FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, ST ANDREWS UNITED HOSTED A FLOODLIT NIGHT GAME AND OVER 200 LOCALS CAME TO SEE A STUNNING GAME MATT HOOPER
THE FIRST FLOODLIT FOOTBALL MATCH TOOK PLACE IN SHEFFIELD IN 1878, AN EXHIBITION MATCH BETWEEN THE REDS AND THE BLUES AT BRAMALL LANE, 10 YEARS BEFORE THE FORMATION OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. IT WAS ANOTHER 79 YEARS BEFORE THE FIRST FLOODLIT MATCH IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AS PORTSMOUTH HOSTED NEWCASTLE UNITED IN 1956 AT FRATTON PARK. SCOTLAND'S FIRST FLOODLIT MATCH TOOK PLACE SOME 5 YEARS EARLIER AS HIBERNIAN PLAYED STENHOUSEMUIR AT OCHILVIEW PARK IN NOVEMBER 1951.
FLOODLIGHTS AND CLASSIC FOOTBALL MATCHES SEEM TO HAVE GONE HAND IN HAND OVER THE YEARS SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION INCLUDING SEVERAL OLD FIRM DERBIES, THE EPIC LIVERPOOL 4-3 NEWCASTLE BACK TO BACK MATCHES IN THE 1990'S, THE 1968 EUROPEAN CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY, ARSENAL'S ICONIC FAIRS CUP VICTORY OVER ANDERLECHT IN 1970, EVERTON BEATING BAYERN MUNICH AT GOODISON IN THE 1985 CUP WINNERS' CUP SEMI-FINAL, THE ICONIC AC MILAN TEAM OF THE LATE 1980S DESTROYING REAL MADRID 5-0 IN THE 1989 EUROPEAN CUP SEMI-FINAL, DUNDEE UNITED WINNING IN THE CAMP NOU, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT SPORT UNDER THE LIGHTS, PARTICULARLY FOOTBALL.
ON THURSDAY NIGHT HISTORY WAS MADE AT THE CLAYTON CARAVAN PARK RECREATION GROUND ON LANGLANDS ROAD, ST ANDREWS AS ST ANDREWS UNITED HOSTED THE FIRST EVER SENIOR FOOTBALL MATCH TO BE PLAYED IN THE TOWN UNDER FLOODLIGHTS. THE FIXTURE WITH KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS REPLACED AN ORIGINAL FIXTURE WHICH WAS GOING TO BE PLAYED ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, AND PROVIDED A SPECIAL OCCASION FOR EVERYONE AT THE CLUB, AND IN THE TRUE TRADITIONS OF GAMES UNDER THE LIGHTS THIS GAME PRODUCED DRAMA, EXCITEMENT, CONTROVERSY AND WARMED THE HEARTS OF THE 206 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, BY FAR THE BIGGEST CROWD TO WATCH ST ANDREWS UNITED THIS SEASON.
THIS HAS BEEN A TURBULENT SEASON FOR ST ANDREWS UNITED WITH THE SQUAD HIT BY NUMEROUS INJURIES AND POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS, AS WELL AS PLAYERS DEPARTING IN THE SUMMER AND THE EARLY CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT AS CHARLIE BLACK DEPARTED AND BARRY COCKBURN TOOK OVER. THE GAMES HAVE BEEN FULL OF GOALS AND EXCITEMENT, BUT FOR THE FIRST 16 GAMES OF THE SEASON MOST OF THE GOALS WERE GOING INTO THE ST ANDREWS NET. BUT A CORNER SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN TURNED, AND UNITED CAME INTO THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME ON AN UNBEATEN RUN OF FOUR GAMES INCLUDING WINS IN EACH OF THEIR LAST THREE.
JAKE GRADY HAS BEEN THE STANDOUT PLAYER SCORING 5 GOALS IN THE PREVIOUS 3 GAMES, INCLUDING A HATTRICK IN THE DRAMATIC 4-3 WIN OVER EDINBURGH UNITED BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AND ONCE AGAIN JAKE WOULD BE THE FOCAL POINT ON WHICH ST ANDREWS BUILT THEIR GAME UNDER THE LIGHTS AGAINST KENNOWAY.
HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGING FIRST HOUR FOR THE HOSTS AS KENNOWAY DOMINATED THE BALL, CREATING AND MISSING SEVERAL CLEAR CHANCES TO SCORE. THE OPENING GOAL CAME FROM A SPECULATIVE LONG RANGE SHOT BY LEE BRYCE, WHICH FLEW TOWARDS THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, BUT KYLE MORAN COULD ONLY PARRY THE BALL INTO THE OTHER CORNER OF THE NET AFTER 18 MINUTES TO GIVE KENNOWAY A DESERVED LEAD.
ST ANDREWS DID WELL TO STAY IN THE GAME BEFORE HALF-TIME AND JAKE GRADY WAS A CONSTANT THREAT TO THE VISITORS DEFENSIVE LINE, WHO HAD TO CONCENTRATE TO KEEP HIM OUT OF REACH OF THE KENNOWAY GOAL, AND GO IN 1-0 IN FRONT AT HALF TIME.
KENNOWAY CAME OUT AND DOMINATED THE FIRST 25 MINUTES OF THE SECOND HALF, DOMINATING THE HOSTS PHYSICALLY AND IN TERMS OF POSSESSION AND TERRITORY, AND FOLLOWING A MIX-UP IN THE ST ANDREWS DEFENCE THEY TOOK A DESERVED 2-0 LEAD THROUGH ALLY GRIFFIN. THE DIFFERENCE IN LEAGUE POSITION SEEMED TO BE CLEAR AND IT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE ST ANDREWS UNITED'S MOMENTUM WAS GOING TO BE HALTED IN FRONT OF A LARGER THAN USUAL CROWD.
BUT FOOTBALL UNDER THE LIGHTS HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED DRAMA, EXCITEMENT AND THE UNPREDICTABLE. ONCE AGAIN IT DELIVERED, SPECTACULARLY.
ST ANDREWS POURED FORWARD IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK INTO THE GAME, AND AFTER WINNING SEVERAL CORNER KICKS THEY FINALLY GOT THEIR WISH AS MATTHEW HUTCHISON SLID JAKE GRADY THROUGH TO SMASH IN THEIR FIRST GOAL OF THE NIGHT IN THE 76TH MINUTE.
FLOODLIGHTS AND CLASSIC FOOTBALL MATCHES SEEM TO HAVE GONE HAND IN HAND OVER THE YEARS SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION INCLUDING SEVERAL OLD FIRM DERBIES, THE EPIC LIVERPOOL 4-3 NEWCASTLE BACK TO BACK MATCHES IN THE 1990'S, THE 1968 EUROPEAN CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY, ARSENAL'S ICONIC FAIRS CUP VICTORY OVER ANDERLECHT IN 1970, EVERTON BEATING BAYERN MUNICH AT GOODISON IN THE 1985 CUP WINNERS' CUP SEMI-FINAL, THE ICONIC AC MILAN TEAM OF THE LATE 1980S DESTROYING REAL MADRID 5-0 IN THE 1989 EUROPEAN CUP SEMI-FINAL, DUNDEE UNITED WINNING IN THE CAMP NOU, I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT SPORT UNDER THE LIGHTS, PARTICULARLY FOOTBALL.
ON THURSDAY NIGHT HISTORY WAS MADE AT THE CLAYTON CARAVAN PARK RECREATION GROUND ON LANGLANDS ROAD, ST ANDREWS AS ST ANDREWS UNITED HOSTED THE FIRST EVER SENIOR FOOTBALL MATCH TO BE PLAYED IN THE TOWN UNDER FLOODLIGHTS. THE FIXTURE WITH KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS REPLACED AN ORIGINAL FIXTURE WHICH WAS GOING TO BE PLAYED ON NEW YEAR'S DAY, AND PROVIDED A SPECIAL OCCASION FOR EVERYONE AT THE CLUB, AND IN THE TRUE TRADITIONS OF GAMES UNDER THE LIGHTS THIS GAME PRODUCED DRAMA, EXCITEMENT, CONTROVERSY AND WARMED THE HEARTS OF THE 206 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, BY FAR THE BIGGEST CROWD TO WATCH ST ANDREWS UNITED THIS SEASON.
