It was a heated match at Judy Masters Park on Saturday afternoon. Host’s Balgownie gained the lead in the 35^th minute, however they were unable to hold the advantage as Shell Cove equalised in the 63^rd. Neither team were able to add to the score thereafter.

With only pride at stake, both teams played with strength and skill throughout the game. The first shot on target was created by Luis Gonzalez, falling into the hands of Shell Cove keeper Brandon Groom controlling it well regardless the wind deviating the ball in the air.

Both teams had to factor in the strong winds that carried on throughout the match, pulling up longballs and altering corners significantly.

Filip Angeleski for Shell Cove proved strong and consistent in the backline, shutting down Sebastian Dallas’s speedy runs and Brandon Wager’s crosses.

On 35 minutes, Abdullah Chhipa’s nimble dribble through Cove’s defence saw him strike the ball cleanly sending the ball flying past Groom. The strike putting the Rangers in the lead before the halftime break.

Chhipa opened the second half with a speedy run down the wing burning his opposition, unfortunately he was unable to keep control over the ball before he was able to make a pass as Shell Cove cleared out for a corner.

Shell Cove looked a lot sharper in the second half to be fair. They created a lot more chances and placed the Rangers under heavy pressure. Their backline communicated very well throughout the half continuing to place the Rangers attackers offside.

In the 60^th minute, Goran Nikolovski sent a well lofted ball over Balgownie’s defence to the feet of Elliot Gurney who was stormed on by the opposition denying him what looked certain to be an equaliser.

The Rangers could only manage to hand on till the 63^rd minute when Nikolovski’s cross was fumbled by Ranger’s keeper Hugh Bahnert, falling to the feet of James Petreski who composedly placed it into the back of the net equalising the game.

The Rangers had numerous chances towards the end of the match, Chhipa continued to find the ball in the opening, however he was unable to find the back of the net. Brandon Wager pulled off a stunning long range effort on 85 minutes for the Rangers however the officials ruled there was an offside infringement.

Both sides picked up the intensity in the dying minutes, however the game saw no victors concluding in a draw. Balgownie 1 Shell Cove 1.

 

Saturday 10^th August @Judy Masters Park, Balgownie, 3PM

Balgownie Rangers – 1 (CHHIPA 35’)

Shell Cove – 1 (PETRESKI 63’)

 

Match Team Sheet:

 

Balgownie Rangers – Hugh BAHNERT, Lachlan VENEY, Ben KEARTON, Mathew MCCOY, Luke MCDONALD, Lucas BRUCE, Sebastian DALLAS, Jackson DUMMETT, Brandon WAGER, Luis GONZALEZ, Abdullah CHHIPA – Subs – Mathew BUBB, Deniz TAN, James MCCLELLAND, Christian Bozevski.

 

Shell Cove – Brandon GROOM, Elliot GURNEY, Filip ANGELESKI, Hayden BERKELEY, Atanas SIMONOVSKI, Marko BUBANJA, Daniel TOSKOVSKI, Goran NIKOLOVSKI, Dusan KOLONJA, James PETRESKI, Ile KOSTOVSKI – Subs – Aleksandar ANGELKOSKI, Ben EAGLETON, Lochlan CARRASCO, Alex PEREZ, Andrew SOUSA

Referee – G CHORVES

Assistant Referees – R SINDEVSKI, B BARKLEY

 

Report by Tim Dixon on Twitter @tim_dixon_

Photo courtesy of Noel Wynn.