East of Scotland League Select Team |
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EAST OF SCOTLAND FA V SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES at Muirhouse, 25th March 1:30.
East of Scotland Select 0 THE East of Scotland League Select and the Scottish Universities both played some exceptional, high-quality football in all areas of the park although neither could break down the opposition's resolute defending. Although this representation fixture finished goalless there was no end of excitement with the top talent of non-league football on view at the Civil Service sports ground. Apart from the Highland League match, this was the last competitive match for the East Select before the Scottish Football Association pick a national team to play in the Four Nations Semi-Professional Tournament in May. The East Select started impressively and Kevin Motion, Nicky Walker and Steven Sloan all found their touch early on while John Miller of Napier University, who has recently signed for Spartans, tested Scott Bennett with a 20-yard shot. The game moved from end to end and Stewart Fowlie had a piledriver of a shot blocked by his Spartans team-mate in the Universities side, Oliver Antoni. Walker came closest to opening the scoring when he hit the post after he was set up by Kevin Lee then Sloan and Keith McLeod combined to create another chance for Walker which he struck over the crossbar. In the second half both teams again cancelled each other out although Miller, with a powerful 20-yard volley, brought out a good diving save from Kevin Swain in the East Select goal. The East Select was watched by SFA coach Neil McIntosh who will, along with head coach Jim Fleeting, pick the Scotland team and he must have been impressed with the displays of several players but especially the East Select defence of Fowlie, Ross MacNamara, Sean Woodburn and Lee. Willie Darroch, the East Select manager, said: "The Scottish Universities have a very good squad yet our back four limited them to only one direct shot on target. We delivered very good balls but unfortunately it was one of these days when we did not get on the end of them." Dougie Samuel, the Scottish Universities coach, said: "I was absolutely delighted with the performance of our squad." East of Scotland Select: Bennett (Swain 46), Gerrard, Fowlie, Woodburn, MacNamara, Lee (Grainger 67), Sloan (Kidd 83), Campbell, Walker, McLeod (Henretty 77), Motion. Scottish Universities: King, Considine (Thompson 46), Robertson, Fusco, Cathcart (Arbuckle 46), Dodds, Santini (Kader 46), Redman, Howat, Antoni, Miller (Currie 60). The final match against the Highland League is provisionally scheduled for Sunday 22nd April 2007
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Four Nations' TournamentThe Four Nations' Tournament will be held in May with Scotland hosting the tournament. |