Last updated 12:05, Thursday, 02 October 2008

Duns 6 Langholm Legion 1 LANGHOLM Legion lost their way last Saturday in more ways than one.

Training on the previous Tuesday had not been too promising with only half of the first team in attendance.
With two late call-offs, Legion made the trip to Berwickshire with a squad of 13, including three new signings in Gilsenan, Pool and Tait.
Things took a turn for the worse when one of the cars broke down en route. A rescue mission was launched and everyone finally assembled at Duns for a delayed kick-off.
Legion were immediately on the backfoot as Duns rattled the bar and showed their intent after only 30 seconds of the match.
For the next 20 minutes Legion were seriously exposed down both flanks as Duns piled on the pressure.
Langholm had some respite in the 10th minute when a diagonal ball from Thomlinson found Johnson in space. He controlled well but his effort was fired over the bar.
Legion’s defence was broken when Brian Johnson pulled up injured and, while the away team was down to 10 men, Duns took advantage with a back-post header to take the lead.
Gilsenan replaced Johnson to make quite an impressive debut. Hard-running Ben Maxwell had an opportunity to level the scores when he broke through but was denied by a good save from the keeper.
Duns increased their lead when a shot from the edge of the box left Tait stranded in goal as the ball came off the underside of the bar.
Salt was rubbed into the wound when a miscued cross from the left found the front top corner of the goal.
With 25 minutes gone and 3-0 down, the neutrals were probably expecting a cricket score. But Legion rallied.
A deep free kick by Henderson caught the Duns defender stretching and he fired a header into his own net.
Legion’s confidence grew as they began to move the ball swiftly round the park and ask questions of the Duns defence.
For 20 minutes either side of half time Langholm were very much the equal of Duns. But the second goal was not to come. The best effort was a Gilsenan shot that was well blocked.
Duns secured the three points when another miscued shot bobbled round the area to be prodded home by their forward from close range.
The rub of the green was now really with the home team as a deflected shot looped into the top of the net for the fifth and a sixth followed as the ball rebounded to an onrushing forward.
Legion struggled in the last 20 minutes just as they had in the first 20 minutes, even though the intervening period had been promising.
The belief that passing football can be executed for 90 minutes has to be in the forefront of every Legion player. This needs a great deal of fitness, commitment and discipline if it is to be sustained for 90 minutes.
Team: Tait, B Johnson, B Maxwell, Thomlinson, Henderson, Irving, Pool, Dawson, D Johnson, A Maxwell, Keir, Gilsenan.
Man of the match: Ben Maxwell
This weekend Langholm play Hawick Legion at home. Kick-off is 2pm.