JUNIOR FOOTBALL – FRIDAY, APRIL 28

Apr 29 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE first signs of the season beginning to run down is evident with Kinnoull’s fixtures now completed.

However the rest of the clubs have still a few games to play.

Bankfoot, Jeanfield and Luncarty were engaged in mid-week in the Central League and are back chasing points along with Scone Thistle who didn’t have a midweek game, while Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus are doing the same in the North League.

Blairgowrie may be out of contention for the North League Championship but they are still very much involved in its eventual destination. Last week, they met Montrose Roselea who were second top of the table and they held them to a goalless draw and it was a result that caused the Angus side to slip down a place in the table and damaged their chances of landing this top honour.

Tomorrow Blair are away to Violet, who are the team that stepped over the Roselea, albeit by dint of goal difference, after their crushing 10–0 win last week and are desperately keen to overtake from the league leaders Downfield whom they trail by three points.

With only three games left to play they can’t afford a slip up if they are to retain their already slim hopes of finishing the season as the champions.

Blair will of course be going all out to do as they did last week and put a spoke in the wheel of championship hopefuls.

Another reason Blair would like to win is it would give them some revenge for the GACup quarter final defeat they suffered at the hands of the Pansies a few weeks ago.

Blair’s new boss Jim Lock while he would obviously have liked to have got off to a winning start was however very pleased with his teams performance. He said: “Their attitude was great and we played a lot of good football.” Jim expects to have a full squad for this Glenesk Park clash.

Coupar Angus were the team who were on the receiving end at Glenesk last week.

Their 10 goal defeat was their heftiest of what has been a very disappointing season for them and it proved to new manager Alan Robson just how big the job he has tackled is.

Robson said of last week’s debacle: “We were punished every time we put a foot wrong by a very good Violet side. Now we will have to pick ourselves up for tomorrow’s home game with Lochee Harp.”

Alan expects to have a squad of 16 or 17.

Scone Thistle didn’t have a midweek game but had their biggest win of the season last week at the expense of bottom side Luncarty.

Tomorrow‘s opponents Oakley top the table and are the favourites to finish as champions.

The Fifers have only suffered two league defeats so far. The first one was at Bankfoot and their second setback was last week when they lost to Steelend Vics which was a real shock for them considering the fact that the Vics were unbeaten in their eight previous games.

Thistle turned in a very capable performance when they met in the corresponding fixture at Farquharson Park although losing 2–0. They travel to Blairwood Park well aware that they are the second favourites but are looking forward to the challenge.

There’s a real piece of disappointing news from the Scone camp, their skipper Andy Smith will be out for quote a lengthy spell as the recent knee injury he sustained has been diagnosed a cruciate ligament injury which is bad blow for Andy and the Thistle.

Bankfoot were surprisingly held at home to a 2–2 draw by Newburgh on Wednesday are away to Steelend Vics who are going well at present and have put together an unbeaten run of eight games, Bankies went 11 league games without a defeat and will be striving to stop the Vics from emulating this feat.

Bankies and Steelend have the distinction of being the only teams to have taken full points in their games with the league leaders Oakley. When the teams met at Coronation Park in the corresponding fixture they shared two goals and the points in a very keenly contested encounter and it looks as if it could be the same again tomorrow.

Bankies haven’t named a squad as one or two of their players are having treatment for knocks picked up in their midweek game.

Steelend were without their leading goal scorer Darren Seath last week and he is still doubtful for tomorrow’s game.

Jeanfield Swifts are away to Lochore Welfare whom they beat 3–0 at the Riverside a few weeks ago and are looking to complete the double.

Swifts were guests of Luncarty in midweek and won by the odd goal in three. Swifts will have Stuart Nicoll and Jamie Reid, missing in midweek, back for this Central Park encounter. Still sidelined with a back injury is Sandy Ross. Scott Brown expects to have a squad of 16.

Luncarty boss Mark Potter was delighted with his teams performance against the Swifts especially as he was without a few of his squad. Mark expects they will be back for tomorrow’s away game against Crossgates Primrose.

Midweek Reports

Bankfoot 2

Newburgh 2

BANKIES got off to a great start in this game as they took the lead after seven minutes. They won a free kick 20 odd yards from their opponents goal. It was taken by Shaun Fergus and his well struck kick cannoned off the inside of the post into the back of the net.

Newburgh were back on level terms eight minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Scott Findlay.

Bankies restored their lead on the hour mark and again it was thanks to Shaun Fergus who met with a cross from Bally Whytock and swept it past the keeper from the edge of the penalty box for another top class goal.

Bankies continued to dominate the game and had a host of chances but didn’t put any of them away and with less than a minute of the game remaining they were punished for their failure to convert them into goals.

Newburgh in a last ditch attack, one of their few of the half, won a corner which was swung into the Bankies goalmouth and their player/manager Dave Shaech, who had come on as a sub, got his head to it and nodded it into the corner of the net to make it 2–2.

Luncarty1

Jeanfield Swifts 2

SWIFTS broke the deadlock in this game when they took the lead in six minutes. A cross field pass was met by Kevin Fowler and his left foot strike from 20 yards flew into the top left hand corner of the net.

Swifts increased their lead midway through the half with a second goal from Kevin Fowler when he hit home a pass from John Anderson and that’s how the score stood until the 62nd minute.

An excellent move down the Bleachers right wing saw the ball crossed into the Swifts penalty box and before the Swifts defence could clear it Johnny Bee was on to it in a flash and volleyed it home to make it 2–1 and despite there being chances at both ends that’s how the game finished.

SATURDAY’S fixtures in the ACA Sports Leagues:

Central League – Steelend Vics v Bankfoot Athletic; Lochore Welfare v Jeanfield Swifts; Oakley United v Scone Thistle; Crossgates Primrose v Luncarty.

North League – Coupar Angus v Lochee Harp; Dundee Violet v Blairgowrie.

Kick off’s – 2.30pm.