Date:  Sunday 20th February 2000

John Leslie (9) Scottish

Neil Hinty (9) - English Mark Grice (9.5) - Irish by birth Jim McPherson (9.5) - Scottish Dave Lawlor (9) - ½ Irish

Vinnie Robinson - Scottish Adam Pomoro (9.75) - Anglo-Italian Russell Stinson - Irish (9)  Aidan McGettigan (9) - Irish

Gerry Saviour (9) - Scottish Mark Cran (9) - Scottish

Substitutes
Kevin Robertson (Vinnie Robinson) (8) - Scottish

I really thought we were going to lose this game, 6 first team players either oot the country, injured or malingering. Gricey provided one last minute player and Vinnie Robinson filled the breech snugly. It is pretty much the first time in our History that we have had as many non-English players, no bad thing but quite astonishing.

The referee was clearly blinded prior to the match by the powerful raise of his own image, cos he couldn't see his way to giving us any decisions. With quick introductions of Mark Cran (Glasgow and Partick Thistle) and Vinnie Robinson (Edinburgh and a good Hibby) we began. They poured everything through their front man with nothing coming down the flanks. Silly move really, because either Jim stepped up and took the ball off his feet or Gricey got up close and personal.

The initial play came from Adam Pomoro twisting and turning like a depressive lost in his own thoughts, opportunities fell to Neil Hinty twice and shaved passed their right post. We funnelled a great deal of our effort down the middle aided by a strong wind, eventually newcomer and Jags man Mark Cran with the help of Aido scored an 18 yarder from a melee on the edge of the box to make it 1-0. They had little opportunity and were easily mopped up by our defence. David Lawlor was inspired and produced jinking efforts, losing their player creating space and delivering close a couple of times.

Half Time 0-1

Second half, they had the wind advantage and used it  foolishly again punting it to their one playmaker, which was equally quashed by Jim and Gricey. Gerry V in good Glaswegian company was razzling their defence like no-ones business, in particular their centre back (who had 300 professional appearances for Swindon Town, a-bloody-lledgedly) this culminated in GV being levelled unceremoniously and being awarded a penalty. The Italian stallion di-canioesque stepped up in a brazen fashion to take the penalty, their players fulminating in a futile fashion. Our Anglo Italian stallion stepped up and belted home for 2-0. Game over!

Toward the end of the second half Mark Cran created room up-front and attempted a beautiful lob, hitting the bar. (Clearly not happy with one goal on his debut).

Vinnie, playing his first game in three years look exhausted and came off for yours truly to give an example of everything that should not be done in a football game. Within seconds an unnecessary grim reaper of a challenge had secured Bristol a free kick outside the box, this they fluffed. Strangely my major contribution was as a psychological weapon. Basically the Bristol team spent the last 15 minutes of the match abusing me and losing concentration on the game (example: is that ball up your shirt or are you just a fat bastard, is that just your arse or are you looking after your mates as well or there is no point in trying to shoot you can hit that fat bastards mouth from anywhere on the pitch). They did break through once more, with John pushing on to the bar and dramatically parrying the follow up header. 

Match View: 

It is the ability of champions to grind out performances with only a backbone of the team available. We can and did do this. Next week we face Kettering Town without our Wheel of Fortune bound keeper. We should have everyone else back and our second string goalkeeper cannot wait to get into the action and mutley like secure his seasonal London Hibs medal.

Man of the Match: Adam Pomoro for making tremendous runs, bossing the midfield and being tirelessly enthusiastic.