Legion travelled up the A7 on Saturday to face fellow Division A side Hawick United with a place in the last eight of the South Cup up for grabs. With number one and vice Captain Johnson injured, Dell bravely took up an unfamiliar role between the sticks and did both himself and the club proud.
This was the clubs first match on grass since October 16th with the players knowing it would be a completely different experience from their usual action on the 3G.
The first few minutes was all one way traffic as Legion started really well, looking to pick up from last week and put the home side under pressure right from the off. Hawick gradually came into the game and looked threatening on the break, causing a few worrying moments in the Legion rearguard.
After twenty minutes the deadlock was broken when Lewis Muir was played through the middle, with the Legion backline appealing in vain for offside, he finished well and slotted the ball into the corner.
The rest of the half was played out in a disappointing scrappy fashion with both teams cancelling each other out.
The second half was much more like the Legion side we have come to expect with A Little causing mayhem with numerous driving runs. Countless corners and long throws were thrown into the United box but agonisingly the ball just wouldn’t drop in Legion’s favour.
Mattinson rattled the bar as time was ticking away and there was a clear feeling among the sizeable travelling support that it was just one of them days.
In the dying embers Hawick were reduced to ten men when one of their subs was sent off for two bookable offences in quick succession but they held firm and have to be admired for being so plucky and battling for each other to earn their place in the quarter final.
An afternoon of frustration for the club with too many not doing the basics in the first half followed by an incredible amount of pressure but being unable to make it count in the second.
The chance for redemption is immediate with the two sides meeting again this weekend, this time in a league fixture, with a 2pm KO at Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick.
Team
F Dell, C Cuthbert A Paisley S Byers C Ewart D Borthwick L Irving I Little A Little D Winter & B Mattinson
Subs
S Collins C Pool A Wilson (Used) R Hotson & T Henderson (Unused)
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