Kinnoull in next Redwood stage

Jan 20 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

SATURDAY’S fixtures suffered only a single casualty – the Redwood Leisure Cup first round tie between Crossgates Primrose and Blairgowrie, as the Fifers’ Humbug Park, was waterlogged.

Kinnoull and Bankfoot were also in Redwood first round action, Kinnoull had Hill o’ Beath as guests at Tulloch Park while Bankfoot welcomed Steelend Vics to Coronation Park.

The first chance of the Kinnoull–Hill o’ Beath game fell to the Haws striker Gavin Gray but keeper Duncan Bruce was quick off his line to brilliantly block.

The Haws came close again in 15 minutes when Lee Morrison’s cross found Mike Gemmill unmarked but his well struck shot from 12 yards whistled past the post.

Kinnoull then came more into the game and took the lead on 23 minutes.

Steve McManus fired in a perfectly flighted free-kick to the far post and the Haws’ keeper got himself into a fankle and defender Roger Duffin found the back of his own net with an attempted clearance.

The Noull lead was, however, short lived as six minutes later the Haws were back on level terms.

A cross from Mike Stewart into the Kinnoull penalty box wasn’t dealt with and a Haws striker who was left in acres of space bulleted a header into the top corner to make it 1-1 at the interval.

The Haws mounted the first attack of the second half after only four minutes and Sean Martin was only denied a clear sight at goal by a brilliantly timed tackle from Ross Gunnion.

A few minutes later Gunnion started the move that resulted in Kinnoull’s second goal. His free-kick found Mark Gordon, who had come on as a sub at the break, and he headed the ball on to McManus who in turn laid it off to Steve McAllister and he scorched a left-foot volley into the bottom corner to seal the tie.

Bankfoot had a close call in the first minute of their match with Steelend Vics as the visitors swept into the attack from kick-off and Dougie Swan’s snapshot fortunately for Bankies caught the post and was cleared.

There was another close call for Bankies in 17 minutes when a ball was played to the Vics striker Darren Seath and shot was well saved by keeper Chipper Whyte.

Bankies then managed to get into an attacking mode and midway through the half took the lead when Barry Ward set up Alan Stewart to unleash a cracking 20-yard drive that cannoned off the inside of the post into the back of the net.

Bankies found themselves reduced to 10 men in the 42nd minute when Scott McCabe got himself red-carded after an off the ball incident.

The 10-man Bankies had a chance to go further ahead in 57 minutes when Gavin Mackie, with the goal at his mercy, didn’t connect properly and the chance was missed.

Bankies paid for their profligacy in the 74th minutes as Vics swept up the park and their striker Darren Seath equalised with an angular drive from the corner of the six yard box, then a few minutes later Seath had the chance to shoot Vics ahead but he shot wide from 10 yards.

Bankfoot who were doing most of the attacking now and should have scored in the 88th minute when Alan Brown, who had come on as a sub, looked certain to score but his attempt was cleared of the line.

As the game looked to be heading for a penalty shootout with less than a minute remaining the Bankies were awarded a free-kick and Gavin Mackie’s effort rebounded off the face of the bar and it fell to Brown who made no mistake this time with a dramatic winner.

Coupar Angus were involved in the Redwood Cup, away to Forfar Albion in the preliminary round and progressed to the first round proper after a 4-0 win at Guthrie Park.

Albion’s woes started after only 10 minutes when they had a player shown a straight red card after he brought down Coupar’s Richard Wheeler just outside his teams penalty box.

Danny Martin took the resultant free-kick and fired it into the top corner of the net and Coupar were ahead.

Coupar were now in the driving seat and in 25 minutes increased their lead to 2-0.

A move between Danny Martin and Derek Lomas saw them carve open the Albion defence and lay on a chance for Richard Wheeler which he gratefully accepted.

Ten minutes later an identical move involving the same three players had the same end result with Wheeler again finishing it off to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Albion were in a more aggressive mood in the second half but their attacks lacked punch and they failed to put away a couple of good chances they created.

And Coupar Angus put the icing on their cake in 75 minutes when Lomas latched on to a ball in the Albion penalty box and fired it into the back of the net to make it 4-0 for Coupar and that’s how the game ended.

The Luncarty-Jeanfield Swifts Central League clash at Brownlands Park ended 4-0 in Swifts’ favour with all the goals scored in the first half.

Swifts went ahead in 14 minutes when Bally Whytock connected with a cross from Kevin Fowler and from 15 yards cracked the ball goalwards only to see his attempt parried by Bleachers’ keeper Craig Houston and Whytock, who was following up, made no mistake with his second bite at the cherry as he lobbed the ball over the keeper into the back of the empty net.

Swifts, although constantly on the attack, took 20 minutes to add to their tally and did so with a quickfire close range double from Mark Caldow.

With just over a minute remaining Swifts won a corner which taken by Mike Waring which was met my Mike Gow who powered a header into the back of the net to make it 4-0.

The Bleachers were an improved side in the second half and they created a few chances but they failed to put them away.

Swifts also had chances but they failed to reproduce the goal touch that was so evident in the first half.

Scone Thistle were away to St Andrews in the Central League and were on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline.

The Saints are favourites for the championship but Thistle showed a lot of fight in the game and they created one or two chances and if they had been taken the deficit wouldn’t have been so wide.

Blairgowrie and Kirrie Thistle both had their games postponed on Saturday and they played each other in a friendly at Davie Park which Blair won 3-0. Goalscorers were Andy Murray, Gordon Pirie and Ryan Menzies.

Jeanfield Swifts and Arbroath, who have no official fixture this weekend, will play a friendly at Riverside Park on Saturday.

SATURDAY’S results: Redwood Leisure Cup second round – Kinnoull 2, Hill o’ Beath 1; Bankfoot 2, Steelend Vics 1. Preliminary round – Forfar Albion 0, Coupar Angus 4.

Central League – Luncarty 0, Jeanfield Swifts 4; St Andrews 6, Scone Thistle 0.

Match off – Crossgates P v Blairgowrie.

Friendly – Blairgowrie 3, Kirrie Thistle 0.