Midlands League – Saturday 12th October @ Thomson Park
Match Report From Ross McGowan
The Midlands League was in session once more this afternoon with the Thomson Park surface holding up well to the early morning downpour.
Today’s opponents Coupar Angus have been the surprise package in the early stages of the league campaign putting together a string of impressive results after some shrewd close-season recruitment. Scoring ten goals in their last two games they looked to be a dangerous proposition.
For Lochee, the last few weeks have been all about bounce-back-ability. Since suffering their only defeat of the season so far away to Broughty Athletic a month ago the Bluebells have gone three games unbeaten and advanced into the next rounds of two national cup competitions. With further cup commitments on the horizon and momentum at a premium nothing less than victory would do today.
Kerr Hay and Connor Coupe were reinstated to the starting line-up and there was also a debut for centre-back MacKenzie Lemon.
Sensing the need for three points today Lochee went on the attack right from the start when good link-up play down the right between George Johnston and Ryan Paterson saw the ball centred for Kerr Hay whose shot needed an alert defensive block.
Johnston then went on a driving run through the middle and slipped a good ball through for Hay who was once again denied by an outstretched defensive leg.
With Coupar Angus pinned back Lochee began to turn the screw when Arron Donald sent a good ball over the top for Johnston to chase and his cut-back looked certain to be buried by Bobby Linn but for a terrific save by Smith in the visitors’ goal.
With the pressure now coming in waves, Linn beat the offside trap and bore down on goal before another miraculous save from Smith maintained parity. And when Smith was finally beaten from a corner on the half-hour mark, Connor Coupe’s header crashed back off the crossbar with Lochee scarcely able to believe they weren’t ahead.
But just when a Lochee opening goal felt like a matter of time, Coupar Angus caused a sensation by robbing Lochee of possession on the halfway line and Aiden Lockhart stunned everyone including keeper Jamie McCabe by measuring an inch-perfect lob from all of 45 yards out to put the visitors 1-0 ahead.
Caught cold, Lochee had to put their disbelief to one side and they had an opportunity to hit back immediately when Bobby Linn set up Kerr Hay in the box but Hay almost had too much time and his shot was crowded out by a combination of the keeper and two defenders.
Having dusted themselves off from the setback though, Lochee soon got themselves back into the game when they worked a throw in from the left across the park where Linn released Joyce on the overlap down the right and he and picked out Kerr Hay in the box where he had time to take a touch before firing low across the keeper into the bottom corner to pull the game back to 1-1.
That was how the teams went in at half-time after a pulsating first half in which Lochee were initially punished for their wastefulness in front of goal but showed strength of character to fight their way back into the game.
Lochee came out for the second half on the front foot with Connor Coupe dazzling the fullback down the right and crossing for George Johnston who kept the play alive at the back post and laid into the path of Bobby Linn whose shot was tipped narrowly over the bar.
The series of corner kicks that followed seemed to bring Lochee progressively closer to a goal with first George Johnston having a shot palmed over the bar, and then Craig Moore picking up a quick corner at the edge of the box and fizzing a low shot off the base of the post.
But just when some may have been forgiven for fearing it might be “one of those days”, Lochee grabbed the lead in contentious circumstances as the game erupted into controversy. A trademark Arron Donald diagonal ball over the top sent Bobby Linn charging through on goal and when he was felled just inside the box the referee pointed to the spot despite strenuous protests from the visitors who felt it had been a perfectly judged tackle.
Linn stepped up himself to tuck the spot-kick into the bottom corner and put Lochee 2-1 up, and to make matters worse for Coupar Angus Ben Britton was ordered off for a second yellow card amongst the remonstrations that followed.
With Lochee now afforded more space to play, they thought they were home and hosed midway through the half with a wonderful passing move kick-started by Johnston opening up the play down the left where Donald and Kerr combined to centre for Bobby Linn who took a cool side-footed finish but had just strayed a fraction ahead of the defender and was flagged for offside.
Not to be deterred though, the Bluebells continued to search for the killer goal and when it came ten minutes from the end it was the pick of the bunch. Louis Joyce has earned plaudits this season for his battling qualities at right back and he scrapped for possession in typical style just inside the Coupar Angus half before feeding George Johnston who produced a delicate backheel to the edge of the box where Ryan Paterson evoked shades of Eric Cantona to send a nonchalant chip into the top corner – a wonderful goal to give Lochee a 3-1 lead.
That was how it finished on a rainy afternoon at Thomson Park where Lochee were made to work hard for the points.
Coupar Angus will feel that they were on the wrong end of the game’s undoubted turning point with the penalty, but they gave a good account of themselves today and will cause a lot of teams problems this season.
The Bluebells should have been out of sight by half-time but their profligacy in front of goal invited the inevitable sucker punch and from there they had to do things the hard way. But whilst previous Lochee sides might have struggled to deal with the adversity of going behind, the current group kept their cool, never panicked and did well to turn the setback into a well-earned victory.
There were a few candidates for man of the match today. Connor Coupe made a strong impression returning from early season injuries and will be an important weapon in Lochee’s attacking armoury as the season goes on. Craig Moore showed a level of responsibility beyond his years as our midfield anchor today. Bobby Linn as always brought all of his quality to the party and was involved in most of our best play. But the award goes to George Johnston who looked every part the livewire winger we all know he is and we hope he can replicate today’s form as we now enter an exciting fortnight of cup ties.
Having taken care of league business with two wins in two weeks we now shift our focus to national knockout action with a Scottish Junior Cup third round tie away to Dyce on Saturday 19th October followed by a senior Scottish Cup second round tie away to Peterhead on Saturday 26th October. As always – COME ON THE CHEE!!!
