Arbroath 1 Accies 1: Saturday, 27 November 1999

Report by George Grandison

Accies made the lengthy trip to Angus for their first visit to Gayfield on League business since 1980 and came away with a well-deserved point on a wild and stormy afternoon. For me personally this was also something of a milestone, being the 40th club that I have visited since first dragging my father along to Douglas Park in late 1973. I've almost been to every league ground (both old and new) in that time but am still one short thanks to East Fife relocating to New Bayview last year.

Having fortified myself against the bitter cold with a swift half in Tutties Neuk - surely Scotland's most football friendly pub, being literally across the road from the turnstiles - I noticed a group of teenagers hanging around outside the turnstiles. On closer inspection they were waiting outside the parent and child gate offering their share if an adult would go in with them! Nice to see local enterprise initiatives flourishing! I ventured inside the neat little ground and found the home support huddled under cover at one end. When Arbroath decided to attack the opposite goal, I then witnessed an almost forgotten ritual - changing ends en-masse - and very nostalgic it was. Call me old fashioned but you can keep your modern, soulless all-seated stadia on out of town sites, changing ends on the terracing is football as it should be. The wind was whipping up the North Sea outside the ground and the crowd took whatever shelter they could find.

The first half didn't amount to very much. In fact nothing of note happened at all in the first twenty minutes. Accies had a bit of help from the ref when he blew for an Arbroath free kick at halfway when Colin McGlashan was breaking away and heading for goal. Arbroath then produced a short spell of pressure but no chances at goal and Accies broke down the left through David McFarlane. He had Gerry Crossley unmarked inside but chose to shoot from the edge of the box and fired just over the bar. On 25 minutes, though McFarlane did give us the lead. Although Nicky Henderson lost the ball on the right flank, the ball broke off a defender and sat up for McFarlane who hammered in a great low shot from outside the box across the keeper and into the corner. McFarlane went fairly close with a glancing header from a Nicky Henderson cross and Psycho Henderson picked up yet another booking for a reckless late tackle. At the other end, Arbroath looked lively but created nothing and Ian McFarlane didn't have a save to make.

At half time I joined the locals at the pie hut (warning : anyone over 6' tall, mind your head!) and found another plus point about Gayfield, not only Scotland's handiest boozer but probably the cheapest pie and bovril (the last time I remember paying just £1 for both was about 1985). The down side is of course the weather. I've been (very) cold at every ground on the east coast in my time (except Links Park, Montrose but it was August) but this has to be the worst!

Accies almost took advantage of the wind right away. A Crossley corner started out 6 yards out but the fierce gale blew it goalwards only for goalkeeper Hinchcliffe to scramble back and paw the ball away from the goal line with Accies appealing for a goal. Thereafter, the weather got gradually worse and football became even more tricky. Accies often looked dangerous on the break, particularly down the right where restored wing back Steven Renicks got forward quickly and was willing to take on defenders, but with Ian Ferguson still out injured David McFarlane lacked support. Arbroath came more into the game, finally picking up the pace and they created a couple of near things in front of goal before Ian McFarlane saved well at his near post. Really it was no great surprise when they equalised with 14 minutes left, substitute Tindal powering home a header from close in. The surprise was that they didn't go on to finish us off and Accies actually finished the game well but created little apart from a couple of Cunnington shots from the edge of the box - one went just wide, the other was well saved. In the end a draw was about right with Accies maybe just shading it. The defence looked comfortable on a difficult day but Ferguson was again badly missed up front.

Accies: I McFarlane; Renicks; Cunnington; Gaughan; McLaren; Thomson; Bonnar (sub McAulay 85); Crossley; D McFarlane; N Henderson; D Henderson. Subs not used: Martin; Moore.

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