THIS HAS BEEN A TURBULENT SEASON FOR ST ANDREWS UNITED WITH THE SQUAD HIT BY NUMEROUS INJURIES AND POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS, AS WELL AS PLAYERS DEPARTING IN THE SUMMER AND THE EARLY CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT AS CHARLIE BLACK DEPARTED AND BARRY COCKBURN TOOK OVER. THE GAMES HAVE BEEN FULL OF GOALS AND EXCITEMENT, BUT FOR THE FIRST 16 GAMES OF THE SEASON MOST OF THE GOALS WERE GOING INTO THE ST ANDREWS NET. BUT A CORNER SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN TURNED, AND UNITED CAME INTO THURSDAY NIGHT'S GAME ON AN UNBEATEN RUN OF FOUR GAMES INCLUDING WINS IN EACH OF THEIR LAST THREE.
JAKE GRADY HAS BEEN THE STANDOUT PLAYER SCORING 5 GOALS IN THE PREVIOUS 3 GAMES, INCLUDING A HATTRICK IN THE DRAMATIC 4-3 WIN OVER EDINBURGH UNITED BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AND ONCE AGAIN JAKE WOULD BE THE FOCAL POINT ON WHICH ST ANDREWS BUILT THEIR GAME UNDER THE LIGHTS AGAINST KENNOWAY.
HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE A CHALLENGING FIRST HOUR FOR THE HOSTS AS KENNOWAY DOMINATED THE BALL, CREATING AND MISSING SEVERAL CLEAR CHANCES TO SCORE. THE OPENING GOAL CAME FROM A SPECULATIVE LONG RANGE SHOT BY LEE BRYCE, WHICH FLEW TOWARDS THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, BUT KYLE MORAN COULD ONLY PARRY THE BALL INTO THE OTHER CORNER OF THE NET AFTER 18 MINUTES TO GIVE KENNOWAY A DESERVED LEAD.
ST ANDREWS DID WELL TO STAY IN THE GAME BEFORE HALF-TIME AND JAKE GRADY WAS A CONSTANT THREAT TO THE VISITORS DEFENSIVE LINE, WHO HAD TO CONCENTRATE TO KEEP HIM OUT OF REACH OF THE KENNOWAY GOAL, AND GO IN 1-0 IN FRONT AT HALF TIME.
KENNOWAY CAME OUT AND DOMINATED THE FIRST 25 MINUTES OF THE SECOND HALF, DOMINATING THE HOSTS PHYSICALLY AND IN TERMS OF POSSESSION AND TERRITORY, AND FOLLOWING A MIX-UP IN THE ST ANDREWS DEFENCE THEY TOOK A DESERVED 2-0 LEAD THROUGH ALLY GRIFFIN. THE DIFFERENCE IN LEAGUE POSITION SEEMED TO BE CLEAR AND IT LOOKED VERY MUCH LIKE ST ANDREWS UNITED'S MOMENTUM WAS GOING TO BE HALTED IN FRONT OF A LARGER THAN USUAL CROWD.
BUT FOOTBALL UNDER THE LIGHTS HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED DRAMA, EXCITEMENT AND THE UNPREDICTABLE. ONCE AGAIN IT DELIVERED, SPECTACULARLY.
ST ANDREWS POURED FORWARD IN THE LAST 20 MINUTES DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR A WAY BACK INTO THE GAME, AND AFTER WINNING SEVERAL CORNER KICKS THEY FINALLY GOT THEIR WISH AS MATTHEW HUTCHISON SLID JAKE GRADY THROUGH TO SMASH IN THEIR FIRST GOAL OF THE NIGHT IN THE 76TH MINUTE.
JAKE GRADY WHEELS AWAY IN CELEBRATION OF HIS 76TH MINUTE GOAL WHICH GAVE ST ANDREWS HOPE. MATT HOOPER
THEN, REMARKABLY, JUST 2 MINUTES LATER REECE REDPATH WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN THE BOX AND TO THE DELIGHT OF THE HOME CROWD THE REFEREE POINTED TO THE SPOT. GRADY ONCE AGAIN NERVELESSLY STEPPED UP AND CRASHED IN THE SPOT KICK TO STUNNINGLY BRING UNITED LEVEL WITH JUST 12 MINUTES TO GO.
