Spartans stay top by Lily relegated

Published on Monday 11 May 2009 10:02

Spartans 3 - 0 Easthouses Lily SPARTANS kept their Premier Division championship aspirations very much alive with a comfortable 3-0 victory against a determined and well organised Easthouses Lily side who found themselves relegated after five seasons in the top flight.

Spartans remain top of the table on goal difference from Dalbeattie Star, who also won 3-0 against Coldstream, and the pair of them are scheduled to meet in two weeks time in what will be a title decider.

The two-goal hero for Spartans was Keith McLeod, whose season is now finished as he begins a two-match suspension which will see him miss this Saturday's last-ever game at City Park for Spartans against Edinburgh City and then the all-important showdown with Dalbeattie.

"We played with three up front and it definitely worked for us," said McLeod. "David Etale, Struan Preston and me all move about and we really took the game to Easthouses and created chances. I don't think that Easthouses could cope with three up and our midfield was also magnificent.

"It was a good win and, hopefully, we can carry that form into our next two games. I'm just very disappointed that I won't be part of them."

The Spartans management team of Mike Lawson and Sam Lynch will also be disappointed that their leading goalscorer, with 15 strikes to his credit, will have to sit out these games because he had a major part to play in this win over Easthouses played in atrocious conditions.

The first real effort of the game came in the 15th minute when a first time volley from Robbie Manson flew narrowly past the post, then Etale tried a shot on the turn which drifted over the crossbar.

Spartans were shooting down the City Park slope and enjoyed the majority of both possession and territorial advantage although, in a Lily breakaway, former Spartans player David Beattie fired tamely wide of the target from eight yards.

The opening goal arrived after 32 minutes when a Manson free kick was deflected for a corner which Dean Hoskins swung over from the right. McLeod made a dash for the near post and was left unmarked to head the ball in from six yards.

The goal settled the home side but it was Easthouses who came closest to scoring before half-time when Ryan Curran was left with only Chris Flockhart to beat and the goalkeeper brought off a superb save to deny the Easthouses striker. Only minutes later Curran was again denied by another fine save.

Preston almost increased the Spartans advantage with a near-post flick before McLeod notched his second goal ten minutes after the break. Manson threaded a pass to the powerful striker who, from 16 yards, neatly slipped the ball behind Barry Lindley and into the net at the back post. Preston and Alex King both had good efforts for Spartans before Scott Borthwick hit a snapshot over the bar for Easthouses.

In the 76th minute Etale put the game beyond Easthouses when he cut in from the right and showed great determination to fire home a left foot shot from the edge of the penalty box.

Shortly afterwards Borthwick was sent off for using foul and abusive language before McLeod almost notched his hat trick but his netbound shot was headed off the goal-line by Ross Cameron.

Lawson, Spartans co-manager, said afterwards: "

Overall, we played very well and towards the end we had chances to score more goals because goal difference could yet decide if Dalbeattie or Spartans wins the league. Our momentum and energy have been great in recent weeks, although we have not always got the rewards for our effort and commitment."

Lawson's fellow co-manager Lynch added: "As always, Easthouses made it very difficult for us, although I have to praise our players' attitude which has been really good. Our front three linked well and we scored good goals while also managing to keep a clean sheet. At the beginning of the season I would have taken the position we are currently in with two games left to play."

Dave McQueenie, the Easthouses boss, was quite philosophical in his summing up of proceedings. "Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to go forward and that is exactly what we will have to do to bounce back.

"I thought that it was a good game with end-to-end action and we had a chance to equalise before half-time but after we went two behind we were up against it and lost our discipline.

"I have to say well done to Selkirk who moved above us to finally relegate us but to go down with 23 points is unbelievable."

Spartans: Flockhart, O'Donnell (Fowlie 65), Hoskins, Archibald, Gerrard, Preston (Kader 76), King, Manson, Etale (Devlin 83), McLeod, Henretty. Subs: Hair, Walker.

Easthouses: Lindley, Stupart, Cameron, Gaylor, Kidd, Edgar, Smith, Ferry, Beattie (Hunter 61), Borthwick, Curran (Love 61). Subs: Baigrie, Craig.