Team: O'Donnell, Mackenzie, Davidson, Ayiku, Blyth, Weare(Gray), Smith, Fearn(c), Alexander, Fleming(Serrand), Robertson
Subs not used: Cunningham, Foley

After having played Persevere twice since formation - and having suffered two narrow defeats previously - Fountainbridge were up for this one after a great performance last week in the Scottish Cup. In their first ever game as a club The Bridge lost out 3-1 to Leith, then early in the League season they went down 4-3 after coming back from 4-1 down at half-time - although they should have taken at least a point from the league match having really battered "Percy" for the whole second period.

With this in the player's minds, they were quietly confident that three points were a must for them in this game at the Gyle - where there was a surprise “Celebrity” in the mix with Scott Brown of Celtic watching the team that he helps train. The Persevere side was weakened with the loss of their main striker and the team as a whole looked like it had at least 5 changes from the last encounter with Fountainbridge in Dalkeith.
The Bridge made 2 changes from the Cup match, with Jonny Mackenzie replacing Kofi Nyadu who was on holiday and Steven Weare replacing Cameron Foley in the five man midfield.
The match kicked off and both teams were eager to get the upper hand early, and it was the Bridge who looked the more likely to get an early breakthrough with both Dave Robertson and Ian Fleming causing their full backs all sorts of problems. Mark Smith continued his good run of form with some surging runs from midfield, and after around 10 minutes he was awarded a free kick after being crudely chopped down just outside the 18 yard box. Top scorer Keith Alexander stepped up to take it, but although the shot was on target it bounced up off the wall and high over for a corner which came to nothing. At the other end Barry O'Donnell was pretty much a spectator for the opening 15 minutes with his only action being collecting long kick outs from his opposite number, or through balls that were being over hit in the wind. The two Persevere strikers were big lads, but neither had any pace and Isaac Ayiku and Chris Blyth were coping with them easily.

The opening goal came after around 20 minutes and it was a cracker. Keith and Dave were both hounding the Persevere backline everytime they got the ball and when Isaac strode out with the ball past a couple of their midfielders, he picked out a run down the right channel by Keith, who rounded their left back before smashing a shot high past the keeper from a tight angle for 1-0 to Fountainbridge. The home side's tails were really up now and they were carving Leith up down the right - Dave Robertson raced on to a great pass from Keith and hit an early low drive which beat the keeper all ends up, only it didn’t beat the far post and cannoned off it and beyond the onrushing Smith and Fleming. Seconds later Fleming brushed off two challenges and swept a great cross into the box which was just too long for Dave to reach at the back post.

The Percy number 6 was the only player who looked like he could cause The Bridge any danger, and from one run he set up their big number 9 but Isaac was over in a flash to block the shot and clear the danger afterwards. Each of the Fountainbridge back four had looked really at ease in the first half hour and it was hard to see where an equaliser would come from for the Persevere team. The Bridge won several corners in a row, and finally the pressure was too much for the Persevere defence. Keith had swung in several whipped corners into the area, but decided to drive this one low and hard towards the on-rushing Steve Weare at the front post. The ball was either dummied or mis-hit by both Weare and the defender marking him and the ball fell for Dave Robertson 6 yards out and he smashed a first time shot low past the despairing dive of the keeper for 2-0 to the Bridge. It was no more than their play deserved and Dave in particular was having a great game.

More and more throughout the first half their number 6 was getting into good positions in front of the Bridge backline, and behind the 3 midfielders centrally, and when the middle 3 were caught sleeping he powered his way through into the box before cutting it back for their main striker to side-foot past the stranded Barry in goal for 2-1 with only minutes left in the half.
It was a real jolt to the Bridge as they had been so on top for the whole game so far, and worse was to follow when the Persevere side got their vital second goal only seconds before the whistle.
A simple ball was lobbed back into our box, and although Isaac could have maybe got to it before it bounced the big number 9 barged into both Isaac and Barry, and the ball trickled into the unguarded net. It seemed to us to be a simple and obvious foul on our keeper, but the ref let it stand for the equaliser in a one-sided first half.

Half time 2-2

The home side's heads were down a little after losing two goals in quick succession, but they were playing well and knew they could make more chances. There were no changes at half-time, other than instructions issued to Dave Robertson to cut inside the full back and give himself a shooting chance. Persevere started the second half in a buoyant mood and were keen to get a third to go into the lead. They kept the same formation but visibly moved further up the field to defend using a higher line. The two big strikers for them were more of a pain than a threat but they were getting more into the game as the half started.
Fountainbridge's central pairing were finding the wind a bit more difficult to work out as it was holding the ball up and they were getting caught under it when trying to clear. Early in the half saw a ball fired across our goal towards the front post, and both Barry in goal and Isaac went for it. The ball squirmed past them under the pressure from the number 9, and when the ball landed at his feet only 3 feet from goal it was a certain tap in for the third. Only it wasn’t so easy, and he somehow managed to scoop it over the bar from point blank range! It was a real let-off for the Bridge, and Mark Smith soon set off on a great run down the left to try and ease the flow towards our goal. He went past the winger and sped into the box, but a good blocking challenge ended the run. Ian and Dave were still seeing loads of the ball and when Keith put Dave clear the chance was there to be taken, but Dave elected to shoot rather than cut it back to the unmarked Keith on the penalty spot and the chance was lost.

