Mens 2 Vs Granite City

Dundee Wanderers II got their season underway with an always difficult away trip to Aberdeen to face Granite City Wanderers II at Chris Anderson stadium, part of The Aberdeen Sports Village. Wanderers took a strong squad for the game with an excellent blend of youth and experience.

After a hard pre-season Wanderers came out looking for a goal right from the push-back and were rewarded after a through-ball attempt was deflected high in the air and fell kindly to veteran Paul Daily whose first strike was saved but it was Daily who reacted quickest to dispatch the rebound on his reverse stick into the goal.

Wanderers kept up the pressure and most of the play was conducted in the Granite City half with the home side offering little in attack, other than a solitary penalty corner flick which was easily saved by captain Beer in the Wanderers goal.

Wanderers had several chances from penalty corners themselves with an effort from Daily forcing a stick save from the Granite City goalkeeper. The pressure soon paid off and Wanderers were two up. Fantastic play from Fergus Sandison down the left drew the goalkeeper and Sandison fed Daily who was crudely fouled in the act of shooting. The inevitable penalty stroke was coolly slotted home by the evergreen Shaun Chalmers.

At 2-0 Wanderers were guilty of taking their foot off the gas and allowed the hosts a lifeline after an attacking run down the right went unchecked and the Wanderers defence failed to clear the ball after a ricochet into the circle and a Granite City forward was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net after his strike partner had drew Beer and a defender.

This was a wake-up call to the Wanderers and their two goal advantage was soon restored. A penalty corner switch to the right saw the ball end up on the stick of Chalmers whose shot was helped into the net with the aid of a defender’s stick for his second goal.

The second half was more of the same with the young Wanderers doing all the attacking but being unable to add to their lead, mostly due to solid work from the home goalkeeper. Granite City threatened at a comeback but their second penalty corner was also easily dealt with by Beer. The final nail in the Granite City coffin would come after Sandison again showed his ability by out-foxing the home defence before feeding the ball to Daily who in turn searched out Scott Glashan for a first time strike in the bottom corner, leaving the goalie stranded.

Wanderers II will take heart from this performance ahead of a return trip to Aberdeen next week to face defending Regional League North champions, AAM Gordonians II.

LJB