Perthshire junior football review, 26 January 2010

Jan 26 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

SURPRISINGLY there was almost a full programme of league games played which saw the teams get a taste of action for the first time in six weeks.

It did however necessitate Bankfoot, whose game against Newburgh was called off, travelling to meet Oakley and the Luncarty versus Kirkcaldy YM which was due at Brownlands Park being switched to their opponents Denfield Park ground.

Kinnoull were the only team without an official fixture as Tulloch Park was unplayable, however, they managed to play a friendly against St Johns Amateurs at the McDiarmid Park all weather pitch.

Blairgowrie had a terrific result in their away premier league game against Carnoustie which they won 4–3, scoring two goals in injury time to secure the points.

Blair went ahead in this game after 10 minutes when a free kick from Ryan Menzies into the Gowfers goal mouth was met by Alan Cruickshank who promptly headed it over the keeper into the back of the net.

Blair’s joy was short lived as a minute later Carnoustie who had surged up the park from the kick off won a free kick which was taken by Bryan Clark and hit into the Blair goalmouth where it caused a bit of a scramble and Kevin Milne knocked it into the back of the net to make it 1–1 and that’s how the game stood at half time.

Blair sailed into the attack from the restart and had a strong penalty claim turned down in the 53rd minute when Alan Cruickshank was downed in the penalty box but the referee didn’t see it that way.

Carnoustie had a player sent off on the hour mark after a challenge on Darren Neave.

The 10 men made it difficult for Blair and in 77 minutes they took the lead when Steven Cook played a ball to Terry Mason out on the right and his cross into the middle of the Blair penalty box was met by Kevin Milne who beat keeper Gordon O'Brien from 10 yards.

A couple of minutes later Blair were back on level terms when a great pass from Gary Axworthy wide right to Darren Neave saw him cut in and beat the keeper from a tight angle to make it 2–2.

There was only three minutes of the game remaining when Mike McIlravey grabbed a goal for the Gowfers to make it 3–2 in their favour and this looked like being the winner.

Blair however shrugged off the disappointment of losing this late goal and immediately threw everything at the Gowfers.

With the game in injury time it certainly looked all over for Blair but in the 91st minute Gordon Pirie cracked home a long range effort to square the game for them and if this shocked the Gowfers there was an even bigger one to follow as a minute later Danny Millar scored to make it 4–3 for Blair to win them three very valuable points.

Bankfoot were another team to produce a shock.

Away to league leaders Oakley they were forced to travel with a depleted squad.

They shrugged this off and went on to shock their much vaunted hosts by trouncing them to the tune of 3–1.

This was really a cavalier performance for the Bankies who deserved their victory and the three valuable points it earned them.

The first of those Bankies goals came in 30 minutes when David Fyfe set off on a solo run which saw a bevy of defenders trail in his wake he then crossed the ball into the Oakley penalty box where it was met by Mike Lindsay who slotted it past the keeper from 10 yards.

It was end to end stuff after this but it looked as if it would be the only goal of the half until the 42nd minute when the Bankies were awarded a free kick some 28 yards from the Oakley goal.

This was taken by Gavin Mackie who curled over the defensive wall and the head of the keeper for what was a great goal which sent the Bankies in at the break 2–0 ahead.

The second half had only gone a couple of minutes when Oakley were gobsmacked when they went further behind.

Gavin Mackie out on the Bankies left wing crossed a great ball in for Mike Lindsay to meet it in the penalty box and smack it past the keeper for his second goal of the game.

Oakley now threw everything at the Bankies and in 70 minutes they managed to reduce the leeway when a corner from the right was knocked on by Chris King and headed past keeper Mike Whyte by Gavin Gray to make it 3–1.

Oakley continued to press but their attacks foundered against a resolute Bankfoot defence which was well marshalled by keeper Mike Whyte.

Bankies manager Ian Duff said after the game: "Every one of our players gave his all and got their deserved reward."

