Dundee West Royals V Broughty United Pumas
Starting Line-up
GK - Nixon
LB - Morris
CB - Smart
CB - Crabb
RB - Chalmers
LM - Mitchell
CM - Johnstone
CM - Smith
RM - Gilmurray
ST - Storrie
ST - McManamon
Substitutes
McColl
Clark
Paton
Singer
Hughes
MATCH REPORT
Dundee West Royals 2006’s welcomed Broughty Pumas to Charlotte Street, after a narrow defeat at home to Montrose the week before. West were still chasing their first win in the League, but knew Broughty would provide a stern test, having lost to them 3-1 in the away fixture earlier in the season.
2mins into the game, Broughty launched their first attack, but both Crabb and Chalmers were alert to make a tackle and clear the ball.
A few minutes later, West created their first chance, when Smith released McManamon down the left flank. After beating the Broughty full back with his pace, McManamon reached the by-line and dinked in a lovely cross to the back-post, where Gilmurray met it on the half-volley, but the shot was blocked and cleared to safety.
West continued to pressure up the left hand-side, and Johnstone found himself a half chance at the near post, but the ball was just too heavy and went out for a goal-kick.
On 7mins, Broughty almost opened the scoring, when a shot from the edge bounced into the ground, causing Nixon to parry onto the post with a good reaction save, then their follow up effort from a tight angle sailed across the goal line and out for a throw at the opposite side of the pitch.
1-0: West reacted brilliantly to the scare at their goal mouth, with a counter attack leading to a lovely taken goal by Mitchell. With West pushing back up field, the Broughty keeper was forced into a tame clearance when McManamon chased down the ball to pressure him, and Mitchell was able to control the wayward goal kick wide on the left, and loft the ball over the Broughty defence and into the roof of the net.
West continued to look up for it, piling the pressure on. Broughty looked shaken; their frustrations starting to show as they conceded free-kicks in dangerous areas, as they tried to cope with Wests intensity.
Broughty started to come back into the game, and on 13mins they earned several corners, all of which were dealt with by the West defence.
20mins in, West continued to dominate in the Broughty half, and almost created another good chance, when Gilmurray found himself free at the back post from a good cross, but he was just too late to make contact and the ball sailed wide.
1-1: 22mins into the game, Broughty were gifted a goal against the run of play, when Nixon came to claim a ball on the edge but was unfortunately rounded by the onrushing Broughty striker.
A minute later, with West desperate to regain the lead, Smith went direct from a free-kick wide on the left, but the Broughty keeper made a good save to the near post to put the ball behind for a corner.
Both teams continued to create chances as the half went on, with Chalmers clearing up a good Broughty counter, and Crabb mopping up a counter from their pacey right winger.
4mins before half time, West could have gone in to the break with the lead, when Storrie closed down a pass back to the Broughty keeper and saw himself with a chance on goal, but the Broughty stopper was able to recover and make a good save to keep his team level.
Half-time: Dundee West Royals 1 – 1 Broughty Pumas
Broughty almost seen themselves take an instant lead from kick off, when West were caught napping, but Nixon made amends for his team-mates as he made a great save down to feet to deny the Broughty striker.
1-2: 5mins into the second half, Broughty took the lead, with another gifted goal. A bad goal kick landed at the Broughty players feet, who only had to lift the ball over Nixon’s head to take advantage.
Substitution 41mins = Smart off, Singer on.
Broughty continued to create the better chances after going ahead, with some dangerous corners cleared by the West defence, and shot wide when their right winger lost his man and darted through on goal from a diagonal switch.
Substitution 51mins = Mitchell off, Paton on.
Another few Broughty corners called the West defence into action, with a near post clearance and a shot wide of goal.
Substitution 54mins = Crabb off, Hughes on.
West finally started to get a hold of the ball again, and nearly equalised, when McManamon made a dazzling run up the left again on the counter, and crossed the ball into the near post, only for the shot to be cleared off the line by the panicked Broughty defence.
Broughty almost punished on the counter when their right winger yet again shot wide, having lost his man with his lightning pace.
10mins from time, West were again unlucky not to equalise, after a great passing move. Smith played the ball from deep into Storrie’s feet, who turned and slotted in Paton on the left-hand side of the box. Paton nudged the ball back inside to McManamon, but his shot was nudged wide by the keeper and out for a corner.
Substitution 62mins = Gilmurray off, Clark on.
With 5mins remaining, Broughty could have killed the game, when their striker burst through the centre of Wests defence, only for Nixon to make a great save and keep his side in the match.
2-2: West sneaked a draw in the final moments of the game, with a much-deserved equaliser by McManamon. Morris played the ball long from deep on the left hand-side, and the Broughty midfielder couldn’t quite reach to clear with his head, instead unintentionally knocking the ball behind his own defenders, and McManamon was on his toes to react swiftly and take the ball in his stride, on into the box, slip the ball through the keeper’s legs, and leave himself an easy tap in.
Full time: Dundee West Royals 2-2 Broughty United Pumas
Man of the Match: Johnstone
Scorers: Mitchell, Mcmanamon
Dundee West started the game well, and deservedly went ahead, but some simple mistakes again proved costly, leaking two preventable goals to go behind. However, they showed great determination to get back into the game, and got their reward in the end salvaging a point in a tight game against good opposition. They will travel to St Andrews next week in high confidence, still chasing a first win in the league despite some good performances recently.
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