ac milanda afc

Cowglen has never been a happy hunting ground for Milanda and from the first whistle on Saturday this record never looked likely to improve. Collectively a very poor performance and an average Invac completed the double over Milanda.

The warning signs were there as early as the first minute when slack play in the defence allowed Invac a chance but a tame shot was easily gathered by Fawns. The opening goal was only delayed a couple of mins and when it came it was simple route one A keeper's long kick out was nodded on and with Milanda claiming offside the Invac No 11. sped clear and finished calmly into the corner off the net. Good finish but it was a soft goal to lose so early in the game and one Milanda never recovered from.

Invac continued to do the pressing and under pressure Evans did well to knock a cross away at the back post. From the resultant throw in Fawns had to be alert to save. There was only one team in the game with Milanda only making the odd foray forward. It was no surprise when Invac made it two. Another long ball was nodded on allowing the Invac forward to get into the box. Grehan was back to cover but his rash challenge inside the box brought down the Invac forward and the ref pointed to the spot. Grehan claimed he got a touch on the ball but it looked a penalty from the sidelines. Fawns was given no chance as the pen was hit into the roof of the net. .

Milanda had it all to do and were given a chance when the Invac keeper, not for the first time, sliced a clearance under a challenge from Russell. Unfortunately by the time Russell realised where the ball was the chance had slipped away and his cross was cleared. The keeper again made a hash of another clearance but again Milanda failed to take advantage. Milanda's best chance came in the closing minutes of the first half. A Grehan corner reached Walker in space at the back post but his shot was high and wide.

Milanda started the 2nd half much better than the first and Russell just couldn't maneuver enough space on the edge of the 6 yard box to turn and get a shot on goal. Ten mins in and McMillan made some changes to try and change the flow of the game with Scott and McColgan being replaced by Binnie and Bradburn. Milanda's best chances seem to be coming from the Invac keeper who dropped a free kick from Walker but despite a few swings at the ball Milanda couldn't get a shot on target before Russell hits it over the bar.

The best Milanda chance of the second falls to Evans after a high ball from Bradburn hangs in the wind and the Invac keeper comes out to collect but misses completely. The ball gets stuck in the mud though and Evans is unable to get any real power behind his shot which is blocked on the line by the defender. Russell then goes on a run sidestepping a number of players before the ball finds its way to Johnstone who managed to get a shot on target and the keeper, for a change manages to hold onto it.

With 20 mins left the game is over as a contest and for the third time it's a long ball that does the damage. O'Neill gets his positioning all wrong as he watched the ball sail over his head. Fawns came out to narrow the angle but was caught in no man's land and the Invac player had a simple task of lobbing the ball into an empty net to secure the 3 pts.

The ref would have been as well blowing the final whistle there and then. The next 20 mins were uneventful and it was a dispirited Milanda side that trudged off the park. Invac were well worth their victory but Milanda had made their morning so much easier than it should have been.

Collectively it was a poor effort from Milanda. We sometimes slag other teams off for being out on the pitch warming up while we are still hanging around to get changed but it told on Saturday. Invac were out the blocks much faster and keener and we never really put them under much pressure during the game. At some points we were lucky to be second to some balls. Hopefully we can put this one behind us as we are much better than this. We should blame Coyle for winning the toss.