Peeblesshire News | Sport | Blue Monday as Spartans are crowned the Kings

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Monday, 9th June, 2008 12:00

Blue Monday as Spartans are crowned the Kings

By David Knox at Rosewell

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Vale of Leithen 2 v 7 Spartans

FOR one team it was a game too many, for the other it could have been their farewell fling in East of Scotland football.

Spartans got their hands on the King Cup with relative ease on Monday night.

And showed the Vale faithful exactly how far they still have to go to become a major force in local football.

From the opening exchanges the city side, who are bidding to take Gretna’s place in the Scottish Football League, always looked the sharper and more composed.

And it came as no surprise when Donal Henretty nipped in to steal a loose ball 10 yards from goal and steer a shot across stand-in keeper Gary Louttit into the far corner of the net.

Vale’s centre-half pairing of Campbell Forsyth and Craeg Robertson were given a torrid time by the movement and pace of Kevin Motion, Henretty and Danny Noon.

Steven Notman battled well in midfield but the usually reliable duo of Robbie Clarke and Colin Smith struggled to make any impact.

Despite an abundance of Spartans pressure Vale should have equalized on the half hour when Ryan McManus showed great strength to hold off Stewart Fowlie but his shot from inside the area was blocked by keeper Kevin Brown.

Moments later Noon squeezed a shot beneath Louttit and Ross McManus’s attempted goal-line clearance hit off the inside of the post and rebounded into the net.

At two down it would have been easy for Vale to crumble but they did briefly bounce back with an Aaron Somerville cross being headed a foot wide by the unmarked Smith.

And the midfielder’s shot moments later was cleared off the line by Dan Gerrard.

Spartans made sure of the silverware just before the break when Omark Kadir darted to the byline and squared for Ross Cambell to tap in.

With a depleted squad there was little co-boss Lindsay Rathie could do to change his side’s fortunes.

And following the break it was one-way traffic for 20 minutes. Former Vale player Danny O’Donnell hammered in a fourth just after the restart.

And on the hour Forsyth used an arm to prevent the ball crossing the line during a goalmouth scramble. Referee John Underhill generously showed just a yellow card but Ross Archibald still hammered home the penalty.

Campbell scored goal number six on 65 minutes.

Notman is looking for fulltime football following his release from Hibs last season and his never-give-up attitude in the middle of the park won’t have done him any harm in front of the large crowd.

The 21-year-old also scored the goal of the night on 71 minutes, curling home a fantastic free kick from 25 yards.

Substitute Dean Hoskins restored the six-goal advantage a few minutes later.

But the scoring wasn’t over as Somerville did well to break into the box and roll the ball into the path of Frankie Harrison who slotted home.

The final flurry was little consolation for manager Rathie. He said: “We looked tired and I just felt it was one game too many for us.

“We were short of players and could only name one substitute tonight. We now have to get our heads down and start concentrating on next season.”

Vale of Leithen. G Louttit, R Alexander (F Harrison 79), Ross McManus, C Robertson, C Forsyth, R Clark, Ryan McManus, S Notman, A Somerville, C Smith & R Fleming.

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