Junior Football: Cup qualification gets interesting

Aug 18 2009 by Kate Deuchars, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

WEEKEND results: ACA Sport, League Cup – Bankfoot 0, Jeanfield Swifts 3; Luncarty 1, Scone Thistle 3.

DJ Laing League Cup – Coupar Angus 1, Forfar Albion 2.

Friendly – Blairgowrie 2, Dundee United U19s 4.

Tonight’s League Cup (Wednesday): Jeanfield Swifts v Kinnoull; Luncarty v Bankfoot Athletics; Kirrie Thistle v Blairgowrie.

All kick offs 6.45pm.

TOMORROW night there is an intriguing ACA Sports Section Two game between Jeanfield Swifts and Kinnoull at the Riverside Stadium.

This derby clash could well decide which of those teams will go forward as section winners to the semi-finals of this competition.

A win for Swifts in this their final section game will see them go through.

If the game ends all square, Swifts would have to depend on Kinnoull, who have a game in hand. If Swifts draw with Luncarty on Saturday, they would go through, thanks to goal difference.

A win for Kinnoull would, of course, see them progress.

The remaining option is if Kinnoull win tomorrow night’s Riverside clash, then they only need to take at least one point in Saturday’s final game with Luncarty at Tulloch Park to secure the semi-final spot. It is a very tense scenario and one which should pull out a good crowd to the Riverside Stadium.

The Bankfoot-Jeanfield Swifts game was not too inspiring as it was more noted for misplaced passes and spells of scrappy midfield play with not a lot of creativity coming from either team.

Swifts, especially in the first half, were without a doubt the more prominent of the two sides and in David Thornton they had a forward who lit up the game.

David, who hails from down under, scored all three goals in the first half, should have added to this tally in the second half.

The striker’s hat trick in this game takes his tally to six goals since he joined the Swifts from East Stirling ten days ago.

The Bankfoot attack, especially in the first half, never really put Swifts stand-in keeper Scott Cummings under any great pressure.

Thornton almost gave the Swifts the lead in the seventh minute when he cottoned on to a through ball and was left in a one to one situation with Bankies goalkeeper Kenny Band. Thornton lobbed the ball past him, but it trundled past the post.

Five minutes later, however, there was no respite for the Bankies when, again, another through ball caught them out and Thornton was on to it in a flash. The Bankies appealed for an offside decision but the referee did not see it that way.

Thornton went on to round the goalkeeper Kenny Band and he was left with an empty goal to plant the ball in and put the Swifts ahead.

There was a fairly lengthy spell of rather innocuous midfield play and it was the 31st minute before Thornton made it 2-1 for Swifts.

A cross from Chris Dodd into the heart of the Bankies goalmouth found the striker and his well-placed header flew into the corner of the Bankies net.

After a Bankies’ effort was cleared off the line, Swifts went right up the park and scored goal number three from the penalty spot.

Again a cross in from Chris Dodd into the Bankies’ penalty box had the defence at sixes and sevens and a defender handled the ball. David Thornton took the resultant spot kick and made no mistake as he smacked the ball past the keeper to make it 3-0 and complete his hat trick in the process.

The second half produced no further goals. The Bankies had their best spell in the last 15 minutes. Their striker Alan Stewart had the goal at his mercy in 75 minutes but he failed to connect properly and his half hit effort was cleared off the line.

Bankies kept up the pressure and in the 82nd minute, Scott McCabe had a great header that went just over the bar. This was followed by an attempt from sub Gavin McLaren that was kicked off the goalline by a defender.

Swifts goal certainly had a charmed life in those last minutes but it was too little too late from the Bankies.

Luncarty entertain Bankfoot at Brownlands Park tomorrow night and both teams have no chance of making it into the semi-finals as they are still without a point.

They will be going all out to get their first points on board at each other’s expense.

Luncarty got off to a great start in their home game against Scone Thistle on Saturday when their new signing Rab McLaren put them ahead in the second minute.

Rab chased a thorough ball and outstripped the Thistle defence and ran on to fire the ball past keeper Steve McKinnie from inside the penalty box.

Thistle responded to this setback and both Greg Zaczek and Andy Smith were presented with chances which they failed to convert.

Thistle kept up the pressure and in 13 minutes they were back on level terms. A shot came back off the post and Alan Cameron, following up, cracked it past the keeper.

Zakzek came close to giving Scone the lead midway through the half when a clip shot went inches over the bar with the keeper out of his goal. Then down at the other end, Rab McLaren hammered a shot goalwards from the edge of the penalty box, but it flew over the bar.

The second half had only been in operation for a couple of minutes when Scone were awarded a free kick which Drew Fleming cracked past the keeper. The referee, however, ordered the kick to be retaken as he said it had been taken before he blew his whistle.

The retaking was, unfortunately for Scone, blocked by the defensive wall. A minute later the Bleachers goal scorer Rab McLaren was ordered off for what appeared to be retaliation.

The Bleachers ten men were pretty much under the cosh and Scone created and missed quite a few good chances.

The score line was still all square at 1-1 with the game going into its final ten minutes when Scone went ahead.

Andy Smith picked up the ball in the Bleachers penalty box. He took a few steps forward before rifling the ball goalwards. It took a deflection and wrong-footed the keeper before landing in the back of the net.

A few minutes later Jamie Reid made it 3-1 with a goal from close range to more or less make sure of the points for Scone.

There was only a couple of minutes remaining when Luncarty scored and they thought they had reduced the leeway. Another controversial decision by the referee saw the goal chalked off and a penalty awarded.

Unfortunately for the Bleachers, Noel Meegan hit the spot kick past the post and this brought to an end what had been a rather unhappy second half for the Bleachers.

Coupar Angus are still without a point after three successive odd goal defeats, the latest of which was at the hands of Forfar Albion. This Foxhall Park clash ended 2-1 in the Albion’s favour.

All the goals were scored in the first half. John Rosscraig put Coupar ahead in 15 minutes, then Lewis Fyffe equalised in 25 minutes and then minutes later McIntosh scored what proved to be the winner.

Blairgowrie has no official game on Saturday and they went on to play a friendly against the Dundee U19s who won 4-2.

Barry McLean and Mark Brash were the Blair scorers while Dale Hilson and Stewart Armstrong each netted a double for United.

Blairgowrie are away to the section leaders Kirrie Thistle tomorrow night. Kirrie only need to draw this game to qualify for the semi-finals. Blair must win if they are to stay in contention for that semi-final place.