Saturday 5th March 2022 St Machar S1 vs Grammar S1 Match Report

Report on St Machar Academy First Year v Aberdeen Grammar School First Year, CNR International League - Saturday 5th March 2022, by Walter Craig

Dixon’s Double Sees St Machar Grab Three Precious Points.

St Machar Academy First Year
Isaac Volpi, Kenzie Innes, Matthew Campbell, Tyler Gordon, Wicktor Mischuda, Max Wetherly, Jamie Walasek, Nathan McIntyre, Cohen Leiper, Tyler Dixon and Lucas Bergeron. Subs: Max Mackenzie, Saugat Bhandari, Thomas Pimbley, Cole Simpson and Jack Low.

Aberdeen Grammar School First Year
Callum Vargesson, Charlie Dalziel, Liam Harkins, Kit Jessiman, Cameron Findlay, Matthew Taylor, Michael Boyd, Kai Ryrie Callum Campbell. Dylan Fitz and Joe Inglis. Sub: Yahya Ibrahim.
Referee A. Cunningham

It was a case of last chance saloon when Grammar and St Machar met with both teams needing a victory to give themselves any chance a catching league leaders Bucksburn.

Heavy rain on both Thursday and Friday combined with early morning frost dictated that the pitch would be tricky, and indeed it was remarkable that the game was correctly able to go ahead.

St Machar kicked off and took the lead in the first minute. Jamie Walasek ran through the Grammar defence before being halted at the expense of a corner. Cohen Leiper took the kick from the right and his accurate delivery was headed past Callum Vargesson by the unmarked Lucas Bergeron.

Walasek’s runs from midfield were causing problems for the Grammar defenders who just managed to keep him out a couple of minutes later.

The visitors mounted a good counter attack down the right in the fourth minute but Dylan Fitz’s tempting cross was just able to be cleared.

Back came St Machar with Walasek sending Tyler Dixon racing down the right but his parting shot went narrowly over the bar.

Leiper was next to have a shot on goal after being fed by Nathan McIntyre on the left but this time Vargesson brought off a fine stop and the resultant corner came to nothing.

St Machar had plenty of possession and corners but Liam Harkins and his co defenders were able to hold them at bay.

They had to admit defeat in the thirteenth minute as goal number two arrived. Leiper collected an inside pass twenty yards out and his strong shot flew well wide of the keeper and into the net.

Grammar were not taking this setback lying down and a bouncing ball through the middle tested the home defence. Another Dixon run and shot was almost headed passed his own keeper by a Grammar defender before at the other end a cross from the right beat the defence and found Joe Inglis in space just inside the box. His fine drive came within a whisker of reducing the deficit as it whistled past the left hand post.

A corner to Grammar on the half time whistle, after a fine run down the right by Fitz, troubled the home defence who took some time to get it cleared.

The conditions made it likely that free flowing football would be difficult, but despite that it had been a very entertaining half. St. Machar had plenty of opportunities but could not add to their two goals.

Half Time: St Machar Academy First Year 2 - 0 Aberdeen Grammar First Year

Grammar served notice of their attacking intent early on in the second half when the St Machar defence needed a fine stop from Vargesson to keep out Inglis’s shot from the left in the second
minute.

St Machar were still dangerous when on the attack, and Dixon’s speed and power on the right produced a third counter in eight minutes. He made good progress from the half way line, took on a defender, and sent a low drive beyond the keeper and into the net at the far post.

The same player nearly made it four sixty seconds later. Collecting a long pass from midfield, he rounded Vargesson but lost his footing just as he was about to shoot and the ball was blocked.

Dixon was at it again minutes later but lost control at the vital moment and then midway through the half, Leiper tried to show his team mate how it was done but he, too, took a heavy touch.

It looked like he had made up for this in sixteen minutes. A ball with pinpoint accuracy from Jack Low on the left, saw the midfielder head strongly towards goal. From out of nowhere, Vargesson got his hand to the ball and diverted it on to the post. A superb piece of play all round.

The scoring was completed eight minutes from the end with Dixon scoring a replica of his earlier goal. He picked up the ball just outside the box this time but he finished from the same spot as before.

The game ended with Grammar on the attack but they could not manage to score the goal their play certainly merited. There was no doubting the fact that St Machar were worthy winners, and they now move on to the six point mark. Credit goes to all players on both sides for rising to the challenges provided by the pitch and the weather.

Final Score: St Machar Academy First Year 4 - 0 Aberdeen Grammar First Year