16/03/02 Inter Malamb 1 Parscelona 1

March 16th 2002

Inverdee, Aberdeen

Parscelona managed to improve on their last couple of trips to Aberdeen with a hard fought but thoroughly enjoyable draw in Inverdee. A slightly heavy pitch and a chill in the air didn't stop both sides from producing brief spells of decent football.

Parscelona took the lead when a Fraser Clark corner was headed goalwards by Colin McKean and bounced off an Aberdeen defender before the Dons' Ewan Dow headed it into the roof of his own net while trying to clear. Under normal circumstances, McKean might be able to take the credit but on this occasion temptation was just too much on the grounds that (a) it's a chance to rob Colin of a goal and (b) it means the rather novel situation of an opposition player having scored two goals in a season for Parscelona.

Colin could have had a proper goal from a decent long range effort but the ball came back down off the crossbar and was easily claimed by the keeper. Alex Mercer too was unlucky when his sweetly-struck drive (no, seriously) was tipped over the bar by the Dons' keeper.

Malamb clawed their way back into it in the second half when Davie Sanders chopped down a rampaging Sheep attacker - Malamb gaffer George Craig was playing ref for the day, gliding gazelle-like up and down the touchline like he was 16 again, or something, and had no hesitation in awarding his team the penalty. Quite rightly too, it should be pointed out. 

Both teams continued to create half chances but Malamb came closest to pinching a victory when one of their strikers was played through on goal, only to be denied by a flailing Keith Mackie limb. The ball was deflected just enough to allow Mark Falconer to clear the danger before anyone could pounce on the rebound.

Pars squad: K. Mackie, F. Clark, C. Ozog, M. Falconer, J. MacDougall, J. Norris, C. McKean, C. Norris, K. Rapley, A. Mercer, G. Davidson, D. Sanders, P. Schyma, A. Maxwell