Blair win their place in history

Apr 24 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Perthshire Juniors

BLAIRGOWRIE made a piece of club history when they won their way through to the final of the Tayside/North GA Cup for the first time.

Blair beat Harp 2-0 in the semi-final at Davie Park on Wednesday night.

They will meet Sunnybank or Fortmartine in the final at a venue in Aberdeen that has to be arranged along with the date it will be played.

This victory for Blair will be a real boost for them before their Premier League game against Dundonald Bluebell at Davie Park tomorrow.

This is a crucial game for Blair and Dundonald who are both battling to avoid being relegated.

The opinion at present is that three from the following four teams will be relegated: North End, Oakley or Dundonald, although Fauldhouse and Ballingry are not quite out of the woods yet.

Tomorrow’s game is in the “must win” category for Blair who trail their Fife opponents by nine points, but Blair have two games in hand which could yet prove to be and advantage for them if they win tomorrow’s game and they are quietly confident that they will do so.

Blairgowrie boss Billy Mackay – pictured – said that while one or two of his players picked up knocks on Wednesday night, there was nothing serious and he expects to have a full squad of 17 available.

Kinnoull are also engaged in the Premier League away from home to Arniston Rangers. Kinnoull are currently just above the Rangers in the League table in the fourth from the top position, but it is only a hair’s breadth between them.

They both have twenty nine points and Kinnoull have the advantage with one more goal.

The winner of this Arniston clash, should there be one, could find themselves elevated to the third top spot in the table if the present incumbents Penicuik lose their away game at Ballingry.

That certainly would be a bonus for either Kinnoull or the Rangers.

Kinnoull gaffer Scott Brown will be without at least four of his squad. Mark Morrison and Iain Wilkie are injured, while Mark Gordon and Jon Kelly are suspended.

There is also a doubt about Andre Tang who is still nursing a knee injury. He will have a late fitness test. Scott Brown reckons the defender has a fifty fifty chance of getting the all clear. Scott expects to have a squad of at least 15 available.

In the Central League, there is a derby clash between Jeanfield Swifts and Luncarty at the Riverside, while Scone Thistle entertain Newburgh at their RDM ground.

Jeanfield have suffered three defeats on the trot which is a most unusual scenario for them.

Those defeats have all been by single goal margins, with penalty kicks being the deciding factor in two of them and have caused Swifts to slip down from the second top spot in the league table to the number five slot.

Swifts must surely be the favourites to win tomorrow’s clash with bottom of the table Luncarty and halt their slide in the process.

Eddie O’Connor’s squad for this game will still be without their injured pair Mike Gow and Gary Brock and there is doubt about Chris Dodd who has been getting treatment for a shoulder injury.

He is, however, expected to be okay. Eddie O’Connor will have a squad of 15 or 16 available.

Luncarty’s interim manager Alan Blyth, despite losing two games since he took over, has been pleased with the effort and spirit the players showed in those games, especially in Wednesday’s night cup clash with super league side Glenrothes.

It may be that it will be third time lucky for Alan and his team if they can buck the odds and take something from their visit tot he Riverside stadium.

The Bleachers expect to have a full squad available for this derby clash.

Scone Thistle are hosts to Newburgh.

Only one point separates the teams in the league, with Thistle having the advantage.

The Thistle have been playing well in recent games and if they can continue in this vein, coupled with the fact that they ave the advantage of being at home, they should have a very good chance of widening the points gap between them and the Fifers.

they could, however, have a quite understrength squad as goalkeeper David Winton is unavailable although that does not create any great problem as Steve KcKinnie will take over.

There are, however, doubts about four outfield players who are all nursing injuries: Derek Angus, David Routledge, Keith Dewar and John McGovern, all four likely to have fitness tests.

It is a late selection from manager Derek Adam.

Coupar Angus have a home game against Violet in the North League.

Coupar have already had three players in recent weeks ruled out for the rest of the season with injuries: skipper Paul Blackwood, Scott Grant and Paul Cruickshanks.

Coupar have suffered a further blow in this direction as their goalkeeper Arik who has a knee injury has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Coupar had goalkeeper Mark Mackie playing a trial for them last week and he will do so again tomorrow, along with his brother Gary who is a defender.

It is a late selection from Derek Grier.

Bankfoot have a quite daunting task in the Redwood Leisure Cup as they are away to super league side Forfar West End. The Bankies are obviously the underdogs in this cup clash and will certainly have to buck the odds and provide one of the season’s shock results to progress in this cup.

Bankies skipper Gary Campbell has a niggling groin injury and it has caused Gary to miss the Tuesday night training session. However, he has not been ruled out of the equation and it is likely that he will have a late fitness test.

Barry Ward is a non starter as he is unavailable. It is a late selection from their manager Robin Wood.

Blairgowrie were the worthy winner of the GA Cup semi final against Lochee Harp, despite having to play with ten men for most of the game, as their goalkeeper Gordon O’Brien was sent off after four minutes.

Skipper Mark Brash took over in goal and performed well in his unaccustomed role. The Blairgowrie goals were scored in the second half.

Alan Cruickshanks got the first with Darren Neave netting the second. Harp were also reduced to ten men when Mark Kelly was ordered off in twenty minutes.

In the Redwood Leisure Cup, Luncarty turned in a sterling performance against their super league opponents Glenrothes, although going down by a two goal margin.

A missed penalty in the first half did not help the Bleachers’ cause. Fraser Simpson scored for them in the second half to make it 2-1.

Glenrothes finally clinched the tie with a third goal in 80minutes.