First ever 'Auld Enemy' international amputee clash in Largs

Scotland were overpowered by 'The Auld Enemy' in a fast and competitive football match at Inverclyde Sports Centre on Saturday afternoon.
England set the tone and scored some early goals in this contest, which was 25 minutes each way, and they looked like they were going to knock in a bucket-load on the Weir 3G indoor pitch.

But fair play to the Scots who re-doubled their efforts and managed to keep the score to only three at half-time with full credit to the Scotland keeper who only had one hand, but made full use of it to deny England a more comfortable half-time lead.
The English were certainly in top of matters throughout most of this match with Scotland making only a rare few forays into the opponent's half.
It was a far better defensive display from Scotland in the second half and despite the intense England play, restricted them to only one goal.
There was no doubting it was a back to the walls performance from the Scots, but it was bit of a defensive mix-up with the keeper which led to that solitary second half strike.

It may have been a deserved fourth for the English on the balance of play but the fledging Scottish team up against a long established English outfit showed that they were not prepared to lie down.
Despite the gulf in standard, Scotland can be proud for a solid second half display.
The newly formed squad, made up of 11 individuals each with a lower or upper limb amputation, have played at the SportScotland National Training Centre in Inverclyde in recent years.
The team was put together by Amputee Football Association Scotland (AFAS), the charity set up in October 2016 .
AFAS began amputee football last year as a pilot project in partnership with Partick Thistle Community Trust. The sport proved hugely popular. Training is held fortnightly at Firhill.

Amputee football is well established south of the border and across the world, with leagues established in more than 30 countries worldwide. 
The European Amputee Football Championships took place in Istanbul and its final between England and hosts Turkey pulled in a crowd of more than 40,000.
The game is played on crutches with teams of seven-a-side. Those in goals must have an upper limb amputation while those outfield a lower amputation.
A spokeswoman for AFAS said: "When the players are on the pitch, disabilities are secondary. It’s simply about individuals coming together to play competitive football at a high level."
With some flying tackles going in, and great pace shown throughout the contest, there is no doubting it was an extraordinary battle to witness, and England showed what a formidable team that are, pushing up at every opportunity.
It was a good learning experience for the Scots who can take heart from the defensive display in the 2nd half.
Follow the Scotland team on social media is #LegOffGameOn 
Scotland: Goalkeeper - Steven Porty Tully, Darren Curren, Defence - Brian Murray, Scott Young, Michael Lennon, Iain Matthew, Midfield - Leigh Gregory, Stuart Mitchell, Gerard, Mullheron, Forwards - Robert Wilson, Tommy McKay.
Pics: John Keachie.