19/12/00 Stockholm Thistle 4 Parscelona 2

December 19th 2000

Stockholm Thistle 4 Parscelona 2
Peffermill, Edinburgh

Parscelona's last pre-Christmas match had suitably Christmasy weather, being as it was freezing cold and very, very wet.

Parscelona were put under a great deal of pressure in the first half as they acclimatised themselves to the nice, if fake, surface at Peffermill and a string of good saves by Craig McIvor in goals held Thistle at bay. Unfortunately, about twenty minutes into play, Thistle finally managed to bag the opener.

A poor pass out of defence by Grant Macleod was intercepted by AC Celtic star/old man Dave Lacey who was given all the time in the world to compose his shot from the edge of the box (although it still needed the help of the post to go in).

Ten minutes later, Colin McKean had a penalty claim waved away by the referee, and shortly afterward fired a shot wide. He then messed up another chance when he merely needed to cut it across the box to Alasdair Mercer but sadly the greedy bastard dribbled it wide.

Five minutes before half time, Thistle grabbed a second with a superb piece of skill from their striker. Dragging the goalkeeper out, he then calmly backheeled it right back across the goal and into the bottom corner.

Parscelona gradually adjusted to the surface and got right back into play in the second half. With barely two minutes gone, Alasdair Mercer was knocked to the ground by a defender twice his size while going for a cross, and Craig McIvor (now being replaced in goal by Jason) stepped up to score the penalty.

A minute later, a long range effort from Colin McKean made it two-all.

Parscelona's burst of activity was soon ruined a minute later when a through ball split the Pars defence wide open and left goalkeeper Jason Hunkin stranded in no man's land. Three-two.

Good fortune struck for both teams when Colin McKean's shot was saved by the Thistle keeper and then within minutes Grant Macleod cleared a Thistle shot off the line.

With ten minutes left, Thistle notched up a fourth when Jason's kickout sailed past Johnnie and to the feet of an attacker, who had all the time in the world to put it away. Parscelona survived another late Thistle attack just before full time when Jason tipped a shot onto the crossbar.

Pars squad: J. MacDougall, F. Clark, C. McKean, Craig McIvor, J. Wilson, Alex Mercer, C. Norris, S. Holland, Craig W., Alasdair Mercer, K. Rapley, D. Galloway, J. Hunkin, G. Macleod