Only three teams escape match day pitch shutdowns

Dec 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

JEANFIELD Swifts and Coupar Angus had their Scottish Cup ties with Dyce and St Anthony’s called off for a third successive week.

Inspections ruled that the pitches at the Riverside and Foxhall Park were unplayable which was disappointing but not unexpected.

Blairgowrie, Kinnoull and Bankfoot were also left idle for the same reason.

Three teams did however get back into action, Luncarty and Scone Thistle both played away games against Newburgh and Rosyth in the central league.

Coupar Angus and Montrose Roselea had a pre-arrangement that should both their Scottish Cup ties be called off, which they were, they would play a North League game at Roselea’s Broomfield Park as it was playable and this proved to be a satisfactory arrangement.

Luncarty chief Barrie Malcolm was well pleased with his team’s overall performance and the result it achieved in their game against Newburgh at East Shore Park which the Bleachers won by 3-1.

This was their first league win of he season and the three points it earned them not only broke their duck it also lifted them off the bottom rung of the league table which really is an excellent treble.

The first half had ended goalless although there had been chances at both ends but neither side could find the finishing touch that, along with good saves from both keepers, played their part in keeping the score sheet blank.

The second half had only been operating for a matter of four minutes when Newburgh were reduced to 10 men after graham Simpson picked up a second yellow card and was ordered off. That set back didn’t however deter the Fifers from taking the lead just six minutes later when Stewart Cargill rifled home a 20 yard free kick for what was an excellent goal.

Luncarty proceeded to dominate proceedings after this set back but they failed to convert the chances they were making. Barrie Malcolm produced a real master stroke in the 70th minute when he called veteran striker Peter Gormley off the bench and four minutes after he had entered the fray Peter netted the equaliser.

Peter picked up a long clearance and brushed off a couple of challengers as he made for the Fifers’ goal.

His shot from just inside their penalty box was parried by the keeper.

The ball broke back to Peter who made no mistake with this second bite at the cherry as he slammed the ball into the back of the net.

Peter struck again in 82 minutes when he met with a cross from Stewart Allan to score a well taken goal from eight yards and the Bleachers were ahead.

There were two minutes remaining when the Bleachers made sure the points were leaving with them with goal number three.

Peter was again the scorer and it gave him his hat trick.

Stewart Allan was down in the Fifers’ penalty box and Peter fired home the resultant spot kick.

Newburgh’s Owen McCue got a red card in the final minute.

Scone Thistle were away to Rosyth who are the current league leaders.

This game turned out to be a real nightmare for the Thistle as they were thrashed to the tune of 11-2.

The Rosyth striker Charlie Scarborough had a field day as he netted five of his side’s goals and he missed a penalty.

The striker gave Rosyth an early lead and 10 minutes late they went 2-0 ahead when Alan McDonach scored from what looked to be a suspiciously offside position. Thistle certainly thought so and protested strongly but it fell on deaf ears.

Scarborough made it 3-0 with his second goal of the game in 25 minutes.

Two minutes later Scone reduced the leeway with a really well taken goal from Keith Dewar.

Thistle were awarded a free kick which was played forward to Keith Dewar who was somewhere between 25 and 30 yards from the Rosyth goal.

Keith had spotted the keeper was well out of his goal and he hit a well measured lob over him and into the back of the net.

Rosyth responded to the loss of this goal and two minutes later they were awarded a penalty which was taken by Scarborough and well saved by Thistle keeper David Winton.

Thistle’s chances of staying in contention were virtually brought to an end when defensive lapses cost them two further goals.

Alan McDonagh got the first of these in 36 minutes.

Charlie Scarborough followed with a goal that gave him his hat trick when he increased Rosyth’s lead to 5-1 on the stroke of half time.

Thistle unfortunately had more grief piled on him in the second half as the rampant Fifers went on to score six more goals.

Alan McDonagh got the first of these which gave him his hat trick. Thistle were none too pleased that the referee waved aside their appeals that McDonagh was well offside.

Charlie Scarborough netted two further goals to give him a nap hand of goals. This was followed with a goal from Colin Brown which made it 9-1.

A few minutes later Thistle got their second goal when Alan Cameron took advantage of sloppy defensive play to whack the ball into the back of the net. Thistle full back James Reid was adjudged by the referee to have played the ball with his hand on the goalline. A penalty was awarded to Rosyth and the full back was sent off. Clark Key fired from the spot kick into the back of the net for goal number 10. Brian Vaughan completed the rout with an 88 minute goal making it 11-2.

Coupar Angus travelled to face up to the unbeaten league leaders Montrose Roselea at Broomfield Park. Coupar turned in a stuffy performance in this encounter but they couldn’t match the Roselea’s power or damage their opponents record as they went on to lose by a 3-1 margin.

Coupar’s co-manager Derek Grier said: “We lost to a better side on the day however it was an excellent workout for us.”

The scoresheet stayed blank until midway through the first half it was at this stage that Roselea broke the deadlock and they did so with an excellent goal from Steve Kerrigan who fired the ball into the back of the net from just inside the penalty box. Coupar strived to get back on level terms but their attacks were mopped up by the strong Roselea defence.

The Roselea returned to the attack and in a concentrated spell that saw them miss a few chances, then with only a couple of minutes remaining before the break they made it 2-0 with a goal from Callum Watson. Coupar protested strongly about the goal being scored from an offside position but unfortunately the referee didn’t see it their way.

The Roselea went on to make it 3-0 in 67 minutes. A cross from Colin Kennedy was met by Paul Whyte who beat the Coupar keeper with a strong header from close range.

The fire seemed to go out of the Roselea attack after this third goal and Coupar had their best spell of the game but they failed to dent the Roselea lead until the final minute of the game.

Richard Wheeler was brought down in the penalty box and Jim Henry scored with the spot kick to make it 3-1 but it was by far too little too late.