Red Star Ballieston 4 AC Milanda 3 (HT 2-2)

A game Milanda should at the very least got a point from and probably should ahve won. Again a late goal undoes a lot of the prvious good work.

Milanda were slow to start and Preston had to save with his feet in the first minute. Then a Coyle knock on from a Griffin throw was just headed past by Binnie. A griifin throw had more success 5 mins later whn this time Scott Prestomn got a touch and Evans was there to knock it home from inside the 6 yard box. Miulanda pressed looking for a 2nd and Griffin saw a shot fly over the bar before a crawford header comes back off the bar.

The 2nd goal doesn't arrive with the pressure and Milanda are hit on the counter when a knock on looks suspiciously offside but the ref waves play on and the resultant goal stands. Milanda only take a minute to get back in front as a Preston touch lands perfectly for Binnie to volley home.

Red Star press for another equaliser and Wilson has to be sharp to clear off the line and Preston is forced to push away a net bound shot. Pressure is relieved for a short while when Addison tries a lob from 30 yards but it was never worrying the keeper. Red Star pile on the pressure again and this time get their reward with goal number 2.

Coyle has a chance to put Milanda infront just before the break but the keeper mananges to claw his effort away and a defender clears it for a corner.

Milanda are the better team in the early part of the second half. The TRed star keeper has to be smart to push away a Wilson free kick and then from the corner there is an incredible sequence of headers in and around the Red Star 6 yard box that eventually see the ball coming back off the bar before it is finally cleared. Red Star think they have survived the worst of it but a few mins later Milanda take the lead for the 3rd time. A Griffin free kick is headed onto the bar by Crawford but it falls perfectly for the loitering Coyle who has a simple task of scoring from 4 yards.

The question was could Milanda hold ont ot this lead. We had the answer 3 mins later when a complete lack of challenges all over the park allowed a cross to be swung into the box and a free header masde the game all square at 3-3. Milanda boss McMillan not happy about this one.

Both teams try to get the winner with Red Star forcing Preston into a number of saves. While at the other end Coyle sees a header cleared off the line. Coyle then squanders the best chance of the 2nd half. After some great work by Evans on the right he breaks clear and cuts it back to Coyle on the edge of the box but Coyle is unable to keep the shot down and it flies over the bar.

Milanda were made to pay for this 3 mins from the end when another unchallnged run through the middle allowed a shot on goal and it curled away from preston and into the net. A bit harsh on Milanda but they were punished for not closing down quickly enough.

MOTM: He limped, he hobbled but when called into action Chris Preston made some notable saves and takes the MOTM honours.