GK1Sam George   
 RB2Michael OliverScorer  
 LB3Richard Kirwan   
 CB4Alan Benton   
 CB5Andy Ward (c)   
 CM6David Grant   
Off69RM7Ian McIntyre   
 CM8Jamie BarclayScorerYellow Card 
Off79CF9Andy SelkirkScorerx2  
 CM10Jamie BroadfootScorer  
 LM11Alex Tilley Yellow Card 
On69 12Robbie Duncan   
  13Derek Moore (Trialist)    
  14Sean Brown   
On79 15Cammy McKay (u20)   
  16   
  17Ryan Milne (u20)   
  18   
 

29/08/2015  |  League

Selkirk   3  v  5  Cumbernauld Colts

Matchday six of the Colts Lowland League season and a long trip to sunny Selkirk to take on an attacking home side who have been involved in a number of high scoring games already, that fact providing some insight into what might follow.

With McCurley, David Brown, O'Neill, Ballantyne, Espener and Black unavailable through injury and holiday, along with O'Halloran & Burns recently having moved on to pastures new, Managers Orr and McKinlay didn't have their selection headaches to seek. They opted for four changes in to the starting lineup, McIntyre and Selkirk returning with Grant and Tilley making their full debuts for the club. There was also a place on the bench for under 20's prospects Cammy McKay and Ryan Milne, reward for their encouraging start in the development squad.

The home side, with ex Scotland International Garry O'Connor leading the line, started brightly as they looked to work the ball into their frontman and work off his holdup play. George in the Colts goal was asked to field a couple of early efforts from distance but nothing too troubling.

Once the Colts found their feet though they defended well, restricting their hosts to very little and creating good opportunities of their own, Tilley making an impression in his first start linking well with Kirwan on the left.

Broadfoot and Barclay had efforts fielded by the home keeper before the Colts took the lead from a free kick. Broadfoot stood over it and spotted Tilley all on his own in the wide area. The midfielder slid him in and Tilley delivered with his left to the back post where skipper Ward rose above his marker and powered a header off the crossbar, the keeper beaten. As the ball bounced down into the 6 yard area Andy Selkirk was sharpest, turning the ball home for 1-0.

Selkirk (the team not the player!) clearly annoyed by the goal had an opportunity to draw level 5 minutes later, but George on the Colts goal did brilliantly to dive at the feet of the striker to smother the ball away before getting up quickly to save the rebound too.

It wasn't the last bit of fine goalkeeping in the first half as the stopper made an even more impressive save moments later. In the one occasion in the first half that the home side managed to get through centrally George stood tall to dive to his right and turn a shot from 8 yards around the post with a fantastic save.

Having been kept in front by their keeper and some stern defending the visitors picked up the baton and looked to extend their lead, McIntyre inches away from a Kirwan cross at the back post as the fullback linked well with Tilley on the left.

It didn't take long though for the second to come and when it did it was almost a carbon copy of the first. Broadfoot made a good run into the channel on the right found by a fine pass. He held off the defender but was fouled right on the edge of the area. Broadfoot himself stepped up to whip in a wonderful free kick, Selkirk getting across his man to power a header off the crossbar and down onto the line, the keeper again beaten. As it bounced high into the air Barclay wanted it more, powering in to rise above the home defence and head the rebound home from 8 yards.

Selkirk, Barclay and Tilley all had further efforts before Tilley showed great skill on the left to win a corner that would lead to the Colts third. Broadfoot delivered and this time it was Benton climbing high above the home defence to crash a header off the crossbar, Andy Selkirk again quickest to react to stab home his second of the game and the Colts third with 10 minutes still to play before half time.

3-0 Cumbernauld the sides went in, the away side surely delighted with their opening 45 minutes and the position they had put themselves in.

Into the second half and Selkirk pulled an early goal back, giving themselves some hope. With the Colts on the attack the home defence won the ball and fired long towards O'Connor. With Kirwan using his pace to try and get back in the striker showed his experience, leaning across him meaning any challenge was a penalty, before slotting home with his right.

As well as O'Connor had done for the goal, he would have been disappointed with himself moments later as a slack moment between the Colts centre backs allowed him through again, centrally, 18 yards out. With George narrowing his options the striker dragged wide of the post when everyone expected a goal, a huge let-off for the visitors.

The Colts though, having a poor spell at the start of the half, didn't heed the warning and it was 3-2 after 55 minutes. The home attacker was allowed to advance too far without a challenge, despite good numbers around the ball, dragging a shot from 18 yards low across goal from the left that snuck in at the far post.

The Colts could see their good work being undone and duly took heed, lifting their levels and becoming an attacking force again. Tilley showed good skill to win a corner on the left, the wide man enjoying an impressive debut.

Broadfoot took the corner and whipped in a good ball that Ward headed toward goal, the defence heading away to the right. Benton picked it up and drilled an excellent ball back across goal that evaded Ward, looking for a tap in, by inches. It didn't however evade the initial kick taker Broadfoot, drifting into the box unmarked. As the ball bounced once Broadfoot watched it onto his laces, striking first time from an acute angle, the ball past the keeper and in off the far post before the stopper even saw it. A wonderful strike from the midfielder and 4-2 Colts.

George in goal made a couple of decent saves from shots from distance as the Colts defence looked more like themselves, the away side going on to make the game safe in a roundabout fashion from the penalty spot.

Tilley was fed by Broadfoot and having isolated his man 1v1 showed lovely skill to move beyond him into the box. As the covering defender made his way over Tilley shifted it away from him too, being fouled with the official pointing quite rightly at the spot.

Andy Selkirk, on a hat-trick, stepped up but saw his spot-kick tipped onto the underside of the bar by the home keeper. Selkirk was first to react to the rebound though, getting up above the incoming defence to head towards the other corner of the goal with the keeper stranded. As the ball headed towards the corner, the home left back dived full length to palm round the post. A second penalty and a red card, Oliver stepping up to dispatch the second spot kick confidently, opening his account for the club.

Broadfoot had a great touch from a corner, won by Duncan who had replaced McIntyre on the right, stepping inside and firing towards the top corner with his left from 25 yards. The keeper tipped over which was missed by the official with a goal kick awarded.

With just over 10 minutes remaining there was a big moment for the under 20 development squad, Cammy McKay replacing Andy Selkirk up front, the youngster making his senior debut for the Colts and going on to enjoy a fine start. Confident with the ball the young man worked very hard for his team and should be very pleased with his showing.

There was still time remaining for the home side to pull another back, again a defensive lapse from the Colts who conceded a poor throw which led to the home winger running unchallenged beyond the Colts defence and slotting into the corner for 5-3.

That was the end of the scoring but there was still work for the match officials to do. Tilley, who had been a thorn in the Selkirk side all afternoon, was the recipient of what appeared to be a stamp in the corner. With the Colts players in proximity incensed, the official, having had a clear view, decided not to punish the offender.

Following that, Barclay was booked before the final whistle for returning to the field of play having thought he had been waved on, the booking not taking the shine off the midfielder's fine performance, the game finishing 5-3 with the Colts now three wins from three away from Broadwood.

With players returning to the squad for next week's home tie versus Threave, the Colts will be working for a similarly positive result as they continue to bed themselves into the Lowland League