Blair fight away from relegation

Mar 27 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

KINNOULL and Blairgowrie are engaged in premier league games tomorrow and they are chasing the crucial points at stake in those games for quite differing reasons.

Kinnoull’s need for those points is to help keep them in contention for the runners up position in the table now that they look to be out of the championship race.

The battle to finish second will however be a fierce one as there is a number of teams chasing this consolation prize that carries with it promotion to the super league.

Blairgowrie, on the other hand, are involved in the relegation zone and at this point in time are at the foot of the table.

This could be due to the fact they are lagging behind in the number of games played.

Manager Billy Mackay said: “The fact of the matter is that we have to win the big majority of the 11 games we have left to play to have a chance of avoiding the drop and such is the spirit in our camp that I am confident that we can do so.”

Blair have a very tough assignment tomorrow as they take on Newtongrange Star at Davie Park.

The Star are the only team to have defeated top of the table Musselburgh in a league game this season and they are being punted as the team most likely to mount a challenge for the championship or at least finish as runners up.

The Star will obviously go into tomorrow’s game as the favourites to win the points.

Blair however are quite adept at bucking the odds and what a boost it would be for their confidence and their chances of avoiding the drop if they were to take something from this game.

Blair full back Craig Ferguson missed last week’s game due to a leg injury.

Craig has resumed training and is feeling no ill effects but as a precaution he will have a late fitness test.

The only player missing from the squad is Mark Duigan (shoulder injury). Mackay expects to have a squad of 16 available.

Kinnoull have an equally difficult hurdle to overcome, they are away to Penicuik, who are in second top spot in the table at the moment. Kinnoull at this point are two places behind their hosts in the table and they trail them by five points.

Kinnoull will be quite a bit understrength as Steve McAllister, Mark Gordon, Ross Gunnion and Andre Tang are all unavailable.

Neil Gardiner, missing last week due to a foot injury, has resumed training and is expected to return to the squad.

He will have a late fitness test. It’s a late selection from Scott Brown who may have a trialist in his squad.

Coupar Angus are the odd team out in the fixture list as they are engaged in a first round Redwood Leisure Cup tie. Coupar travel into the Kingdom to take on Lochore Welfare at Central Park.

There’s not a lot between the teams as they are both in mid table positions in their respective leagues.

The Fifers have the advantage of being at home and will start as the favourites.

This encounter would seem to have all the ingredients to make it a keenly fought cup tie.

Disappointing news from the Coupar camp is that their skipper John Blackwood is a definite non starter, he has a leg injury and there are six players in the doubtful category five of them are having treatment for injuries and late fitness tests are again likely to be the order of the day.

Georgie Grier is the odd one out. He has a chest infection but he hasn’t been ruled out.

More cheerful news is that Aly Townsley, out with a leg injury, came on as a sub last week and has felt no ill effects and will be in the starting lineup for tomorrow’s game. It’s a late selection from Coupar boss Derek Grier.

The rest of the days fixtures are in the central league, Bankfoot and Jeanfield Swifts are both away from home, while Luncarty are hosts to Scone Thistle.

This is the second successive week that Luncarty have been engaged in a derby clash at Brownlands Park when they face up to Scone.

The Bleachers and the Thistle have both struggled to win points this season and at the present time the Bleachers are at the foot of the table while the Thistle are three places above them and with seven more points to their credit from two games more played, so there’s not a lot between them.

No matter their relative positions in the league table games between those two teams are in the main very keenly contested encounters and tomorrow’s clash will almost certainly be in the same vein.

The Bleachers boss Barrie Malcolm is delighted that he will have his two strikers, Colin Brown and Fraser Simpson, in his squad for this game and this could mean that they will have more much needed fire power.

There are doubts about Greg Zaczek and Chris Dudek, leg injuries.

They have been unable to train but have a 50/50 chance of being given the all clear by late tests.

Barrie expects to have a squad of 16–18 available.

Thistle manager Derek Adam will be without four of his squad, Steve McKinnie, Andy Smith and Craig Jack, all unavailable, while Keith Dewar is suspended. On the plus side David Winton, Paul Anderson, Grant McGregor, Alan Cameron and Scott McManus, all missing last week, are listed to return. Derek expects to have a squad of 16 available for this derby clash.

Bankfoot are going well at the present time and have taken 10 points from their last four outings.

The target the Bankies have set themselves of finishing in the top half of the table is looking very possible. They have a difficult encounter tomorrow as guests of Crossgates Primrose who are well into the top half of the table but their form has been inconsistent and they have lost games they were tipped to win.

Bankies have been given a boost by the fact that their striker Neil McCallum, who has been out of action with a groin injury has been given the all clear to rejoin the squad. Also returning to the squad are Danny Dobbie and John Mitchell but unfortunately Kenny Hynd and Jim Weir are unavailable. Bankies expect to have a squad of 16 available.

Jeanfield Swifts are away to Newburgh and the Swifts who have lost their last two games will be looking to get back into the winning vein and if form is any guide they should do so as they are well above the Fifers in the league table.

Swifts will however travel to East Shore Park without their leading goal scorer John Anderson who along with Kevin Fowler is unavailable. There are also doubts about Steven Watt and Mike Gow. Manager Eddie O’Connor will make a late selection.

TOMORROW’S fixtures in the Bukta Teamwear.com Leagues: Premier League – Blairgowrie v Newtongrange Star; Penicuik v Kinnoull.

Central League – Luncarty v Scone Thistle; Newburgh v Jeanfield Swifts; Crossgates P v Bankfoot.

Redwood Leisure Cup first round – Lochore Welfare v Coupar Angus.

All kick off’s 2.30pm.