DALKEITH THISTLE V MONTROSE ROSELEA
MCBOOKIE.COM EAST PREMIER LEAGUE
SAT MARCH 7TH 2015  

Roselea travel to Kings Park, Dalkeith for a very tricky League encounter. Roselea were sitting top equal in the Premier League with 32 points howver Dalkeith were one point behind with both teams having played 18 games out of the 30 to be played. Roselea beat Dalkeith 3-0 in an East of Scotland Cup tie early in the season however a depleted Lea side also went down 2-0 a few weeks later in the League. After last weeks draw with North End which saw the nine game winning streak come to an end Roselea will be boosted by the return of James Collier and Dale Reid. Reid didn’t hang about getting back amongst the goals having scored the only goal in a friendly win over Brechin Vics on Monday night. Stephen Greig was out injured meaning there were also going to be two unstripped players. 

Dalkeith gave the visitors a warm welcome and made them feel at home however that was more down to the Broomfield esque wind blowing right down the pitch  

Roselea: Mcleod, Rae, R Taylor, Reoch, Whyte, Mitchell, Anderson, Collier, Tringham, Watson & Reid. Subs: Cruickshank, Findlater, Thomson, Smith & McDowell 

In the first minute Manson of the home team should have found his way into the referee’s book for ungentlemanly conduct after impeding Mcleod as he tried to kick off and sticking the ball in the net. 

Roselea had the wind at their back which is not often an advantage when attacking but they made a chance in 8 minutes. The ball was played across the midfield from Collier to Anderson and on to Tringham who threw in a dangerous cross ball which Watson was inches from connecting with. 

Manson was then booked for a high challenge and after what had happened in the first minute he could count himself lucky to be still in the game. 

Dalkeith took the lead in 14 minutes under a slight bit of controversy. McNaughton of Dalkeith went down with a leg injury and after play had raged on for 30 seconds he then pulled play back and awarded a free kick. When the ball came in Rae missed his clearance and after a fine save from the first effort from MORRIS his second low shot found its way into the net. 

Dalkeith doubled their lead in 18 minutes and it was the same player who cuased the problems. A clever ball was played in behind Whyte and held up in the wind and MORRIS wasted no time in shooting in off the post to makde it 2-0. 

In 27 minutes Craig Anderson had a great run and shot from 25 yards out with the Dalkeith keeper managing to turn it over the bar. Roselea were coming back into things and Reid had a well struck overhead kick saved when if it had gone anywhere else in the goals it would have gone in. Roselea forced a string of corners and despite a couple of scrambles where the ball would not drop for them they could not reduce the defecit. Reid then laid another ball back to Rae who had a blast from 20 yards and despite the ball strinking the hand of a Dalkeith defender it was in the line of his body and correctly not given as a penalty. 

Play flowed from end to end and Mcleod reacted very well when a long ball almost coaught Roselea out and as he punted the ball to the other end a mistake from a home defender allowed Reid in but he shot over when he had time to compose himself. Roselea were forced to make a change in 36 minutes when Reoch was replaced by Thomson following a head knock. 

Roselea looked to have given themselves a lifeline in 43 minutes when Craig Anderson flighted in a great ball and Andy TRINGHAM guided his header over the keeper and into the corner fo the net. In first half stoppage time

Disaster struck for Roselea when Dalkeith stretched that lead back to two goals when again some sloppy defending saw MANSON skipped onto a ball which fell perfectly for him before shooting low past Mcleod with a great finish. 

Half Time: Dalkeith Thistle 3 Montrose Roselea 2

Roselea started the second half with their final two substitutes being used as the Management team made a statement as to their intent for the second period. Cruickshank & Findlater came on to replace the two full backs Rae & Taylor with Andy Tringham slotting back to left back. 

Roselea had two early chances with Watson just failing to get a shot away as the ball crossed his path in the bo then Reid had a well struck snapshot from the edge of the bo which the keeper held well. 

Roselea were given a glimmer of getting back into the game in 63 minutes when the home sweeper was sent off for an off the ball incident involving Watson. Although he did kick out it was never going to be dangerous and a booking might have sufficed. 

In 67 minutes Roselea were frustrated by the referee when Waston flicked the ball onto Reid who was in a great position but he pulled play back for the free kick. 

Sub Cruickshank was coming into the game and almost got Roselea back to within one goal in 73 minutes when he turned the full back over but shot over with his ledd favoured right foot. Reid then had a chance in 80 minutes when a mistake allowed him to cut along the bye line but his shot curled away from the goal. 

Roselea got the chance they were waiting on in 83 minutes and it was a piece of brave refereeing which it came from. Dalkeith were defending a free kick and despite clearing the ball the referee spotted an off the ball infringement away from the action and awarded a penalty. Michael CRUICKSHANK took on the responsobility and put his foot through the ball strinking an unstoppable penalty into the net. Roselea did press for the remaining time however despite forcing a couple of corners they could not get a dramatic equaliser and Dalkeith deserverdly took the three points. 

Full Time: Dalkeith Thistle 3 Montrose Roselea 2

 This was a disappointing end to the ten game unbeaten run however it was always going to be a tough ask to go to Dalkeith and take something against the team who now top the League. Some poor defending in the first half cost Roselea and Dalkeith barely had four attempts at goal. The third goal coming just on half time was a cruel blow to Roselea’s hopes. Overall it was a deserved win for the home side but Roselea did not give up and battled away to the final whistle. 

Roselea have a chance to get back on to the points run when Jeanfield Swifts visit Broomfield Park for a McBookie.com East Premier League match with a 2.30pm Kick Off. Roselea will be looking to avenge their heaviest League defeat of the season when they went down 5-2 at the Riverside Stadium in September