With the Bridge team struggling to get the fluency back from the first half, Persevere took a surprise lead when a foul was given against Lee Davidson out on the right. Percy played it in quickly which caught the Bridge defence cold. The cross fell straight onto the head of their number 6 and he made no mistake with a strong header from 8 yards out for 3-2 to Persevere. To have been leading 2-0 and now be trailing was a tough blow to take, and the heads went down for a 10 minutes spell as Fountainbridge tried to play their way back into the game. Lee was having a strong game at left back again and after stripping their winger of the ball, he fed Ian on the halfway line. Ian looked up and saw Keith making a run down the left wing, they exchanged quick passes, culminating in a great back-heel from Keith that fooled the defender on him. Ian ran onto the pass, cut inside and let rip with a strong shot from outside the area. The shot flew off the lunging defender and then over the flapping hand of their keeper to get the Bridge back on level terms, and Ian off the mark for the season too. (Although it might have to go down as an OG…)

With only around 20 minutes remaining Fountainbridge were determined to get the vital win, and they pushed forward in search of the killer fourth goal - and when they got it what a goal it was. In the earlier league meeting, Barry Fearn scored an absolute peach of a volley, and the Bridge skipper was up to his old tricks again when he picked up a loose ball 25 yards from goal. He looked up and saw the keeper edging off his line and gracefully placed a curling, dipping shot over him and high into the corner of the net. It was a goal fit to win ANY game, and he was well and truly mobbed when it went in.
He could have helped himself to a second only moments later when Keith skipped past the centre back and cut it across goal but it was just too far behind Captain Marvel and he knocked it high over the bar. Persevere were now reduced to long range pot-shots, and they were not troubling the keeper with them, however with Ian now beginning to fade after another great lung bursting run down the left , Fountainbridge brought on a bit of Gaelic flair in their new French recruit, Anthony Serrand. He made a great entrance, with his first touch he nutmegged the defender and sent Barry Fearn clear through the middle, he fed it onto Keith and when he rounded the last defender he tried to get too close in on goal and the ball went out for a goal kick. Isaac then went on another mazy dribble out of his own area, and he kept his run going into the box and was on hand to collect the return pass from Keith, but his shot sailed past. It seemed like it was a case of a nose bleed as he was so far up the pitch!

With the clock running down, Steve Weare was replaced by player/manager John Gray to solidify the middle of the park and waste a few more seconds. Persevere won a late corner, and their number 3 had a half chance from the edge of the area, but under pressure from Gray he cut his shot well wide for the last action of the game.

FINAL SCORE– 4-3 Fountainbridge FC

Managers Comment:
What a game and what a result! We were quietly hoping for 3 points from this game, and Persevere were on a good run of form also, so it was a great win for us all. Once more each of the players out there gave their all to the cause, and there were fantastic performances all over the pitch. It helped us that the main striker was missing from them, but we were missing 3 goalies in the last game against them so it can’t be used as an excuse by them. At one point their mouthy centre back cried “this lot shouldnae be oan the same pitch as us..” in the first half and he was right, we were making them look like school boys and were cutting through them at will!
Best in the mighty Tangerine yesterday were: Johnny at right back with a solid no frills display, Marky got stuck in again in the middle and is in a rich vain of form just now, Barry Fearn put in another strong performance and both Ian and Keith ran their defence all over the park and got past them at will. The M.O.T.M award however goes to DAVE ROBERTSON for some of the best wing play seen in a long time. Their left back will have nightmares about Dave for days to come, and he was unlucky to only get the one goal. He also gets back and covers with the right back during the game and he is developing into a must play member of the team. Well done to Dave for the award.

M.O.T.M. – Dave Robertson

(Man of the Match)

Player Ratings:
GK – Barry O’Donnell (7 out of 10)
RB – Jonny Mackenzie (7)
CB – Isaac Ayiku (7)
CB – Chris Blyth (7)
LB – Lee Davidson (7)
RM – Dave Robertson (9)
CM – Barry Fearn © (8)
CM – Steven Weare (7) (John Gray (6) )
CM – Mark Smith (8)
LM – Ian Fleming (8)(Anthony Serrand (6) )
STK – Keith Alexander (8)