Perthshire Junior Football - May 21

May 21 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

KINNOULL wind up their season tomorrow with a home game against Tayport.

And if they can win this Tulloch Park finale, they will be promoted to the Super League and stay in the race for the championship.

Tayport were at home to Ballingry on Wednesday night and the game looked as if it was going to end goalless.

Then in the 89th minute, an angled shot from Tayport’s Mark Whatley from just outside the penalty box looked to be easy meat for the goalkeeper but he let it slip and before he could recover the ball rolled over the goalline and into the back of the empty net and it earned Tayport three very valuable points.

Kinnoull’s position is they have to win on Saturday to be promoted.

Should the game finish all square then their promotion hopes would rest on Tayport getting an adverse result in at least one of their two remaining games, which is obviously a scenario they would want to avoid.

Kinnoull had no game last Saturday however they had a training session in the morning followed by a golf competition in the afternoon, which was won by goalkeeper Duncan Bruce.

They followed this up with two midweek training sessions so they are certainly geared up for this extremely crucial encounter which will surely pull out Tulloch Park’s biggest attendance of the season.

Manager Scott Brown and his players are confident they will get the result they want and win that coveted promotion place and stay in contention for the championship.

Scott Brown said: “Apart from long term injury victim Stuart Nicol we are free from injuries and expect to have a squad of 16 available.”

THE remainder of the fixtures are in the Central League and the Scone Thistle v Thornton Hibs clash at Thistle’s RDM ground, is another game that could bring in bumper gate receipts as a large travelling support from Thornton is expected.

The reason for the likely upsurge in the Hibs support is that they will be the Central League Champions if they can take a point from this game and their usual stay-at-home support will want to witness this achievement if it should happen.

The Thistle have a good support which no doubt will be increased quite considerably and they certainly will be striving to give their fans something to cheer about by producing one of the seasons major upsets by denying the Hibs that very vital point they are chasing.

The teams met three weeks ago at Thornton and Thistle weren’t too far away from producing a shock that day as the scoreline was all square with 14 minutes remaining when the Hibs scored the goal that won them three very valuable points.

Thistle caretaker boss Alan Cameron expects to have goalkeeper Steve McKinnie back. He is bracketed with a trialist while their other keeper David Winton is still unavailable. Andy Smith and Craig Jack return to the squad which is expected to include a couple of outfield trialists. It’s a late selection from Alan Cameron.

LUNCARTY and Jeanfield Swifts are both down in the Kingdom and they are taking on Oakley and Kirkcaldy YM respectively, either of whom could still win the championship if Thornton fail to get the point they require to clinch championship at Scone.

Luncarty are Oakley’s guests. The Bleachers produced a big shock last week when they beat Steelend Vics and they showed their fighting spirit to mount a comeback from being three goals behind to do so.

The Bleachers will have to produce an even bigger shock to come home from their trip to Blairwood Park with a favourable result, although the odds are very much stacked against them doing so.

Mark Potter the Bleachers boss said of his players: “They are beginning to grow in confidence which is a step in the right direction.”

Mark will be without two of the players for tomorrow’s game, Noel Meehan and Liam Haire are unavailable. On the credit side Neil Ritchie and Jordan Brown return and Dean Howie is another possible. Dean, who has been out with an ankle injury for some weeks, has resumed training and if he feels no ill effects he will be in the squad, which, is likely to include trialists.

JEANFIELD Swifts are now out of the championship race but will still be going all out to take the points from this game and end any lingering hopes that their hosts Kirkcaldy YM have of possibly still finishing as the champions.

Swifts boss Murray McDowall has quite a number of players receiving treatment for injuries and late fitness tests is likely be the order of the day. It’s a late selection from Murray.

Bankfoot are at home to Crossgates Primrose who are in a mid-table position two points ahead of their hosts. Bankies had high hopes of overtaking them by collecting three points from their midweek game against Lochore Welfare but that didn’t happen as they lost that game 3–0.

Bankies will however leapfrog over them if they win tomorrow and move into that top half of the table. Manager Ian Duff has a few players nursing knocks after there midweek game and will wait and see what the position is before deciding his lineup for tomorrow’s game.

BANKFOOT took on Lochore Welfare in a midweek clash which remained goalless until midway through the second half.

There had been chances at either end but there were no takers.

The deadlock was broken when a cross into the Bankies goalmouth wasn’t cleared and Craig Patterson who was unmarked at the far post headed the Welfare into the lead.

Bankies strived hard to get back on level terms but in 83 minutes they found themselves 2–0 behind.

They had been attacking their opponents goal when the ball was cleared up the park and it took a rather big bounce and deceived the Bankies defenders, Welfare’s Fraser McGuire came running in to head the ball past keeper Mike Whyte who had come off his line to try and avert the danger and it landed in the back of the empty net.

There was more woe for Bankies a few minutes later when the Welfare’s Bryan Donnelly picked up a ball in midfield and ran 30-odd yards unchallenged before firing the ball past keeper Mike Whyte from about 16 yards to make it 3–0 and complete what was a disappointing result for the Bankies.

TOMORROW’S fixtures in the Bukta Teamwear.com Leagues: Premier League – Kinnoull v Tayport.

Central League – Scone Thistle v Thornton Hibs; Bankfoot Athletic v Crossgates Primrose; Kirkcaldy YM v Jeanfield Swifts; Oakley United v Luncarty.

Kick off’s – 2.30pm.