Jeanfield Swifts were away to Crossgates who mounted the first attack and their striker Stewart Irvine cracked a shot from the edge of the penalty box which was right on target but Swifts’ keeper, Mark Mitchell, threw himself across his goal and managed to touch the ball over the bar for a corner which brought the Fifers no joy.

After this near early setback the Swifts took command and had their opponents pretty much on the defensive and in 10 minutes a good Swifts move saw Tony Holt go clear.

He hit an inviting cross into their goalmouth but there were no takers. Five minutes later a cross from Swifts left was met by John Anderson and his header went inches past the post.

Swifts continued to press and in 28 minutes they broke the deadlock when Fraser McInlay surged up the park and hit a great cross into the goalmouth where it was met by John Anderson and headed down to David Thornton who promptly knocked it over the goal mouth.

On the half hour mark Jamie Reilly came off the subs bench to replace Craig Milne who was injured.

Jamie had a couple of reasonable chances in the 38th and 42nd minutes but he put them both past the post.

The second half saw Swifts continue where they had left off on the attack and both John Anderson and David Thornton failed to convert reasonable chances. Midway through the half in one of their sporadic raids the Fifers almost snapped up the equaliser.

A shot from Stewart Irving was cleared off the line by a Swifts defender.

Swifts were reduced to 10 men midway through the half when Chris Dodd was red carded for a tackle on an opponent.

This seemed a rather harsh decision as it looked more like a yellow card offence.

There was 10 minutes of the game remaining when Swifts should have gone further ahead.

A volley from David Thornton beat the defence and the keeper and looked like a certain goal however Swifts sub Mike Waring tried to make certain that the ball would cross the line but unfortunately it screwed off his foot to a defender who promptly cleared the ball.

That was certainly a let off for the Fifers and that was about the last incident in the game and Swifts left for home with the points.

Scone Thistle were away to Dundonald who are nursing promotion aspirations and they helped their cause in this direction by winning this game by 4–0.

The Fifers were 2–0 ahead at the interval with goals from Paul Graham and Wayne Wright.

Thistle came out in the second half and immediately went on the attack, reating a couple of very scoreable chances which they didn’t take.

They paid the penalty as their opponents went on to score two further goals from Martyn Thomson and sub Dave Blacklaws, who scored with what was his first touch off the game.

Luncarty were down at Kirkcaldy and were behind 3–1 at the interval. Liam Haire was the Bleachers goalscorer while Chris Ireland, Rab Martin and Tommy Carr were the YM scorers.

The Bleachers, who had high hopes of making a come back in the second half, unfortunately conceded a further six goals.

The YM’s Craig Low scored four of these goals, Tommy Carr got a second and James Roxburgh went on to complete the scoring.

Coupar Angus were away to Arbroath Vics in the North League but unfortunately they came home empty-handed losing by the odd goal in seven.

But it was a game they felt they should have taken something from.

Coupar went behind after just three minutes when one of their defenders in trying to clear headed into his own net. By the 17th minute they had stormed into the lead with two goals from John Rosscraig.

Vics however squared the game with a goal from Colin Lawson scored in 26 minutes.

The second half saw the Vics score twice through Craig Watson and Scott McDonald to go 4–2 ahead. Coupar pulled one back in 80 minutes from Kevin Scott and they strived hard for the equaliser but the Vics held out.

Both sides had players red carded. Vics lost Matt Johnston just before the interval with Coupar’s Barry Murdoch departing in the 67th minute.

SATURDAY’S results: Premier League – Carnoustie 3, Blairgowrie 4.

Central League – Oakley 1, Bankfoot 3; Crossgates P 0, Jeanfield Swifts 1; Dundonald B 4, Scone Thistle 0; Kirkcaldy YM 9, Luncarty 1.

North League – Arbroath Vics 4, Coupar Angus 3.

Friendly – Kinnoull 5, St Johns Amateurs 1.