2.30pm 10 February 2024
West of Scotland League, Division Four
Giffnock Soccer Centre 5 East Kilbride Thistle 5 (att 65)
A 3G pitch with a spectator area running the length of one touchline may not be the most exciting of grounds to visit, but that barely matters when you get to watch a game as enthralling as this.
I've seen a handful of 5-5 draws previously, and obviously such games are never dull. But what stood this encounter apart from others was the quality of the football, or at least the finishing.
Giffnock opened the scoring, which would be the only time they were ahead in the match. Their advantage didn't last long, and neither did parity as East Kilbride quickly went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up.
The home side were back level inside 25 minutes, before the visitors went 3-2 up just before half time.
The goals continued to flow in the second period. Giffnock levelled again, but looked to be heading for defeat when two goals in five minutes, the first a penalty, gave East Kilbride a 5-3 lead with just 10 minutes left.
But the next turning point was an 83rd minute Giffnock penalty, awarded after a goal-line handball prevented a certain goal. It was scored to make the score 5-4 and East Kilbride were reduced to 10 men when the offender was sent off.
With a numerical advantage, and after what had gone before, it was no surprise that just three minutes later Giffnock scored again to earn a point. Both teams could have won it in the final moments, but there were no more goals.
Giffnock's West of Scotland League team play at Eastwood Park. Despite being a basic football ground, from a spectator perspective at least, it's a pleasant location, shared with a school, theatre and the local council's HQ.
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