Noull hopes alive after away victory

Mar 31 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

KINNOULL’S hopes of finishing second in the Premier League and making a swift return to the top flight were boosted on Saturday when they returned with all three points from their away game at Penicuik.

Kinnoull had their hosts on the back foot from the start and came close to taking the lead after only 12 minutes. A well hit shot from Neil Gardiner looked to be on target but was deflected past the post.

The Kinnoull pressure finally paid off in 24 minutes when Robbie Holden was brought down by Penicuik’s Brian Foster in the penalty box.

Steve McManus took the resultant spot kick and fired it under the diving keeper into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

A few minutes later Penicuik’s Kevin Milne was injured in a collision with a team-mate and couldn’t continue.

Grant Killen came off the bench to replace him but his stay was incredibly short as 10 minutes later he was red-carded after a hefty tackle on Andre Tang.

There was more woe for the Lothian side three minutes later when they were reduced to nine men.

Darren Moonie saw red after a bad challenge on Sandy Ross but Steve McManus’ goal was all that separated the teams at the interval.

Andre Tang was feeling the effects of the hefty tackle and was substituted by Dave Quinn for the second half and Kinnoull increased their lead to 2-0 in 53 minutes.

Neil Gardiner played the ball forward to Robbie Holden and his pass to Jon Kelly was blasted into the back of the net by the striker from eight yards.

Kinnoull completed the scoring in 83 minutes when for a second time Robbie Holden was brought down in the penalty box. Robbie took the spot kick himself and sent the keeper the wrong way.

Jamie McKenzie got a red card in 88 minutes after picking up a second yellow card, but it mattered little as Kinnoull already had the points safely tucked away.

Blairgowrie were at home to Newtongrange Star in the Premier League and suffered an early blow when their striker, Alan Cruickshanks, picked up a leg injury and couldn’t continue. He was replaced by Andy Murray.

Newtongrange were doing the bulk of the attacking although Blair certainly weren’t out of the game alltogether and efforts from Mark Brash and Jamie Duncan whistled just wide of the post.

Newtongrange broke the deadlock in 59 minutes when Alan Wilson beat keeper Gordon O’Brien with a shot from 10 yards.

Blair strived hard to get back on level terms and in 73 minutes Darren Neave had a volley from just inside the penalty box well saved by keeper Chris Hill.

Two minutes later Blair were dealt a blow when they were reduced to 10 men when Paul Ireland received a second yellow card.

Newtongrange went on to make sure of the points with a second goal in 83 minutes. Tom Britton was in the Blair penalty box when he connected with a cross and his powerful header beat keeper Gordon O’Brien.

Blair, despite the enormity of their task, didn’t give up and a ball was played to Darren Neave who set off on a solo run that took him to just inside the Newtongrange penalty box. He fired a well struck shot goalwards but it flew inches past the post.

This defeat was a further setback for Blair in their battle against relegation but with 10 games to play they can still beat the drop.

In the Central League Bankfoot were away to Crossgates Primrose and the Bankies continued their unbeaten run earning a spirited share of the spoils.

This was an excellent performance as Primrose are well into the top half of the league table.

Primrose had the chance to take an early lead when Barry Paterson connected with a corner but his header from close range was wide of the mark.

Midway through the half Bankies had their first chance of the game when a corner from Gavin Mackie found Alan Stewart at the back post but he failed to connect with the ball which was easily saved by the keeper.

In 28 minutes a ball into the Bankies penalty box should have been cleared but wasn’t and Chris Myles was on hand to take full advantage and knock the ball over the goal line from close range and the Primrose were ahead.

Bankies shrugged off this setback and within six minutes were back on level terms.

Bankies won a corner on the left which was taken by Gavin Mackie and his kick seemed to deceive the Primrose defenders and it landed with Barry Ward at the back post and he headed home to make it 1-1.

Bankies certainly were the better side in the second half although they had a real let-off in 49 minutes when a shot from Chris Myles looked netbound.

Fortunately for Bankies it rebounded off the post and was cleared.

Bankies had what they felt was a stonewall penalty in 63 minutes when after a mazy run Gavin Mackie found himself in good position in the penalty box but was brought down and to Bankies’ amazement the referee waved play on.

Bankies continued to attack the Primrose goal and in 70 minutes Barry Ward picked up a loose ball in the Primrose penalty box and he looked set to score for the second time in the game but his well struck shot rebounded off the post and was cleared.

There were chances at both ends after this with the Bankies having the lions share of them but there were no further goals and the game ended all square at 1–1.

The Luncarty/Scone Thistle derby clash at Brownlands Park was both entertaining and keenly contested which ended in an odd goal in five win for Thistle.

Thistle got off to a dream start as they opened the scoring after three minutes.

A Luncarty defender failed to connect with the ball on the edge of his penalty box and Derek Adam was on to it in a flash and as the keeper came off his line to try and avert the danger Derek slotted it past him into the corner of the net.

Five minutes later Thistle went 2-0 in front. This time it was from an excellent move when Scott Ballingall played a perfectly measured pass out to Callum McKinlay on the left wing.

He proceeded to fire a cross into the heart of the Luncarty goalmouth and Alan Cameron was on hand to touch it into the back of the net.

After their nightmare start the Bleachers began to get their act together and midway through the half their striker Colin Brown collected a great pass from Greg Zaczek, turned his marker and cracked the ball past keeper David Winton from 15 yards.

The Bleachers’ striker came close to getting the equaliser minutes before the interval when a great ball from Mike Jarmuzweski left him with a chance but his shot rebounded off the bar and was cleared.

In the last seconds of the half Thistle centre half Dave Routledge connected with a free-kick on the edge of the Bleachers six yard box but his header hit the bar.

Thistle restored their two-goal lead in 71 minutes when Alan Cameron headed home a corner taken by Callum McKinlay for his second goal of the game.

The Bleachers’ Greg Zaczek reduced the leeway to 3-2 in 84 minutes and they strived hard for the equaliser but to no avail.

Jeanfield Swifts were away to Newburgh and they took a deserved lead on the half-hour mark when a good piece of combined play gave Gavin Norrie a chance and he fired the ball home from 10 yards.

Swifts went 2-0 ahead in 43 minutes when Tony Holt picked up a miss-hit clearance from a defender and promptly fired it past the keeper and into the corner of the net.

Swifts continued to have the bulk of pressure in the second half but failed to add to their score.

They then went on to suffer a double whammy of ordering offs when Mark Durnan was first to go after he picked up a second yellow card.

Five minutes later, in the 81st minute, Chris Dodd followed him after receiving a straight red card after he fouled an opponent.

In between those ordering off’s Stuart Cargill had scored for Newburgh to make it 2-1 and that’s how the game ended.