INCREDIBLY THE COMEBACK WAS NOW ON, AND ST ANDREWS HAD THE CHANCE TO SNATCH VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT.
INCREDIBLY THE COMEBACK WAS NOW ON, AND ST ANDREWS HAD THE CHANCE TO SNATCH VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT.
JAKE GRADY BURIES A 78TH MINUTE PENALTY TO PULL ST ANDREWS LEVEL AT 2-2. MATT HOOPER
REMARKABLY THERE WAS TIME FOR EVEN MORE DRAMA ON AN ALREADY DRAMATIC NIGHT AT THE REC. AS UNITED PUT THE PRESSURE ON THE BALL REBOUNDED OFF THE KENNOWAY GOALKEEPER ANDREW WARRENDER AND EVAN STANFIELD LOBBED IN A STUNNING 3RD GOAL FOR ST ANDREWS IN THE 88TH MINUTE TO COMPLETE THE COMEBACK. THE CROWD ERUPTED AND THE PLAYERS WENT CRAZY IN EPIC SCENES ON LANGLANDS ROAD.
INCREDIBLY THERE WAS STILL TIME FOR A FEISTY MOMENT INVOLVING MATTHEW HUTCHISON, WHO CAN SURELY COUNT HIMSELF LUCKY NOT TO BE SENT OFF FOR HIS REACTION TO A LATE TACKLE BY A KENNOWAY PLAYER, BUT THEN REECE REDPATH SAW YELLOW FOR THE SECOND TIME AND RECEIVED A RED CARD IN THE 91ST MINUTE. IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO RUIN THE NIGHT FOR ST ANDREWS, WHO HELD OUT FOR A QUITE STUNNING VICTORY, AND THE NOISE EMANATING FROM THE HOME DRESSING ROOM ILLUSTRATED THE JOY OF WINNING THIS GAME.
INCREDIBLY THERE WAS STILL TIME FOR A FEISTY MOMENT INVOLVING MATTHEW HUTCHISON, WHO CAN SURELY COUNT HIMSELF LUCKY NOT TO BE SENT OFF FOR HIS REACTION TO A LATE TACKLE BY A KENNOWAY PLAYER, BUT THEN REECE REDPATH SAW YELLOW FOR THE SECOND TIME AND RECEIVED A RED CARD IN THE 91ST MINUTE. IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO RUIN THE NIGHT FOR ST ANDREWS, WHO HELD OUT FOR A QUITE STUNNING VICTORY, AND THE NOISE EMANATING FROM THE HOME DRESSING ROOM ILLUSTRATED THE JOY OF WINNING THIS GAME.
EVAN STANFIELD SPECTACULARLY SCORES IN THE 88TH MINUTE TO CROWN AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT FOR ST ANDREWS UNITED. MATT HOOPER
A LARGE CROWD LEFT THE REC WITH THEIR HEARTS WARMED ON THE FIRST EVER NIGHT OF FOOTBALL IN ST ANDREWS, A GAME WHICH DELIVERED DRAMA AND EXCITEMENT UNDER THE LIGHTS AND SHOWED THE NEW FOUND CONFIDENCE AND COHESION OF THE TOWN'S JUNIOR FOOTBALL TEAM. A SEASON WHICH SEEMED DESTINED FOR DISASTER NOW SEEMS SET FOR SAFETY AND WITH BETTER TIMES AHEAD. 9 GAMES REMAIN FOR ST ANDREWS UNITED THIS SEASON AND THEY NOW HAVE HOPES OF A TOP 6 FINISH IF THEY CONTINUE THIS GOOD RUN.
THEIR NEXT MATCH AT THE REC IS SATURDAY 15 JANUARY V THORNTON HIBS, 2.30PM KICK OFF.
THEIR NEXT MATCH AT THE REC IS SATURDAY 15 JANUARY V THORNTON HIBS, 2.30PM KICK OFF.
