Inverleith A 1

EAST MEN’S DIVISION ONE

A WINDY Currie High School was the venue for the clash between the Reivers and Inverleith.

For the first time in many weeks Captain Scott Girvan was able to put out a familiar-looking side, with only Pete Forster having his first show of the season.

The opening play was scrappy to say the least, with both teams going at 100 miles per hour and stick work and accuracy suffering.

Reivers opened the scoring with their first meaningful attack, Andrew Forster the recipient at the back post after some neat lead-up work. His finish was powerful and flashed past the flailing keeper.

Inverleith were stung into action and threatened the visiting goal; twice they were denied by the stick of goalkeeper Stephen Young, though all in all the Reivers defence stuck to their task and had them fairly contained.

At half-time the talk emphasised the need to keep concentration and intensity for the whole game.

Inverleith came out of the blocks well and put early pressure on the visitors. A Reivers tactical switch saw right back Peter Cairns in the unfamiliar roll as a striker but he took the task on well and was rewarded with his first goal since joining the club three years ago.

Cue an Inverleith onslaught and for the last 20 minutes the Reivers faced wave after wave of attacks. After several short corners the breakthrough was made – Young blocked the initial shot but the rebound was dispatched into the corner of the goal but the Borderers managed to hold on for the win.

Captain Girvan was delighted with the points and his decision to push Cairns further up the pitch: “I just had a gut feeling that Peter was on form and might nick something for us,” he told TheSouthern. “He will be back in defence next week though, one swallow doesn’t make a summer.”

Reivers: S.Young, P.Cairns, D.Johnston, P.Conkie, C.Stockdale, P.Forster, G.Lofthouse, S.Girvan, A.Forster, S.Pitman, A.Bell. Subs: C.Tucker, R.Jackson.