10am 27 April 2024
Saturday Morning Amateur League, Development Section
Cumbernauld Athletic 2 Moorlands 3 (att 27)
I didn't have a wide choice of morning games that'd provide a new ground to visit, and to be honest I was a little wary of opting for a fixture in the lowest of the Saturday Morning Amateur League's six divisions.
But Cumbernauld Athletic and Moorlands, locked in a battle for what is likely to be a second place finish, provided an enthralling 90 minutes, and a game with a string in its tail.
The first half was bookended by a goal apiece. A shot from distance gave Moorlands the lead in the opening minute, before Cumbernauld levelled with the final kick of the half.
The standard of football was higher than you'd expect at this level, and there was little between the sides. It appeared to be heading for a draw until the away side retook the lead with seven minutes left.
The home side's hopes of equalising were dealt a a blow when they had a player red-carded soon after the restart. But they threw everyone forward, and as the game moved beyond the 90th minute they scored to level the match at 2-2.
But parity didn't last long. The game had become increasingly feisty as the second half went on, and a very late third Moorlands goal not only won them the game but also prompted ugly scenes in which a second home player earned a dismissal.
Cumbernauld's nine remaining men tried desperately to rescue the game in the final seconds, but Moorlands held on. The sides are scheduled to meet again next week, at Moorlands. It should be well worth watching.
Cumbernauld Athletic's home is a 3G pitch at the town's Ravenswood Playing Fields, which was busy with youth football on a Saturday morning.
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