Local football side Spartans u19’s played host to Dumbarton on Sunday at Ainslie Park.
Despite the strong wind and heavy rain showers both teams played some attractive football, but unfortunately this game wont be remembered for the football it will be remembered for the ten players that were yellow carded and six players were sent off, all this despite there hardly being a bad challenge in the game.
Spartans took the lead in the opening ten minutes after some great play for James Cuthbertson, he went on a run down the wing and when he broke into the box his powerful shot was pushed away by the Dumbarton keeper Ryan Malley, Cuthbertsons’s persistence was rewarded and he had the simple task of heading the ball into the empty net.
Cuthbertson got his second of the afternoon when he was played in and as he broke away from the defence his perfectly placed shot nestled low in the corner of the net. On the half hour mark Cuthbertson got his hat-trick when he again broke away from the Dumbarton defence and the cool headed striker slotted the ball home.
Just as it was looking as if it was going to be Spartans day they were reduced to ten men when Daniel Shields was sent off for a deliberately tripping the Dumbarton striker Ryan Metcalf as he was bearing down on the Spartans goal. From the resulting free kick Dumbarton pulled on back when the ball was whipped in and fell to the feet of Gary McKell who smashed the ball past Ian McTurk in the Spartans goal.
Despite this setback Spartans still managed to sneak another goal before the halftime interval thanks to Callum Donnelly, he got on the end of a long ball forward and slotted the ball past the advancing keeper. Dumbarton felt they should have had a penalty just before the interval when the ball appeared to hit the hand of Lawrence Kidd but referee Ralph Gordon judged it to have been accidental.
On the hour mark Dumbarton were also reduced to ten men when Metcalf appeared to take a dive in the Spartans box and the young striker gave the referee no option having already been cautioned earlier in the match. Dumbarton started to get on top for a spell and Reece Pearson picked the ball up in midfield and his powerful shot beat McTurk but crashed of the woodwork before the danger was cleared.
Pearson did get one back when he got on the end of a cross and his shot beat McTurk and landed up in the net. A melee then ensued in the Spartans goals and Dumbarton’s Gary McKell lashed out at McTurk leaving the Spartans goalkeeper lying on the ground and the referee had the simple task of producing the third red card of the afternoon.
Pearson got his second of the afternoon when he broke into the Spartans box and as the danger looked to be cleared by the defender the ball came off Pearson’s leg and over the McTurk and into the net.
Chris Keddie was then played but the assistant referee had judged the ball was out off play, Keddie made his feelings about the decision clear and after a verbal tirade at assistant referee Peter Peace promptly became the fourth player to be dismissed.
With only a few minutes remaining Alan Longmuir almost levelled it when he got the end of a cross and his powerful header from close range went just wide of the target.Into injury time and just as it appeared all the action was over Dumbarton’s Glen Campbell put in a wild tackle on Paul Henderson leaving the player requiring treatment and Campbell became the fifth player to be set packing. After his challenge there was a coming together of a few players and on receiving advice from his assistant referee, Ralph Gordon produced a sixth red card to Spartans Isaac Imrie.[slideshow]
Spartans will now face St Johnstone in the next round of the Scottish Cup.
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