Junior Football:All the results and action from the weekend’s Junior matches.

Apr 12 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

BATTLING against the threat of relegation, Kinnoull collected three valuable points to keep their slim hopes of avoiding the drop alive in their Tulloch Park encounter against Ballingry.

The Fifers came into this game nursing hopes of going home with the three points that would help keep their aspirations of winning promotion alive but they received a real setback as they were trounced to the tune of 4-0 by a slick moving Kinnoull side.

The early play in this game surged from end to end and there wasn’t much between the teams until the 16th minute when Kinnoull took the lead.

They did so when their trialist played a through ball to Gary Fraser.

The striker was on the right of the penalty box and he immediately made tracks for goal.

The keeper came out to narrow the angle but the striker hit the ball past him into the back of the net for a well worked and taken goal.

Ballingry responded to this set back and won a couple of corners but they brought them no joy.

Kinnoull came close to going further ahead in 33 minutes when a corner was played to Gary Fraser who was about eight yards from the goal.

It looked as if he would have a go, but instead he elected to play the ball to Chris Webster who hit it on the half turn only to be denied by keeper Joe Houston who produced a wonder save to palm the ball away as it was about cross the goal line.

The 1-0 scoreline at the interval certainly didn’t flatter Kinnoull, but they made up for it as they went on to stretch their lead to 4-0 with only 16 minutes of the second half played.

Chris Webster got the first and second of those goals.

Ballingry had swept into the attack in the first minute and they had a shot right on target which was well saved by keeper Duncan Bruce.

His clearance was played on to Chris Webster and as he made his way goalwards the keeper came of his line but the Kinnoull skipper kept his cool and slipped the ball past him into the corner of the net to put his side two-nil ahead.

There were only two more minutes played and Kinnoull were three ahead.

Gary Fraser out on the wing eluded his marker and crossed the ball to the far post where it was met, again, by Webster who beat the keeper this time with a well judged header.

Goal number four in 61 minutes came when their trialist after a good bit of play hit a cross into the penalty box and David Carr came running in to meet the ball and score from close range with a bullet header.

Kinnoull had a number of further chances to increase their lead but failed to put them away.

Ballingry to their credit never gave up and had their own chances to at least reduce the deficit but they were thwarted by a couple of excellent saves from Duncan Bruce and Kinnoull finished comfortable winners thanks to a very impressive performance.

Scone Thistle at home to Lochgelly Albert produced the shock result of the day by sending the Fifers, who are one of he leading contenders in the championship race, home empty handed after winning this encounter by a four three margin.

Thistle certainly didn’t look as though they would finish as winners as they had played second fiddle to the Albert in the first half.

Thistle had got of to the worst possible start as they went a goal behind in the first minute when Albert striker Stevie Brown took advantage of slack defensive play to rifle the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards.

Thistle retaliated to this set back and not many minutes later had strong appeals for a penalty waved aside by the referee and his decision back fired on them as they went two nil behind a few minutes later.

The Fifers Andy MacFarlane out on the right shrugged of a couple of tackles and crossed the ball into the Thistle penalty box where it was met by Stevie Brown whose shot was going wide until it took an ugly deflection of a Thistle defender which caused it to wrong foot keeper Matt Porch and land in the back of the net.

Thistle had a couple of reasonable chances but failed to put them away and they went in at the break trailing by two-nil.

Thistle boss Alan Cameron made what proved to be inspired substitutions from the restart when he brought on Steve Gardiner and Andy Smith. Gardiner’s part was of the more spectacular nature as he went on to score a hat trick.

The first of his goals was on 50 minutes when met with a Chris McLeish cross in the penalty box and smacked it past the keeper.

Two minutes later he was on the mark again when he got his side back on level terms. He ran on to a great through ball from Ross Mitchell which he struck past the keeper who had come of his line.

The Thistle goal blitz continued as ten minutes later they had taken the lead when Kenny Hynd met with a Chris McLeish cross and beat the keeper with a header.

