We look back in time to December 2016 when Lokomotiv Glasgow took on Erskine YFC.

MATCH REPORT

Erskine Town v Lokomotiv Glasgow

With last week’s league fixture against Energetik postponed due to the minging weather that blights all football fixtures at this time of year, Loko’s indulged in a Christmas/belated end of last season night out.

The Loko’s were Walking In Memphis (Shawlands), with the centrepiece of the evening being a highly structured and organised pool tournament; top 2 go through ‘and some third place players too like the Copa America’. Sound logic. The final pitted Captain Brian ‘Thunder’ Gifford against Ryan ‘third place in the group section’ Kerr in a straight shootout between the Loko’s alpha male (Gifford) and Spice Boy (Kerr). Perhaps surprisingly after a dominant tournament ‘Thunder’ (including a memorable one handed win whilst eating a chicken burger against *cough* Mark) was pipped by the deceptively decent pool skills of Kerr who won the tournament to cap off the night where he also scooped Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year, Top Goalscorer, won a tenner on a scratchcard and probably eradicated world hunger.

Needless to say Kerr came into the Erskine match brimming with confidence, not something he usually lacks to be fair, with the hope of leading Loko’s to another win and on pace at the top of the league. Erskine despite being new to the league and mid table have shown themselves capable of good results against strong opposition with only a few draws leaving them adrift, for now, of the promotion places. Played in the shadows of the national stadium, the quality of football was of a similarly poor standard as the once fabled (40 years ago) national team. Dalgleish, Souness, Bremner and Hansen it wasn’t. Whilst Gordon Strachan trundles along in the manager’s post, most likely due to a lack of any other semi decent candidates, Loko’s manager Ross Milne can point to a strong 2016 record of improvement with Loko’s almost unrecognisable, in terms of position,  from a year ago.

The match started at a fairly frenetic pace, Loko’s Chris Mathers passing up an opportunity within the opening minutes. Erskine showed great tenacity particularly in midfield where Loko’s missed the physicality of Miguel (has he actually been deported? jet setting apparently in more salubrious settings than Toryglen). Probably against the run of play where Erskine had established an overload in midfield and played neat possession football, Loko’s scored a quick fire Bang Bang double to establish a lead.

A corner from Kerr broke fortuitously 8 yards from goal at the feet of James Andersen who showed the killer instincts and alacrity of Gerd Muller to fire the ball into the net. Within 10 minutes it was 2-0 Loko’s as Kerr, who moments earlier was verbally jousting with his marker (as per usual) harried him into a mistake which left the Loko’s goal getter with an opportunity one on one with the keeper that the hitman plundered Just Like Jesse James to increase the lead.
That’s how it stayed until the closing moments of the first half, neither keeper having been especially busy. A deflected cross found its way to the back post and the unmarked Erskine forward took advantage to poke the ball under Calum and make it 2-1. Erskine on the balance of play deserved to be level but alas at half time it was 2-1.

Half Time – Erskine Town 1-2 Lokomotiv Glasgow

Half time for Loko’s was filled with a cavalcade of rare occurrences; unicorns, perfect snowflakes, James Lowson not in the Garage and most incredibly HALF TIME ORANGES! The eyes and words do not deceive, the small red floral bag deposited in the middle of the Loko’s half time team talk opened with a great shard of light into the sky, leaving some squad members looking upwards for Batman. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye” wrote Antoine de Saint-Euphery in the Little Prince. How wrong he was as half time oranges are most definitely essential and were very much visible to the Loko’s eyes.

Filled with more Vitamin C than the Man from Delmonte, Loko’s, full of citrusy zest, began the second half determined to improve their ball retention and positional play. However it was not to be as Erskine grabbed an equaliser from the penalty spot. Having failed to clear a corner the ball was at the centre of a tussle between Liam Donaghy and an Erskine wide player. The attempted cross hit Donaghy on the arm from close range giving the referee no option but to point to the spot. The resulting penalty was expertly dispatched, sending Calum the wrong way for 2-2.

As the contest wore on fouls and a flurry of substitutions disrupted the flow of the game. Both sides managed to miss from close range with Loko’s vice captain Delaney guilty of firing wide from an open goal, 6 yards out. Yet another entry into the seemingly endless number in the Loko’s , Storage Vault sponsored, Sitters Hall of Shame. With 15 minutes left on the clock Loko’s nudged ahead once again. Patient build up from Chris Mathers and James Lowson, aided by excellent runs from Gifford and Smith allowed the ball to be worked across goal to Ryan Kerr who once more drilled the ball into the corner to make it 3-2.

By this stage Erskine were down to 10 men having made all of their substitutions and suffering a further injury blow. Loko’s should have been able to see the game out however familiar frailties reared their ugly head once more. The referee’s watch showed 89 minutes when Erskine forced a succession of corners. Loko’s inability to clear amped up the pressure and sure enough the inevitable bell tolled as an unmarked Erskine player found space 8 yards out for a free header into the net, 3-3.

Four times so far this season Loko’s have conceded in the last minute or added time costing the side 7 valuable points which would leave them out in front at the top of the table. If Loko’s Could Turn Back Time they would defend better in the final minutes however this impossibility means it is more likely that any promotion or title win will be achieved in the most difficult manner possible. As the referee’s whistle sounded to draw the match to a close at 3-3 the sense of frustration and anger was palpable on the Loko’s faces. Not even half time oranges could turn these frowns upside down.

Erskine will welcome the point especially having played the final 20 minutes with 10 men and should be commended for their ability to Believe alongside undoubted quality throughout. Loko’s despite going top of the table will know that they must play better and eradicate the silly last gasp points being thrown around as haphazardly as a Donald Trump soundbite if they are to remain in pole position at the season’s end.
Next weekend is the last game before Santa arrives; hopefully giving Loko’s the gift of seeing a game out from a winning position. An away trip to Ansar awaits Loko’s who will hope to show they are Strong Enough to be Alive Again, brush off the Erskine result and finish the year with a flourish.

Well done to our cousins Lokomotiv Moscow for their 2-0 win at home to Terek Grozny, albeit a win that still leaves them in 10th place. Congratulations also to Lokomotiv Plovdiv for their 1-0 home victory against Cherno More (a name which is also a subtle prophecy of doom…don’t let it ever be true!).

Full Time – Erskine Town 3-3 Lokomotiv Glasgow