PERTHSHIRE JUNIOR FOOTBALL – PA FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

Aug 20 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

AFTER a couple of weeks of League Cup games, teams turn their attention to the more important business of chasing points in the first league games of the season tomorrow.

Kinnoull commence their Premier League programme with a visit from Broxburn, the Lothian side that won promotion from the Regions South League.

Kinnoull were just pipped for promotion to the Super League last season as they finished third in the table behind Tayport and Forfar West End which was a bitter disappointment for them.

They will obviously be striving to go at least one better than last season, but their task in this direction has been made much more difficult as manager Gavin Price – a newcomer himself – has had to recruit a nearly completely new look squad as only three or four players from last season are still at Tulloch Park.

Gavin Price can, however, take credit that despite having to continually chop and change to bring in new blood his side won their League Cup section and are through to the semi-finals in which they will meet Super League side Hill o’ Beath at Tulloch Park on Wednesday night.

Gavin Price expects to have the same squad that did duty in last weeks game available.

Goalkeeper Duncan Bruce has been out of action with an injury and is still in the doubtful category but the possibility of him being given the nod to rejoin the squad hasn’t been ruled out.

It’s a late selection from Gavin.

Broxburn just made it to the Premier League by two points that was the margin between them and their nearest rivals for the South League championship Spartans.

The Lothian side failed to win their League Cup section.

They lost their two opening games then went on to beat Whitburn and in their final game on Wednesday night they demolished Fauldhouse to the tune of 7–0.

In the Central League, Scone Thistle are the only side with a home game with Lochore Welfare their visitors to Farquharson Park.

Thistle won their midweek game against Bankfoot 2–0.

It was a night of disappointment for the Bankies as they not only finished the game with nothing to show for their efforts,

They also had three players sent off in the later stages of the game – Gavin Mackie, Donald McDonald and Allan Stewart.

Thistle manager Alan Cameron was delighted that his side shrugged of last Saturdays hefty defeat and came bouncing to win this game and collect their first League Cup points. He expects his squad to be much the same for tomorrows game plus a trialist.

Thistle’s opponents Lochore Welfare were also playing on Wednesday night and went down 4–3 thus ending their League Cup campaign pointless.

Bankfoot are away to Lochgelly Albert and manager Ian Duff hasn’t named a squad as one or two of his players are nursing knocks from their midweek game. Ian will make a late selection.

Luncarty manager Mark Potter has made two signings, they are central defender Derek Angus who has been with Scone Thistle for the past few seasons and Jackie Eadie is a midfield/defender who was released by East Fife and was immediately snapped up by Mark Potter.

There’s quite a contrast between the players as Derek Angus has plenty of experience in the junior game, while Jackie Eadie is a promising 17 year old and is having his first stint in junior football.

They both made their debuts in Wednesday nights League Cup game against Jeanfield Swifts, and they played well despite the Bleachers going down 3–1.

Tomorrow Luncarty are away to Kirkcaldy YM and its a tough opening game for them as the YM, who finished third in the league last season, are already being tipped as likely contenders for the championship.

The Bleachers will be doing very well if they can come home from this Denfield Park encounter with a favourable result.

The Bleachers boss Mark Potter said: “We played quite well against the Swifts apart from some slack defending which our opponents took full advantage of.”

Mark will again be without Colin Wilcox, and Noel Meehan who are unavailable and there were no reported injuries after the midweek game. He expects to travel with a squad of 18.

YM are always a tough side to beat. They finished third in the league last season and are expected to be one of the leading contenders for this seasons championship.

Jeanfield Swifts are away to Steelend Vics and expect their squad to be much on the same lines as did duty on Wednesday at Luncarty.

They had Billy Carle playing for them in this game and he scored their opening goal.

Billy, who is a free agent at present, has been playing with both Swifts and Kinnoull and always gets his name on the score sheet.

The Swifts hosts Steelend Vics finished their League Cup campaign at the bottom of their section with zero points. Swifts boss Scott Brown and his assistant Barry Malcolm are well aware however that chasing league points is a different ball game. However they are quietly confident that they will come home from this visit to Woodside Park with the first league points of the season safely in their locker.

The Coupar Angus/Blairgowrie clash at Foxhall on Wednesday night finished with Blair the victors by 5–1. The first half had been evenly contested and ended all square at 1–1. The second half however saw Blair’s power the telling factor.

Coupar Angus start their league fixtures away to Kirrie Thistle whom they met in the League Cup only last Saturday at the same venue and lost by a 5–0 margin. As yet Coupar boss Barry Britton hasn’t named a squad for this Westview Park encounter.

Blairgowrie will be playing their first game in the North League after being relegated from the Premier League and they will be going all out to get off to a winning start at the expense of their visitors to Davie Park, East Craigie.

Blair boss Ross Graham may have his central defender Mark Christinson back for this game. Mark has been out with a toe injury and the news from the treatment room is that he has a good chance of getting the all clear to resume. A late test could be the order of the day.

Blair will again be without Craig Ferguson (unavailable) and Darren Neave (suspended). Gordon Pirie picked up a groin strain in the midweek game and he too is a non-starter. Ross Graham expects to have a squad of 15 or 16.

SCONE Thistle at home to Bankfoot got their first win at the expense of the Bankie’s with a 2–0 win. Alan Bailey in 62 minutes and Craig Rattray in the 90th minute, were their scorers. This completed what was a bad day for the Bankies who had three players sent off in the last quarter of the game.

Luncarty at home to Jeanfield Swifts were 2–0 behind to their guests at the interval. Billy Carle and Kevin Fowler in 12 and 15 minutes were the scorers.

David Thornton, now re-signed for Swifts, came on as a sub from the start of the second half and within two minutes he had increased Swifts lead to 3–0.

The Bleachers’ Scott Peletier scored to make it 3–1 five minutes later and that completed the scoring.

Coupar Angus went a goal behind to Blairgowrie in 15 minutes, Ryan Menzies was the scorer. Blair had a great chance to increase their lead in 30 minutes when they were awarded a penalty which Jamie Duncan failed to convert. A minute before the interval Ian Petrie squared the game for Coupar.

Blair went on to score four goals in the last 18 minutes of the game to finish 5–1 winners. Scorers were Mark Brash (2), Gary Axworthy and an OG.

TOMORROW’S fixtures in the ACA Sports Leagues: Premier League – Kinnoull v Broxburn Athletic.

Central League – Scone Thistle v Lochore Welfare; Steelend Vics v Jeanfield Swifts; Kirkcaldy YM v Luncarty; Lochgelly Albert v Bankfoot.

North League – Blairgowrie v East Craigie; Kirrie Thistle v Coupar Angus.

All kick off’s – 2.30pm.

Midweek League Cup – Luncarty 1, Jeanfield Swifts 3; Scone Thistle 2, Bankfoot 0; Coupar Angus 1, Blairgowrie 5.