Perthshire junior football preview

Oct 21 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THIS week’s fixtures are all in the respective league programmes.

Kinnoull and Jeanfield Swifts are each nursing aspirations of finishing the season as the Central League champs and while it’s still early days they have both got their campaigns of to promising starts.

The Swifts have suffered one defeat in four games while Kinnoull are still undefeated with four wins and a draw after five games and are in the second top spot in the league table just behind the leaders Kirkcaldy YM and that’s who they play tomorrow.

There’s no doubt that this Denfield Park encounter is the toughest test of the season so far for both teams. Kinnoull trail their hosts by three points but have a game in hand.

Obviously if they can rise to the occasion and finish with the three points it would be a terrific boost for them, although if they came home with a point they could consider themselves as having done very well.

This certainly has all the ingredients to make it an exciting and entertaining encounter for what are vital points.

Kinnoull boss Gavin Price got a piece of good news when Gavin Tinley who missed last weeks game with a thigh injury was given the all clear to resume, he returns to the squad which will be at full strength.

Kirkcaldy YM. are in no doubt that this is their toughest league game to date and are well aware they need a win to a give them a clear points difference between them and Kinnoull in the table.

YM are hoping that their attacking midfield player Mark Westwater who was sidelined last week with an injury will get the all clear to rejoin their squad. Another of their midfield players Ross Smith will miss the game as he is suspended.

Jeanfield Swifts, who are away to Thornton Hibs, are currently going along well and are fourth in the table. They have won three of the four games they have played, their only defeat was when they lost away to Dundonald who are the current favourites for the title.

Swifts, if form is any guide, will be the favourites to take the points from tomorrow’s game as Hibs, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are having a very disappointing season so far.

They have taken only three points from the six games they have played.

They have already met Swifts earlier this season. That was in the league cup and they suffered one of their heaviest ever defeats as they were thrashed to the tune of nine nil at the Riverside Stadium.

However, it would be fair to say they have improved to a degree since then but are still very much the second favourites in tomorrows game.

Swifts who have four recognised strikers in their squad, unfortunately will be without at least two of them for this game.

Robbie Holden who has damaged ankle ligaments had resumed training and had high hopes that he would come through the session and get the green light to resume, unfortunately it hasn’t turned out to be so.

Jon Kelly misses the game as he is working, while John Anderson is another likely absentee as he has been laid low with tonsillitis.

Mark Gordon misses his second successive game as he is still on holiday.

On the credit side Sandy Ross returns. It’s a late selection from Manager Scott Brown.

The Hibs signed Striker Kris Maxwell from Hill o’ Beath prior to their game last week and he marked his debut with a well taken goal.

Missing from their squad are Matt Gay and Chris Mill, they are both nursing injuries.

Bankfoot are also down in the Kingdom chasing points. They travel to Woodside Park to take on Steelend Vics.

The Bankies have taken only one point from the four league games they have played. They had a morale boosting win last week when they accounted for Forfar West End, in the GA Cup.

Bankies haven’t had a full squad since the season started and its the same story for tomorrow’s game as their skipper Gary Campbell, groin injury, Sean Fergus, knee injury and Mike Jarmuszewski, hamstring problem, are again ruled out.

There is however is a plus as Jamie McAinsh and Bally Whytock will return. Manager Ian Duff expects his squad to number16.

Steelend are in the lower reaches of the league table. They are still without a win but have lost only one of those games with the other three finishing all square.

Their manager resigned a few weeks ago and so far they haven’t appointed his successor although there a possibility he could be in place for tomorrow’s game. So far they haven’t named a squad.

Luncarty entertain Newburgh. This is the Fifers’ second visit to Brownlands Park this season.

Earlier they met the Bleachers in the league cup and left for home with the three points.

The Bleachers are, however, three places above them in the league table and must be feeling quietly confident that they can avenge that league cup defeat and add three more points to their tally.

The Bleachers had hoped to have their central defender Neil Ritchie back last week but he hadn’t quite recovered from the virus that had laid him low. However, the Bleachers’ boss Mark Potter is confident he will be back for tomorrow’s game.

Mark Caldow and Angus Wilson who were both unavailable last week return, and the Bleachers expect to have a squad of 17 or 18.

They are confident that they can take revenge for that league cup defeat and improve their league position in the process.

Newburgh, who are second from the foot of the league table, had their biggest win of the season last week in their home Fife and Lothians cup tie when they thrashed Lothians side Harthill to the tune of seven two after trailing 2-0.

Former Luncarty player Billy Carle had a hat trick so they will be on a high. Manager Alan Cameron hasn’t named a squad.

In the North League Blairgowrie entertain Kirrie Thistle at Davie Park while Coupar Angus take on Montrose Roselea at Foxhall Park.

This is the second successive week Coupar have met Roselea who trounced them to the tune of seven nil in last weeks game. Coupar haven’t named a squad so far while the Roselea expect to be pretty much on the same lines as last week.

Blairgowrie boss John Holt felt his young side were most unlucky not to come home from last week’s game against Arbroath Vics with at least a share of the points.

John expects to have the same squad, that performed so well in that game, to be available for the visit of Kirrie who are often said to be the leagues most unpredictable side. They haven’t named a squad.

The Tayside Junior game suffered a blow when it was announced at the East Region meeting on Tuesday night that Forfar West End had informed the Region that they had decided to go into abeyance for at least the remainder of this season.

West End, who play in the Super League, lost lass season’s entire squad of players and have found it difficult to replace them.

They have been on the receiving end in virtually all of their games and have taken the not unexpected decision to go into abeyance. They are the third Tayside club to do so since the end of last season, Scone Thistle and Arbroath SC being the others.

The draw for the East of Scotland Cup second round resulted as follows as far as the three remaining Perthshire clubs were concerned.

They all have tough ties with Blairgowrie the only one of the three to be drawn away while Kinnoull and Jeanfield Swifts have home ties.

Draw: Hill o’ Beath or North End v Blairgowrie; Kinnoull v Musselburgh; Jeanfield Swifts v Camelon. Dates are yet to be arranged.