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Bolag narrowly miss out in stormy table-top clash
Brechin Bolag AFC 0, Strathmore 1 - Title rivals Strathmore made a giant stride in their pursuit of the League Championship with a narrow victory over the Bolag in a highly charged match at Brechin.
The home side had to do a last minute reshuffle when David Lindsay felt too ill to play.
It surprised many of the players that the match was given the go ahead as the pitch was quite hard but without doubt both teams wanted to play.
It was taking time for the sides to get any rhythm going as the ball was bouncing all over the place and the players struggled on the surface.
After the Bolag looked the better of the two sides a free-kick conceded 22 yards out gave Strathmore an opportunity from which they scored when the flighted ball wrong footed Euan Clark and ended up in the net in 16 minutes.
The home side created a few good opportunities but Craig Laing's run and shot went wide.
Barry Forbes was foiled by the keeper when he powered into the box and when a long throw in was headed across the box, Liam Middleton's volley flew the wrong side of the post.
At the other end from a corner the same player cleared an effort off the line. By half time the Bolag players were becoming quite upset and bruised by late unpunished challenges.
Early in the second half Clark made a fine save but by and large Strathmore set out to contain and frustrate the Bolag and a red mist began hovering around the park as it seemed the visitors were being favoured by the ref.
In 55 minutes Stevie Clark picked up a soft yellow card by his standards!
Five minutes later Ryan McIntosh kicked the ball away in frustration of being pulled up for a challenge which earned him a yellow and when Clark pointed out Strathmore were doing the same without being booked he was sent off.
The 10 men were the better side but the red mist continued to descend as more late challenges went in from both sides and in 73 minutes a bad tackle and booting away of the ball by two Strathmore players led to the ref bringing out his book but to the Bolags' dismay the red card he brought out was for Barry McDonald for a reaction to a tackle which was deemed as violent conduct.
Chaos had arrived; a terrible tackle on Middleton went unpunished and when the ball broke to Andy Rosie he took another elbow into his bruised face and conceded a free kick for it.
This was the final straw for keeper Euan Clark who threw the ball and his gloves away and told the ref what he thought of him and received his marching orders to leave the Bolag with eight players.
The closing stages were played in Strathmore's half but a deserved equaliser never came in a match which will have repercussions.
Team - E. Clark, L. Middleton (T. Clark), S. Clark, G. McFarlane, W. Hamilton, B. Forbes (B. McDonald), K. MacAulay (K. Rennie), A. Rosie, E. Clark, C. Laing, R. McIntosh
Subs: D. Lindsay, B. Meston.
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Weather for Brechin
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: South
