

Full Time Result
Lochmaben F.C. 1 v 3 Newton Stewart F.C.

On a beautiful afternoon for football the visitors sprinted out of the blocks and created a chance in the opening minute when long looping ball in to the area from Robbie Adair found Matt Deazeley and at full stretch he tried to flick a header wide of the keeper but his effort sailed just over the bar. Within sixty seconds midfielder Rory Drysdale broke down the left before swinging a teasing ball across the six yard area and Deazeley’s side foot effort took a wicked deflection off a defender and just wide of the post in an impressive start for the visitors. Inside the quarter of an hour mark a free kick wide on the right was taken by Jack Marshall who curled in a quite superb curling effort which rattled the bar. Minutes later Euan Sneddons controlled a difficult ball in his own half and then sent a brilliant pass towards the box which took a fortunate deflection off the last defender and in to the path of Matt Deazeley and his quick thinking found him cutting inside the last ditch challenge and his angled shot just evaded the keepers best effort to keep it out and sneak in at the near post to put Newton in to the lead. The visitors were dominating the match at this stage and in the twentieth minute a long looping ball into a crowded box somehow broke to Rory Drysdale and he managed to prod the ball over the line and into the net to double the advantage for the Creesiders. Lochmaben were still battling hard and they created a great chance midway through the half when a deep corner to the back post was powerfully headed goal wards but Euan Drysdale produced a superb reflex save to deny the hosts. The visitors were however still on the front foot and in 27 minutes a superb long clearance from Gavin Williamson wasn’t dealt with and Matt Deazeley’s collected a loose ball , raced forward and his first time effort was blocked by a defender although as he received the rebound he looked up and lobbed the keeper from the edge of the area to give the visitors an emphatic lead their p,at so richly deserved. As the interval approached captain Robbie Murray raced on to a brilliant defence splitting pass and he tried to glance the ball past the advancing keeper who did brilliantly to make himself big and block the shot.

The home side to their great credit started the second half brightly and within ten minutes a free kick out on the left touch line 25 yards from goal was fired across the area and a free header from 10 yards rattled the cross bar and over to the relief of the visitors. On the hour Robert Hughan blasted a longe range free kick from 35 yard out on target which took a deflection off a Lochmaben defender and Marc Whyte reacted quickest to nod a looping header agonisingly over the bar from just inside the box. The home side were gaining a foothold in the second period and their efforts were rewarded midway through the half when another curling free kick sent in to a crowded area found a Lochmaben player rising highest and he bulleted his header home to give the Lochmaben a lifeline. Both teams were looking to create opportunities as the game wore on without really testing either keeper however as the match entered the closing minutes a long ball through towards Jake Hannigan was partially cleared and the ball broke kindly to on form winger Matt Deazeley and he lifted a cheeky lob towards the top corner from 25 yards which a back peddling keeper did superbly to tip on to the bar at full stretch to finish the action.

We’d like to thank Lochmaben for a great game and wish them all the best for the remainder of their season.

Team ; Euan Drysdale , Robbie Murray , Connor Jamieson , Gavin Williamson , Robbie Adair , Euan Sneddon , Marc Whyte , Matt Deazeley, Jack Marshall , Ross Landers and Rory Drysdale

Subs ; Aaron Drysdale , Jake Hannigan , Callum MacDonald and Robert Hughan