ac milanda afc

AC Milanda 6 Deanpark 5 (HT (3-0)

MILANDA have been involved in some bizarre games down through the years and this one at Nether Pollok was right up there with the best ­ - or worst ­- of them. Somehow in the space of around 20 minutes they managed to go from 4-0 ahead early in the second half to 5-4 behind and it took an almighty scramble to snatch the three points back in the late stages. It’s human nature for players to perhaps drop a gear when they have a commanding lead but for the entire defence to be posted missing whenever a corner or free-kick arrives in the box is completely unacceptable. Milanda were fortunate in the extreme to get away with such a sloppy spell but it perhaps sums up a season that promised so much. Scoring hasn’t been a great problem but teams that want to win titles and cups can’t leak goals in this manner.

There was no sign of the traumas to come as Milanda, playing a 4-4-2 formation, made a bright start. The Deanpark keeper made a good save from Martin Johnstone after he had fastened on to a long kick-out by Stephen Walker and fired in a powerful shot.
The keeper also saved his side when Mark Walker beat the offside trap to burst through on the right but was helpless after nine minutes when Johnstone cracked a 25-yard shot high into the net with his right foot.

Six minutes later it was 2-0 . Scott Preston pushed forward from the back and his perfect pass sent Mark Reid clear on the right-hand side of the box. The angle wasn’t the easiest but last season’s top scorer produced a clinical finish. The third goal came in 27 minutes. Reid worked a 1-2 with Johnstone on the left and then cut inside a defender before curling a beautiful shot away from the keeper Walker had an excellent low save to his left as Deanpark threatened on the break but other than that Milanda were never really in much trouble during the first half.

The players were warned at half-time that a good start to the second half was important so that Deanpark were not allowed any hope of getting back in the game. This seemed to have been taken on board and a goal in the 47th minute, one of the Deanpark players heading a long throw by Paul Murray into his own net, the points appeared to be in the bag.

However, then came the nightmare. Two minutes later, poor defending of a corner allowed Deanpark to get one back. Walker had a good tip over the bar as Deanpark, with nothing to lose, pushed forward looking for more goals. They got them – four of them – in quick succession as Milanda players stood around like statues as the visiting players attacked and won every set-piece.

Milanda, now 5-4 down, had a Johnstone goal disallowed for offside by referee Gordon Hay and it looked as if the team was about to record one of the most embarrassing results in the club’s history.

However, to their credit, the players kept fighting and with 14 minutes left Johnstone doubled his personal tally from close range after Deanpark had failed to deal with a Walker corner.

A point would have been better than nothing in the circumstances but Milanda weren’t finished yet and, with time running out, Johnstone provided an opening with a good ball into the box. Walker had first bite at it but couldn’t get his leg round the ball. Fortunately, Reid was right behind him and he lashed it home to complete his hat-trick.