Perthshire Junior football latest

May 7 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

KINNOULL are away to Forfar West End in a tremendously crucial league fixture as it’s the penultimate league game of the season for both sides.

Kinnoull, if they can come home with the three points, would keep themselves in contention for the championship and obviously the runners-up place.

Either of those finishes would win them promotion to the Super League which is their number one target – and preferably as champions.

Kinnoull and West End shared the points in the corresponding fixture at Tulloch Park and this is obviously a difficult game for the Perth outfit.

However, in their recent visits to Strathmore Park the visitors have come home with favourable results and they will be going all out to do so again tomorrow.

Manager Scott Brown said after the midweek training session that Callum McKinlay, who missed last week’s game with an ankle injury, had trained and had felt no ill effects.

He should return along with Mark Gordon, unavailable last week and unless there were any late hitches, Kinnoull will travel with a squad of 16 – only long term injury victim Stuart Nicol misses out.

A win for Kinnoull would complete a very unwanted double for West End as they lost their first league points of the season away to Arniston last week and they will be quite desperate to preserve their home record.

Blairgowrie play their final league game of the season tomorrow away to bottom of the table Fauldhouse and it’s a game Blair have to win if they are to hang on to their now very slim hopes of avoiding the drop.

Montrose Roselea are already relegated and the two clubs who will go down with them will come from, Blairgowrie, Fauldhouse and Penicuik. Even if Blair win tomorrow they wont know their fate until the other two who have games in hand have completed their fixtures.

Blair will unfortunately be without at least three of their squad through injury: player/boss Ross Graham, hamstring, Richard Robertson, ankle and Mark Christinson is doubtful with a recurring hamstring problem and could have a fitness test.

The Fife/Tayside Cup, formerly the Redwood Leisure Cup, has a new sponsor, and it’s to be called the Three Fifties Cup. Three teams are engaged in first round ties tomorrow they are Luncarty, Coupar Angus and Scone Thistle.

Luncarty and Coupar Angus have very difficult home ties, Kirkcaldy YM and Ballingry are their respective guests while the Thistle travel into Fife to take on Rosyth. All three will certainly have to ‘buck the odds’ if they are to progress to round two.

They can however take heart from the fact that there has already been one or two quite surprising dismissals in round one ties.

Luncarty’s opponents Kirkcaldy YM were top the Central League table until they were knocked of their perch in midweek at Thornton.

The defeat was a real blow for their championship aspirations and they’re now second favourites behind Thornton for the title.

The Bleachers met the YM at Kirkcaldy in the league in January and were on the receiving end. Since then Mark Potter has taken over as manager and their performances have shown quite an improvement, the latest of which was against another championship chasing side Dundonald last Saturday. They only made certain of the points with a late goal as the Bleachers were trailing 3–2 and pressing for an equaliser.

Mark Potter’s squad for tomorrow is unfortunately quite under-strength which wont help their cause. He will be without five players. Out with injuries are Colin Wilcox, Dean Howie and Craig Wallace, while Mike Hampton and Gavin McLeod are unavailable. It’s a late selection from the Bleachers Boss.

Coupar Angus entertain Ballingry at Foxhall Park and they will have to face up to their Premier League opponents without four of their squad.

Goalkeeper Laurie Spence is still confined to the sidelines with a leg injury, but Coupar have a capable deputy in Jamie Malone.

Scott Henderson and Kevin Smith are out with knee injuries and manager Barrie Britton’s woes don’t end there as Robbie George is suspended, but he expects to have a squad of 16 or 17 available.

Scone Thistle turned in a strong performance in their away league game last week against championship chasing Thornton Hibs and a repeat performance in their away tie against Rosyth could make this a closely contested cup tie.

Rosyth have a psychological advantage as they won both the league games the teams have played but Thistle boss Derek Adam shrugs this off with the comment: “Tomorrow’s another game which we are looking forward to.”

Derek has signed Sam Stewart who is a full back and he has shown up well in the trial games he has played. Sam has stepped up from youth football and is in the squad for this game.

Three players are listed as doubtful with injuries, they are Keith Dewar, foot, Greg Zaczek, ankle and Alan Bailey, dead leg. They have all been receiving treatment and fitness tests are likely to be the order of the day.

Definite nonstarters are Iain Wilkie, Achilles injury and Paul Anderson, unavailable. It’s a late selection from the Thistle Gaffer.

Bankfoot are away to Lochgelly Albert in the Central League when they met in the corresponding fixture at Coronation Park the game finished all square 1–1.

Bankies were down near the foot of the table at that time but since then they have moved steadily upwards and there’s every possibility if they win tomorrow they could climb into the top half of the table.

Bankies boss Ian Duff will have to await fitness tests on a few players who picked up injuries in the midweek derby clash with Jeanfield. Donald McDonald’s head gash required five stitches which will almost certainly rule him out while Mike Whyte, Jamie McAinsh, Mike Lindsay and David Fyfe are all having treatment and are in the doubtful category. Fitness tests are likely to be the order of the day and it will be a very late selection from Ian Duff.

Midweek report

THIS was a typical derby clash with play surging from end to end and a pleasing feature was despite its intensity there wasn’t any serious aggro.

Swifts broke the deadlock after only eight minutes when a corner was fired into the heart of the Bankies goalmouth where it was met by centre half Gordon Bryce up in support of his attack and he powered a header into the back of the net (this was an exact replica of the goal he scored on Saturday).

Bankies shrugged of this setback and a couple of minutes later they had a golden opportunity to square the game when David Fyfe was put through and was left with only the keeper to beat from the edge of the six yard box but he fired the ball over the bar when it seemed easier to score.

In 38 minutes in a Swifts attack their Jamie Reilly and Bankies Donald McDonald had a clash of heads in which McDonald suffered a gash and had to be taken off. The wound required five stitches and that was the end of the game for Donald and Bankies had to reshuffle their team.

Two minutes into the second half Swifts increased their lead to 2–0 when John Anderson headed in a cross. Ten minutes later Bankies had reduced the leeway when a cross from Ally Gray, who had come on as a sub, was met by Gavin Mackie who fired the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards.

Swifts virtually clinched the points with a third goal in 79 minutes. A cross into the Bankies goalmouth saw John Anderson connect only to see his header from close range brilliantly saved by keeper Mike Whyte who unfortunately could only push the ball out. The ball was met by Johnny McCrae following up and he had the none to difficult task of despatching it into the net.

Swifts joy at winning three valuable points was somewhat tempered with the news that Thornton had beaten Kirkcaldy YM. A draw in this game would have been more suitable for Swifts championship chances but it still looks like being a very interesting climax in the race for the championship.

TOMORROW’S fixtures in the Bukta Teamwear.com Leagues:

Premier League – Forfar West End v Kinnoull; Fauldhouse v Blairgowrie.

Central League – Lochgelly Albert v Bankfoot.

Tayside/Fife Three Fifties Cup first round – Luncarty v Kirkcaldy YM; Coupar Angus v Ballingry; Rosyth v Scone Thistle.

Kick Offs – 2.30pm.

Midweek result: Central League – Jeanfield Swifts 3, Bankfoot Athletic