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Old 11-14-2018, 03:49 PM   #6
NoSkillz
College Benchwarmer
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: St. Catharines, Canada
Sat. June 30, 2018

Preseason Friendly
Brora (Scottish Highland League) vs. Queen’s Park
Dudgeon Park, Brora, Scotland

Brora Rangers FC aren’t part of the Scottish Professional Football League, sitting one tier below us in the Highland Football League. They are a semi-professional club with salaried players so it will still be a decent test for us, I’m sure.

We elect to start most of our key players for the first time in this contest, as I look to find a tactic that works while also attempting to improve squad cohesion. I have one trialist in the starting lineup in 21 year old midfielder Dylan Thomas - he’s well suited to a deep lying playmaker role, which suits the tactic I’m trying for today’s match. We’re going to try a modified, “dumbed-down” version of a Gegenpress system. This is a very high paced, urgent pressing system likely more suited to better clubs but the ideal roles really match up well with our roster so I’m going to give it a go today.

Queen’s Park: 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress (Positive Mentality)
GK – J. Hart
D – C. Summers S. Gibson, D. Nimmo, J. Grant
M – J. McKernon, D. Thomas
AM – A. Martin, K. Roberts, S. McLean
S – J. Peters

Brora 1 - 2 Queen’s Park
Goals – Kurtis Roberts (7.1), Adam Martin (7.5)
Assists – Josh Peters 2 (7.2)
Player of the Match – Scott McLean (7.8)
Other Dover Notables - None
Attendance – 55 (25 away)

-- Actually, a pretty impressive start to the season, albeit against non-league competition. We’d fall behind in the 41st minute off a Brora corner but strike back immediately a minute later to pull level. The winning goal was scored when four of my attacking players closed-down a lone ball handler – he’d cough it up and an immediate cross into the box was punched home by Adam Martin, our left winger. We held 57% of possession in this one and had a 22-7 (6-4 on target) shot advantage. You can tell the Gegenpress system works better for players with more class then we have but we seemed to manage well with the demands required from the system, especially when out of possession.



July Update

-- We have an exceptionally busy month ahead, with friendlies remaining against Motherwell (home), Oxford (home), Hearts (home), Knockbreda (away) and Carnoustie (away). We also begin group stage play in the Betfred Cup (Scottish League Cup), with matches against Spartans (home), Airdrie (away), Dumbarton (home) and Kilmarnock (away). Nine games!!



Reserves Update

-- I’ve essentially split my squad into two full teams, with my reserves team being made up entirely of trialists. That trialist squad was good enough to beat my senior team backups in our first friendly so I sent them out against another side to see how they’d fare and they ended up walloping Clyde’s reserve team 5-0 at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. 16 year old midfielder Malky Breen scored twice, as did 19 year old fullback Kyle McDowell. Our 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress tactic was used here as well and our reserves held 66% of possession and outshot our opponents 22-3 (11-2 on target). Breen will likely be earning a contract offer after his performance.



Next Up -

-- We welcome our senior affiliate, Scottish Premiership club Motherwell, to Hampden Park for a preseason friendly!
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