Shetland FA Fraser Cup Semi Final
Harbison Park, Symbister
Admission and Programme: N/A
Attendance: 50 (est)
Match rating: 4
For the first game during my stay in the Shetland Islands -
indeed, what would be my first game of the 2012-13 season, I headed over to the
small island of Whalsay, which is reached by a half hour drive north from
Lerwick to Laxo, followed by a half hour ferry crossing eastwards.
After a day of very enjoyable walking on the island, I headed
back to the the village where the ferry docked, Symbister, for the game.
Harbison Park is located high above the town, and as such has a glorious
backdrop, with rugged rolling hills behind one touchline and the sea and some
islands behind one of the goals. Such a setting also made for a bitterly cold
evening for football here, with a very strong biting wind throughout the match.
The pitch, which is of the artificial variety and is cage-like in that it has
high fencing all around the pitch, is part of a leisure complex.
Facilities are minimal, although a tall steep grass bank to the side where the
leisure centre is offers good elevated views of the action. Parking is
also available at the top of this bank, and most spectators take advantage of this
with excellent views of the action from the comfort of their own vehicle, only
a handful of persons braving the elements outside. It is also possible for
spectators to enter the "cage", with a few benches available to sit
on along one of the touchlines.
This evening's game would be a cup semi-final, with the home side
very much the favourites. Whalsay won the Premier League last season and are
well placed this season as well, in third place in the eight team league.
Scalloway are one of the strugglers of the league - after finishing second
bottom last season, they are rock bottom this season, with just one point from
their opening five games. Both teams had comfortable looking results in the
last round to reach this stage, both at home - Whalsay beating Delting 3-0, and
Scalloway beating Ness United 3-1.
It was the visitors who had the best of the opening exchanges and
created some reasonable chances, however it was the home side who went into the
lead with ten minutes on the clock with a thumping drive from 25 yards which
swirled in the wind giving the keeper no chance, and was greeted by multiple
honks of car horns. It was certainly hard on Scalloway, but just before the half
hour mark, they were two behind, when a high ball was pumped forward, the
Scalloway defender inexplicably headed the ball on straight to the Whalsay
striker, who then had a clear run on goal, and he showed good composure in the
difficult windy conditions by placing the ball neatly past the keeper. There
was a slightly controversial moment when Whalsay scored again, but the referee
had blown for half time seconds before and so the goal was not given, and the
scoreline remained 2-0 to the home side.
The second half was competitive but by now Whalsay were in total
control of the game. Scalloway never gave up and battled gamely, but
seemed painfully short of ideas going forward. On 70
minutes, they were nearly gifted a route back into the game, when the Whalsay
keeper completely missed a cross, but fortunately for him a covering defender
hacked the ball off the line. Three minutes later and it was game over though,
as Whalsay strode forward, and when one of their players drew the keeper wide,
he passed the ball to his team mate, who took his time before placing a shot
past a defender and into the net. The rest of the match was played out without
much incident, with Whalsay always looking far more likely to score than
Scalloway, and they claimed their place in the final with the comfortable 3-0
scoreline. So an entertaining first fixture for me in the Shetland Islands,
despite the bitterly cold and windy conditions, which seemed scarcely
believable in July.
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