JUNIOR FOOTBALL – PA TUESDAY APRIL 26

Apr 26 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

KINNOULL ended their Premier League programme with a 3–2 win against bottom of the table Thornton Hibs.

This hands them 23 points and, while it keeps their hopes of avoiding the drop in the melting pot, their fate is now in the hands of teams who are fellow travellers in the relegation zone.

Saturday’s game didn’t start at all well for Kinnoull as they found themselves a goal behind after two minutes.

A ball was played out to the Hibs left wing where it was picked up by Graeme Walker who rounded his marker and hit a cross into Ross Morgan who flicked it over the head of keeper Duncan Bruce as he came off his line.

There were only 12 more minutes on the clock and Kinnoull had surged into a 2–1 lead.

Veteran striker Alec Bone got both those goals in the 13th and 14th minutes.

The first came when Kinnoull’s trialist played the ball through to Gavin Tinley, his shot from just inside the penalty box was blocked by keeper Kevin Smith but it broke back to Bone who, despite the attentions of a defender, cracked it into the back of the net.

A minute later the ball was played out to Alec Bone out on the left, he immediately started to cut in towards the goal warding off a challenge in the process and as the keeper came off his line he coolly lobbed the ball over him into the far corner of the net.

The Hibs levelled the score on the hour mark when Coco Mullen headed home a corner from John Halley and they came close to emulating their hosts feat of two goals in a minute when they returned to attack the Kinnoull goal and another corner from John Halley was met by Jimmy Shields, fortunately it went over the bar.

A few minutes later Bone was racing through when he was tripped just inside the penalty box and when the referee blew for what the Kinnoull players thought was a spot kick he surprised everybody and especially Bone as he booked him for simulation.

Kinnoull were reduced to 10 men when Gary Fraser got a red card after picking up a second caution but it didn’t deter Kinnoull who two minutes later restored their lead when Bone scored to complete his hat trick and this proved to be the winner.

Bankfoot were away to Lochore Welfare who came close to taking the lead in 10 minutes when a shot from Paul Duncan looked to be heading for the corner of the net but Bankies keeper Mike Whyte dived full stretch to push the ball round the post for a corner which brought no joy.

Bankies came more into the game and midway through the half they came very close to taking the lead when Donald McDonald met with a corner but his header went inches over the bar.

Bankies continued on the offensive and five minutes later they won another corner which was met by Steven Moon at the back post but he too headed narrowly over the bar.

The interval was only a minute away when Lochore broke the deadlock when they were awarded a free kick about 25 yards from the Bankies goal it was taken by Lee Reid who managed to curl it round the defensive wall and into the corner of the net.

The Bankies sailed into the attack from the restart and within three minutes they were back on level terms when a good move between BillyCarle, Mark Caldow and Jamie McAinsh was finished off by Bankies trialist with a glancing header from close range.

The game looked to be heading for a 1–1 finish as it moved into its final minute but as in the first half Lochore grabbed a last gasp goal with another 25 yard effort.

Duncan was the scorer when he met with a long clearance and his first time shot sailed into the back of the net and Bankies finished empty handed in a game they deserved to take at least a share of the points from.

Jeanfield Swifts, after a few weeks of a near goal drought, certainly rediscovered their scoring touch in their away game against Crossgates Primrose as they trounced them to the tune of 7–0 and as the score suggests they were in command from start to finish.

Their first goal came after six minutes when Steve McManus met with a pass from Tony Holt and side footed the ball past the keeper from close range.

Five minutes later an almost identical move, a pass from Gordon Findlay to Tony Holt saw Tony turn from provider to scorer when he shot home from 12 yards.

Swifts went 3–0 ahead on the half hour mark. A long clearance from Swifts keeper Mark Mitchell took a bounce and landed with Bryan Scott who was about 25 yards from the Crossgates goal, Bryan got it under control with his first touch, swivelled round and smashed it into the goal, where it cannoned off the inside of the post and flew into the back of the net.

The second half started off with Swifts increasing their lead to 4–0 in its opening minutes. Stuart Nicol made a run down the right wing and hit a cross into the goalmouth which the keeper punched out almost straight on to Mark Gordon’s head and he did the needful.

John Anderson made it 5–0 in 57 minutes when he met with a cross from Jamie Reilly and sidefooted the ball past the keeper from close range. Swifts were in rampant form and they increased their lead to 6–0 in 70 minutes when Andre Tang had a foray up the park and he crossed the ball to Neil Gardiner who in turn headed it back across the goal to Jamie Reilly who beat the keeper with a header.

Reilly was on the mark again when he went on to complete the rout with goal number seven in 85 minutes.

Scone Thistle also scored seven times without a reply, they were at home to Luncarty. They opened their account after 10 minutes when Ross Mitchell met a free kick from Max Smith and knocked it past the keeper from close range.

The Bleachers strived hard to get into the game and while they mounted a couple of attacks they never really troubled the Thistle keeper and with the game coming up to the half hour mark Thistle went 2–0 ahead. Andy Jamieson, their recently signed striker from Breadalbane Amateurs, was the scorer and five minutes later Andy did the business again to send the Thistle in 3–0 ahead at the break.

The opening 10 minutes of the second half were pretty even steven but the next five minutes proved to be a disaster for the Bleachers as the Thistle went on to score three times in the space of those minutes.

The first of their goals came when Chris McLeish headed the ball across the Bleachers penalty box and Steven Gardiner swept it home from eight yards and it was 4–0.

A couple of minutes later a cross from Jamieson into the goalmouth wasn’t cleared and it left Chris McLeish with the easy task of knocking the ball over the goal line.

Jamieson completed his hat trick with goal number six on the hour mark.

The Bleachers to their credit kept battling away but in their few sporadic raids into the Thistle territory didn’t bring them any joy. In the final minute of the game Jordan Brown made it 7–0 for the Thistle.

Blairgowrie’s new boss Jim Lock didn’t quite get the start he had hoped for in his first game in charge which was a win against championship contenders Montrose Roselea in their clash at Davie Park. However his team battled out a goalless draw in a fiercely contested encounter.

Coupar Angus suffered their heftiest defeat of the season. They were away to championship chasing Violet who thrashed them to the tune of 10–0.

SATURDAY’S results in the ACA Sports Leagues: Premier League – Thornton Hibs 2, Kinnoull 3.

Central League – Scone Thistle 7, Luncarty 0; Lochore Welfare 2, Bankfoot Athletic 1; Crossgates Primrose 0, Jeanfield Swifts 7.

North League – Blairgowrie 0, Montrose Roselea 0; Dundee Violet 10, Coupar Angus 0.

MIDWEEK games – Tomorrow (Wednesday): Central League – Bankfoot Athletic v Newburgh; Luncarty v Jeanfield Swifts. KOs: 6.45pm.