JUNIOR FOOTBALL – PA TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6

Sep 6 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

KINNOULL and Jeanfield Swifts won their derby encounters and their first home games against Bankfoot and Luncarty respectively.

Kinnoull had to fight every inch of the way for their odd goal in five win against a never-say-die Bankies side while the Swifts had a much more comfortable win over the Bleachers.

The Perth sides now have six points each from their two league games which is a solid start while Bankies and Luncarty have a point apiece.

The Friday night clash at Tulloch Park, while it never was a classic in the football sense, was a typical derby encounter with play swinging from end to end and fortunes fluctuating throughout and a near last-minute upset.

Kinnoull came close to taking the lead after two minutes when they won a corner which was taken by Daryn Smith and was cleared. There was little goalmouth activity after this until midway through the half when in a Bankfoot attack Ross Mitchell hit a cross cum shot that looked to be heading for the far top corner of the Kinnoull net until keeper Duncan Bruce somehow managed to get his hands to it.

Kinnoull responded to this near setback immediately and a good move left Chris Webster with a chance.

It was the Bankies keeper Mike Whyte’s turn to produce a great save, he managed to punch Webster’s shot away but it landed with Lee Deans out on the right and his cross found Mark Duigan on the edge of the penalty box but his first time effort went over the bar.

Bankies had another chance when Sean Fergus was put through but he blasted the ball over the bar from the edge of the penalty box.

Kinnoull after a bout of pressure eventually broke the deadlock in 37 minutes when Lee Deans was brought down in the penalty box. Daryn Smith took the resultant spot kick and sent the keeper the wrong way.

Bankies were back on level terms in five minutes and this too was from a penalty. A Kinnoull defender in a tussle with a Bankies forward was penalised for hand ball and Sean Fergus made no mistake with the spot kick which sent the teams in all square at the break.

Bankies went ahead 10 minutes into the second half when Jamie McAinsh picked up the ball out on the right and played it in to Sean Fergus and the striker cracked the ball into the right hand corner of the net.

Bankies joy was short lived as little more than a minute later Kinnoull were back on level terms when a cross into the Bankies goalmouth caused a bit of a stramash and Chris Webster managed to bundle the ball over the goal line.

Play was confined to the midfield for a spell after this goal burst until the 74th minute when Kinnoull regained the lead when in an attack Jordan Timmins, who had come on as a sub, crossed a long high ball into the Bankies goal mouth which keeper Chipper Whyte went to clutch but failed to do so and the ball dropped to Lee Deans who promptly fired it into the back of the net and this goal proved to be the winner.

The never-say-die Bankies came close to snatching the equaliser a couple of minutes from time when a header from Ross Mitchell looked netbound but was blocked by keeper Duncan Bruce on the goal line.

Kinnoull boss Gavin Price’s comments after the game: “I was happy to finish with the three points” while Bankies man in charge Eric Fleming said: “I felt we deserved to take something from the game.”

Jeanfield had to replace their goalkeeper Mark Mitchell prior to the kick off as he picked up a groin strain in the pre-match warm up, Scott Christie took over.

Swifts cruised to an 8–0 win over their guests Luncarty and as the score suggests the Bleachers were very much on the defensive for most of the game although they actually had the first chance to take the lead after seven minutes.

A long through ball caught out the Swifts defence who had hesitated looking for an offside decision that never happened and the ball was picked up by the Bleachers striker Steve McKain who ran on unimpeded towards the goal. Keeper Christie came off his line to narrow the angle and the striker from just inside the penalty box shot past him and the post.

Swifts responded to this near setback immediately and they should have taken the lead a couple of minutes later when John Anderson met with a cross from Jamie McKenzie but headed past the post from short range.

The Bleachers respite was however short lived as three minutes later Swifts took the lead when Gavin Mackie was downed in the penalty box and John Anderson made no mistake this time as he cracked home the spot kick.

Swifts kept the pressure up and a couple of reasonable chances went abegging. The Bleachers in one of their sporadic raids fired a cross into the Swifts goalmouth and an attempt to connect with a diving header from Steve McKain was only a hairs breadth away from making contact.

Swifts increased their lead to 2–0 in 25 minutes.

A strong shot from the edge of the box from Gavin Anderson looked to be on target but it was deflected out for a corner. Gavin Mackie took the kick which he hit to the far post and John Anderson dived to meet the ball and head it into the net for what was a real opportunist goal.

A few minutes before the break Swifts made it 3–0 with a top class goal from Steve McAllister who picked up the ball when he was at least 40 yards from the Bleachers goal weaved his way past three opponents and finished it off perfectly when he fired the ball past the keeper into the corner of the net.

Swifts swept into the attack from the restart and after two minutes they had gone 4–0 ahead. Arron Whitehead was the scorer this time. Arron ran on to a great pass from Swifts trialist forward, who had replaced John Anderson who had gone off with an injury and Arron smacked it past the keeper from close range.

Swifts most recent signing John Kelly went on to increase Swifts lead to 6–0 with goals in 56 and 65 minutes.

Swifts continued on the attack and two further goals from their trialists in 75 and 86 minutes, gave them a very convincing 8–0 win.

Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus were away to Brechin Vics and Lochee Harp in the North League and they both came home empty handed.

Blair were first to find the net in their game at Brechin. They scored in 15 minutes but the referee ruled the scorer to be offside.

Five minutes later Blair went a goal behind when Vics striker Colin McNaught ran on to a through ball and cracked it past the keeper from inside the penalty box.

Blair came close to reducing the leeway in 26 minutes when David Salisbury fired in a well struck shot from just outside the Vics penalty box which was on target but was saved by the keeper.

Vics went 2–0 ahead in 47 minutes with a goal from Danny Ross who took the ball in his stride and from 25 yards volleyed it into the back of the net. Three minutes later Colin McNaught, with his second goal of the game, increased his sides lead to 3–0.

Blair strived hard to get back into the game and twice the woodwork deprived them of goals. David Salisbury in 55 minutes had a shot that looked like a goal come rattling back off the post. Ian Simpson had an attempt cleared off the goal line the 75th minute. David Salisbury was brought down in the penalty box in 86 minutes and Gary Axworthy took the resultant spot kick to bring the score back to 3–1 and that’s how the game ended.

Coupar Angus drew first blood at Beechwood when Aly Townsley connected with a Fraser Smith corner and scored from close range, that was after 15 minutes. After this promising start they went 4–1 behind to Harp Scott Tovey and Steve Williamson scored two a piece. Duncan Cocker brought the score back to 4–2 when he finished off a fine solo run with a well taken goal. Before long Harp had restored their three goal lead when Scott Tovey completed his hat trick. In 65 minutes Duncan Cocker struck again to make it 5–3. Coupar had most of the attacking play after this but they couldn’t turn it into goals.

Luncarty are celebrating their 125th year as a football club with a number of events. On Saturday, October 1, they are holding a players reunion, in their social club. There has been a good response so far but they would be delighted to hear from anyone else who would like to attend. Contact Jim Meiklejohn, tel 01738 828071, or Brian White at 01738 827664.