Jubilee Cup - Match 1 21/08/2018
Riverside v Dundee West Royals
Starting Line-up
GK - McColl
LB - Tennant
CB - Hughes
CB - Smart
RB - Chalmers
LW - Morris
CM - Johnstone
CM - Smith
RW - Clark
ST - Storrie
ST - McManamon
Substitutes
Nixon
Singer
Crabb
Paton
Gilmurray
Gibson
MATCH REPORT. After the disappointment of their first competitive game being postponed on Sunday Dundee West Royals were more than ready for their first 11 a side competitive cup game on Tuesday night and it was a tough fixture away to a very good Riverside athletic team.
Dundee West started well, having most of the possession in the first half, but the wind made it difficult.
0-1: Riverside took the lead directly from a free kick, with the wind helping take it over keeper McColl’s head and into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 against the run of play.
0-2: West continued to play the better football, but half way through the first half, Riverside made it 2-0, with another long range effort from wide on the left hand side, going in over the keepers head yet again.
West spurned a good chance to close the gap before half time, when Clark latched on to a loose ball and rounded the keeper, but from a tight angle, the ball bounced back off the post.
Half-time: Riverside 2-0 Dundee West Royals
1-2: Dundee West came out of the traps at half time, determined to get back into the game and it paid off when McManamon beat the offside trap early in the half. One-on-one, the keeper made a good save down low, only for the ball to rebound off of The strikers face and into the net.
2-2: West continued to press, with some good passing plays and through balls to utilise McManamon’s pace, and it paid off yet again shortly after the first goal, when he ran through and slotted into the side net to make it all square.
3-2: Riverside were crumbling under the pressure as West continued to press, and a loose pass across goal gave Storrie the opportunity to throw a left foot at the pass, taking it goalward and crawling over the line into the keepers far post.
4-2: Yet again McManamon was a handfull, one-on-one with the keeper again, the keeper got a good touch but the ball trickled over the line, with Riverside defenders scrambling to clear it and coaches and players protesting the goal, McManamon made sure by blasting the ball into the roof of the net to seal his hat-trick.
5-2: Not long after coming on as a sub, Paton’s twinkle toes opened up space in midfield, and having beat two men he played a perfectly weighed pass between the last 2 defenders, for McManamon to run on and slot past the keeper to make it 5.
McManamon almost bags his 5th with yet another through ball putting him one on one with the keeper, but having rounded the keeper on his weaker left foot, he couldn't get round the ball and a backtracking defender was able to clear on the line, and put the ball behind for a corner.
6-2: Smart found himself further up the pitch having switched to CM, and a trademark maizy through the Riverside defence gave him an easy finish past the keeper to make it 6.
7-2: McManamon bursts through and is brought down by the keeper - penalty is given. Tennant steps up to take and puts the ball to the keepers right hand side, but the keeper makes a great one handed save and the ball falls to none other than On form McManamon, to stroke the ball into the open net at the near post.
A few Riverside chances ensue at the end, but nothing of any trouble other than a few long range efforts well wide, or blocked by the West defence, who are still battling for everything with the game already won.
Full time: Riverside 2-7 Dundee West Royals
Scorers: McManamon (5), Smart, Storrie
A great performance by every player, even at 7-2 up nearer the end, West contested every ball and never let Riverside get into the game. Their heads could have easily went down with 2 sucker-punch goals, but they got off to a flying start in the second half to win comfortably.