Relichtie

     Memorable matches No. 36

 

April 17 2004.                                   East Fife 1-2 Arbroath.               Scottish League Division 2

After relegation from the 1st Division, the last thing we fans expected to be involved in was another relegation battle in the 2nd Division. But with, in my opinion, an underachieving side, that was where the club was. Sitting in second bottom spot in the league, 1 point behind their match opponents, despite the managers comments to the contrary, this was the be all and end all of matches.

It was an overcast and windy New Bayview when we arrived, parked the car and paid our tenner to get in to the ground. Pre match chat was that we wanted to see Arbroath " go for it , right from the start".

The match began and we got off to the better start, pressing the Fifers back. A pass back by the home defence to the keeper, resulted in him kicking the ball straight at McLean, and in the resulting scramble, the lichties number 9 lofted the ball over the keeper only to see his effort slide by the post. The goal was not long delayed however, as McCulloch slid a pass from the left into the penalty area, and McLean nipped in between two defenders to poke the ball home. Soon after McCulloch was replaced by Swankie.

Swankie teases the Fifers.

 He appeared to have picked up a back injury. We were well on top at this juncture, but inexplicably started to fall out of the game, and it was no surprise when the home side equalised, though it was a bizarre goal. A hopeful punt into the heart of our defence, appeared to cause no danger, but both Rennie and King hesitated, neither taking the responsibility to clear, allowing the ball to bounce over them towards the goal. McMullen, racing back to help out, attempted to clear the ball over the bar, but instead rifled the ball into the top corner of the net leaving Peat helpless.

That was bad enough, but the dippy female announcer then credited the goal to Fife's number 10. Obviously she wasn't watching the game, probably doing her nails, or some such feminine thing ?

Maybe Peter Heatherston was right after all, when he said they should be at home making the tea !!!.

All that could be said of the rest of the match was that it was desperately dull stuff. The only bright spark was a superb run by Swankie down the left from the halfway line into the box, and from his low cross McLean slipped the ball into the net in off the near post. It was a backs to the wall job after that. Miller replaced the tiring Andy Cargill, and Farquharson replaced two goal hero McLean. Despite incessant pressure from the home, some resolute defending kept them at bay, coupled with some ineffectual attacks . We had made a step in the right direction, and moved 2 points in front of the Fifers in the relegation battle.

Pos   P W L D F A Pts
8 Arbroath 32 9 14 9 35 51 36
9 East Fife 32 9 16 7 34 43 34
10 Stenhousemuir 32 6 23 3 22 64 21

East Fife - O'Connor, Russell, I. McDonald, G. McDonald, Mathie, Mortimer, McMillan, Bain, Deuchar, Gilbert, Stein.

Arbroath -  Peat, McMullan, Graham, Rennie, King, Cusick , Cargill, McCulloch, McLean, McGlashan, Henslee.

Referee C. Thomson.

Attendance 762.

 

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