Thistle were awarded a penalty in 79 minutes when the goalie brought down Steve Gardiner in the box. Steve took the spot kick himself but fired it wide however, the ref ordered a retake and Steve made no mistake this time and it completed his hat trick and put his side four-two ahead. Steve Brown completed the scoring with a third goal for the Fifers in 84 minutes.

Jeanfield were away to Dundonald and they lost by the odd goal in three with the winner being scored in stoppage time.

Dundonald took the lead in 40 minutes when Swift’s central defender, Mike Gow, and an opponent got into a tangle going for the ball.

The referee awarded Dundonald a penalty and gave Gow a red card as he considered he had robbed the player concerned of a goal scoring opportunity and that certainly didn’t go down well with the Swifts.

Swifts ten men came very close to equalising in the first minute of the second half when a John Anderson header looked goal bound but rebounded of the bar and was cleared.

Swifts did get back on level terms though in 57 minutes with a spectacular goal from a free kick taken by Steve McManus who curled the ball into the top corner of the net from all of 25 yards.

Ten minutes later Kevin Fowler failed to convert a great chance that would have given Swifts a deserved lead, then another McManus free kick looked net bound but cannoned of the post and was cleared.

With the game in stoppage time Dave Balfour snatched the winner for Dundonald who would have to consider them selves very fortunate to finish with all three points.

Luncarty were on the receiving end again when they lost at home to Steelend Vics by six-one, Darren Wilcox was the Bleachers scorer.

Coupar Angus shocked their high profile visitors Downfield by taking the lead in the first minute.

Henderson was their scorer and they held his lead until the interval.

The second half saw Downfield get on top to finish three-one winners.

Blairgowrie and Bankfoot both lost their GA Cup Quarter Final ties.

Blair were at home to Violet who went a goal ahead after ten minutes, the scorer, Ross Lunan.

Blair shook off this early set back and by midway through the half they had taken a two-one lead with goals from Gary Axworthy and Darren Neave, this was Darren’s 100th goal for Blair.

Unfortunately, it didn’t give them a half time lead as Violet had moved into a three-two lead by the break with goals from, Martin Spzak and Ross Sievwright.

It was Sievwright who scored the only goal of the second half to make it four-two and clinch the Pansies place in the semi-finals.

Bankfoot got of to the perfect start against their Premier League hosts Broughty when they took the lead in nine minutes.

A good bit of inter play between Shaun Fergus and David Fyfe carved open the Broughty defence and was finished of in style when Fergus crashed a terrific left foot strike from the edge of the penalty box into the back of the net.

Bankies continued to have the best of the half but failed to add to their score.

The second half was a very different story and proved to be a bit of a nightmare for the Bankies.

They failed to add to their score and had two players red carded and the Ferry side went on to win by four-one.

Donald McDonald was first to go after a mistimed tackle on an opponent. He was followed five minutes later by goalkeeper Mike Whyte for a last man offence.

The Broughty scores came from a Jamie Winter hat trick including a penalty with Graham Dailey making up the four.

Bankfoot are back at Whitton Park tonight when they face up to Broughty again, this time in the East of Scotland Cup.

Hopefully they can turn their fortunes around. Manager Ian Duff will make a late selection.

SATURDAYS results – GA Cup, Quarter Finals: Blairgowrie 2, Violet 4; Broughty Athletic. 4, Bankfoot Athletic. 1; North End 2, Arbroath SC 1. ACA Sports Leagues: Premier League – Kinnoull 4, Ballingry 0. Central League – Scone Thistle 4, Lochgelly Albert 3; Luncarty 1, Steelend Vics 6; Dundonald B 2, Jeanfield Swifts 1. North League – Coupar Angus 1, Downfield 3.

MIDWEEK Fixture: Tuesday – April 12, East of Scotland Cup, Third Round: Broughty Ath. v Bankfoot Ath. Kick off, 6.30pm.