Harestanes 5 vs 2 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Harestanes 5–2 Rob Roy

If ever there was a textbook example of a game of two halves, this was it. Once again, we faced one of the league’s top sides and matched them stride for stride in the first half — only to unravel after the break.

We started superbly. The back line dealt with Harestanes’ long balls with composure, the midfield pressed relentlessly and won back possession, and our forwards caused havoc with their pace and movement.

The game sparked into life just three minutes in. A brilliant pass from Lucas released Aiden, whose shot was well saved — but Ollie was alert and tucked away the rebound to give us an early lead. Harestanes responded quickly, capitalising on a lapse in pressure on the ball to fire home from 25 yards. But our reaction was spot on: a minute later, Archie threaded a pass to Lucas, who skipped past his marker and rifled in a stunning strike from distance to restore our advantage.

The remainder of the half was a fiercely contested battle. Just as we looked set to take a deserved lead into the break, a baffling refereeing decision changed the momentum. A foul was given but play was allowed to continue, only for Harestanes to take the free kick from a much more threatening position. A dangerous ball into the box found its way in of one of our players, and we went in level at 2–2.

The second half was a different story. We lost our shape, gave Harestanes too much time and space, and paid the price. Our intensity dropped, and a few players became more focused on arguing with the referee or opposition than on doing the hard work. At the end we were probably lucky Harestanes didn't manage to score any more.

That’s now three league games — against Stenny, Gairdoch, and Harestanes — where we’ve shown we can compete with the best for 35 minutes, only to fall away. It’s not about fitness. It’s about desire. The willingness to dig in, stay switched on, and do the ugly side of the game for the full 70 minutes.

Man of the Match

Lucas H – A strong performance. Solid defensively, tenacious in winning the ball back, and composed in distribution. Even as the game slipped away, his effort never wavered.

Match Stats:

Ollie

Lucas

Aiden

Archie

Lucas M

Keir

Lucas H