Team: Millen, Foley, Nyadu, Blyth, Dunsire, Cunningham(Gray), Fearn(c), Ayiku, Alexander, Fleming(Hogarth), Robertson(Nairne)
Subs not used: Waddell

With the expectation of the new season ahead, and a long pre-season behind them, the Bridge began their campaign against a strong physical team from Prestonpans in the form of Lothian Star - who had one of our ex-players in their line-up in the form of young John Paterson.

The Bridge started in their new formation of 4-3-3 , which was designed to stop the flow of long through balls being speared at our defence from the oppositions defenders and midfielders. That was the theory anyway, but within 2 minutes of the game starting our defence was breached from a ball played down the wing on the left. Their winger was past Kofi and with Laurie going over to try and prevent the cross, their ginger striker (Mini Neil Lennon) was left with an easy finish from around the penalty spot for 1-0.

As has happened in the past, we lost another two within the next 10 minutes, the 2nd from a shot just inside the box that should have been closed down, and the 3rd after Chris had parried a strong drive but their attacker was on hand to knock in the rebound. We were trying as much as possible to stem the flow coming in, and we were stretching their back line with our formation of 3 up top, and both Davie and Keith were unlucky with half-chances. One great break between them both led to Keith rattling the crossbar with a cross-come-shot, and as the ball dropped to Barry on the penalty spot he smashed a half-volley agonisingly wide of the target.

Completely against the run of play a corner kick was floated into the back post by ‘Star, and with nobody taking responsibility to attack the player coming in a strong header was planted into the corner of the net by their midfielder for 4-0. This knocked the stuffing out of our team a little as we were really starting to boss the game from around the half-hour mark onwards. We were just getting caught offside at the other end, and our movement from the front 3 and Issac was causing no end of problems for them.
Both Chris’s were having solid games by now, and in goal, Chris Millen pulled off 3 good strong saves to keep the score down, whilst Chris Blyth was keeping Lennon on a tight leash. However with half-time approaching, the defence went to sleep to allow another header from a corner to be easily guided into the net by the ginger one. It was a bad goal to lose and there wasn’t a single player near him when he connected for 5-0.

Half-time 5-0 Lothian Star

The troops were rallied at half-time, and everyone knew that we were playing them off the park as the half ended, but we were guilty of switching off when the 2nd half kicked-off. A long range shot was well saved by Chris, but the player ran in on the rebound and scuffed a shot under Laurie’s outstretched leg into the bottom corner for 6-0 with only 48 mins gone.
Full credit from this point onwards went to the Bridge, as we continually pushed them further and further back to the point they were pretty much encamped in their own half for the full 2nd half. Keith went close to pulling a goal back with two efforts, one well saved by the keeper.

We got the breakthrough we deserved after around 55 minutes, when good work from Ian Fleming left Keith Alexander with a chance from a tight angle which was slotted into the far corner for 6-1. Davie Robertson was playing well on the right of the front 3, and when he sped in on goal he was cynically chopped down INSIDE the box, but with their player being shown the red card the referee only awarded a free-kick to us. It was a shocking tackle and a shocking decision to match, and the resulting free-kick came to nothing. Their keeper was working overtime now and he made smart saves from both Davie and a long range effort from Kofi Nyadu.

Davie was struggling after being chopped down earlier and was replaced soon after by Alex Nairne. The ‘tackles’ from the Star players were coming in thick and fast, and one such attempted rugby tackle on Keith led to the comedy moment of the season so far when reacting to the hauling down he got, Keith took off his top and offered it to the other player. Quality moment and a brilliant reaction after yet another shocking tackle.

Ian and Kev were given a well earned rest on the 75 minute mark, with Nick Hogarth and John Gray coming on for them, with John slotting onto the left side and Nick going into the front 3 on the right. Another couple of half-chances fell our way, one from a header from John that was easily picked up by the keeper, and a snap-shot from Keith that sailed over. All that was left was for the obligatory attempted tackle on John Patterson by John Gray, but maybe luckily for both players it missed!

FINAL SCORE – 6-1 Lothian Star

Managers Comment:
Never more-so has a match been a ‘game of 2 halves’. The first was a shocking display of defending for the first 25-30 minutes, and that led to our downfall in the end. The 2nd period and the latter section of the 1st, was all Fountainbridge, and we really did play them off the park in footballing terms. They tried to put us off by putting the boot in whenever possible, and I would hate to be doing their accounting books with all the yellow and red cards they’ll get this season. Keith has to get a mention for that reaction to the wrestling suplex that the defender tried to put on him, but damn that was a scary sight for any kids watching!
Overall it was a few costly errors at the start that cost us any chance of doing anything in this game, but if we can carry that form of the 2nd half into Thursday’s game then we should be fine.
Top performers in the Tangerine tops were Ian for his running off the ball and setting up Keith for the goal, Barry for running the middle of the park like a general, and Chris in goal for pulling of a good half-dozen saves. The MOTM Award however goes to CHRIS BLYTH for an outstanding performance at the back, hardly lost a header and gave that wee Lennon look-a-like a couple of kicks too. Roll on Thursday!

M.O.T.M. – Chris Blyth

(Man of the Match)

J.

Player Ratings :
GK – Chris Millen (7 out of 10)
RB – Kofi Nyadu (6)
CB – Chris Blyth (9)
CB – Laurie Dunsire (6)
LB – Cammy Foley (7)
RM – Issaac Itaku (7)
CM – Barry Fearn© (8)
LM – Kevin Cunningham (6) (John Gray 75 (5) )
STK– Ian Fleming (7) (Nick Hogarth 75 (5) )
STK – Keith Alexander (1 goal) (8)
STK – Davie Robertson (7) (Alex Nairne 70 (5) )