MATCH REPORTS

Sunday 10th March            League

Armadale  1  Uphall Diamonds  5

Sunday saw the Diamonds playing on the astro turf at Armadale Academy, a game watched by Danny Lennon the St. Mirren manager, obviously looking for a few tips for his forthcoming League Cup Final! He may not have picked up any new ideas, but he did see a very good football game between two evenly matched teams.

The Diamonds opened the scoring in the seventeenth minute with a very good goal, Ross played a very quick and smart free kick into the Armadale penalty box,. Ali ghosted in on the blind side volleyed the ball back across goal and into the net at the far post.

Chances were created by both sides in the first period, Tosh and Jack both came close whilst at the other end, Michael did well, diving full length to prevent An Armadale equalizer. Half time saw the Diamonds retain their single goal advantage.

The second half started with Armadale on top, and it came as no surprise when they leveled the score at 1-1 with a well worked goal. Indeed could have taken the lead a minute later when their forward ran clear of the Diamonds defence, Brandon stood tall and at the vital moment dived to save, touching the ball round the post for a corner. A vital and possibly game saving stop. From the corner the Diamonds broke free, Ewan Both, Ben and Jack all combined to set up Ben Forrest for an easy tap-in. Armadale could have been a goal up, but instead it was the Diamonds ahead ... on little things do football games swing.

Armadale were still playong well and came close to an equalizer when a header crashed off the post, a free header which seemed to surprise a dozing Diamonds defence. The vital third goal came for the Diamonds with ten minutes remaining. Ben Forest latched onto a loose clearance and lofted a shot high into the net. The fourth goal came from some tireless running from Ben Forest who chased a lost cause wide on the right, he won the ball and slipped it inside to Ewan Both who netted after beating two or three defenders in the six yard box. The scoring was completed when Ross swung a corner onto Ben Forest's head, he netted to claim a well deserved hat trick.

A fine game of football today, with two well matched teams giving their all. The scoreline suggests a comfortable win for that Diamonds but it was far from that, the game could in fact have gone either way. Good finishing from the visitors being the telling factor.

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Sunday 3rd March              County Cup

Uphall Diamonds 0 Shotts 10

With Sunday morning's game called off, the Diamonds made the brave, possibly foolhardy decision to play the game at Murieston later that evening. Due to other comitments the Diamonds would be reduced to twelve players and that inclded two goalkeepers and one player returning from long term illness.

The game later on in the evening went pretty much to form, Shotts winning comfortably. The Diamonds battled hard, a difficult task made impossible with injury forcing Michael to abandon his goalkeeping duties and play upfront ... nearly scoring in the process ... further injury then reducing the team to ten men.

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