Busby 2 - 2 Eaglesham
This fixture was re-arranged, due to an unlined pitch at Eaglesham, to Busby's Overlee Park. Conditions were not ideal with the pitch being muddy and slippy and on top of this it was cold, windy with driving rain. It was no surprise, given two previous defeats to Busby, that Eaglesham went at Busby from the start and with the wind behind them pressured all over the park. However, it's goals that count and in 13 mins Eaglesham conceded a foul in midfield some 35 yds from their goal. The ball was played forward a yard and Busby's Scott Bruce fired a vicious shot whch dipped a few yards in front of keeper, Danny Moy, and whizzed into the corner of the net; 1 - 0 Busby. Busby came into the game a bit more but misplaced passes and poor control let us down presenting Eaglesham with the opportunity to take posession. Eaglesham had more of the posession but neither keeper was troubled in the 20 odd minutes that passed till Busby stretched their lead. Corner to Busby which was played to the near post but this was one that the big Eaglesham defender should have dealt with but instead it was the physical presence of Gerry Cummin that settled the issue by forcing a OG. Half time 2 - 0.
With the wind behind them in the second half you would have expected the game to be played more in the Eaglesham half. Instead, Eaglesham took a grip of the game and forced Busby back, deeper and deeper went the Busby midfield, ball after ball won by Eaglesham. Inded, the consensus amongst the spectators (wisely sheltering at the pavilion) was it was only a matter of time before Eaglesham scored. And so it proved, Eaglesham's Dunning executing a lovely turn inside the box and from a fairly acute angle rifling the ball into the net. More Eaglesham pressure followed and with 10 mins to go they got their equaliser from a neat little back header into the Busby net. After this Busby did come back into the game and both teams had some good chances - the Eaglesham players more culpable when firing over the bar with only the keeper to beat and also losing out to the keeper's tackle at the edge of the box. For Busby, Congolton had a swerving 20 yard shot tipped away by Moy for a corner and also a weak back header by Cummin which plopped into Moy's arms. Eaglesham will feel a tad aggrieved that they didn't take full points but since they couldn't score more than Busby they will have to live with it. Verdict, a scrappy game in the main due to the conditions.