AC Milanda 1 Glasgow Athletic 1 (HT (1-0)

LIFE in the First Division for AC Milanda is starting to resemble the script of Groundhog Day. Like most of the recent games, this one saw Milanda have at least their fair share of possession but fail to kill off the opposition when the opportunity was there to do so.
That said, Glasgow Athletic also had their moments and will probably feel they too could have won the game. In the circumstances, then, you would probably think the draw was fair but the Milanda players left the field feeling that even though they had been playing one of the better sides in the division one point could have been three.

Milanda certainly edged the first half. They had the ball in the net early on when Mark Reid’s cross was headed home by Jim McGowan but referee George Dunbar ruled that the ball had gone out of play before the ball was delivered.

However, the home side did get the ball in the net legitimately after 18 minutes. Defensive hesitation on the part of Athletic let in Martin Coyle and Reid. Coyle wisely left the ball to Reid and he struck a fierce shot across the keeper and into the far corner of the net.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between throughout the match but in the run-up to half-time Andy Wilson was unlucky with a well-struck free-kick that the keeper did well to touch on to the bar and over.

Milanda might have been 2-0 ahead at the start of the second half. The initial chance fell to Gerry Evans but the ball wouldn’t quite roll for him to get a shot away so he laid it back for strike partner Martin Johnstone who slashed his effort wide.

Athletic came more into the match after that and with their pace up front were always dangerous. However, their equaliser came from a ball to the back post that was poorly defended and one of their strikers pounced to bury a shot into the corner of the net.
The best of any late chances fell to Milanda. Substitute Hugh Dullaghan headed over from close range and then Evans got on the end of a perfect cross from another substitute, Mark Walker, but went for a spectacular finish and missed the target when he had time to control the ball and pick his spot.

MOM: Craig Fawns again looked secure in goal and had a couple of decent saves. John Wilkie, Jim McGowan and Scott Preston also coped pretty well at the back. Martin Johnstone was again out of luck in front of goal but worked tremendously hard all over the pitch. However, the man of the match award goes to Thomas Addison for his performance as a defensive midfielder. Some of his decision making can still be suspect but he provided drive and energy in a vital area.