The Goth Clock

Been in Oriam previously to watch a couple of rugby matches. Absolutely baltic.

He's injured at the moment but still a vital part of the team when fit. Still scoring plenty of goals.

Edinburgh College 0-4 Armadale Thistle A comprehensive victory for the Dale yesterday.

East of Scotland Football League – Conference X Pumpherston Juniors 0 – 6 Armadale Thistle (HT: 0 – 3) It was back to league action for the Dale today after last weekend’s 1 - 0 victory away to Glenrothes in the East of Scotland League Cup with the short trip along the M8 to face Pumpherston at Recreation Park. Despite the comfortable end result it was the home side that started the brighter as their 4-4-2 formation made the most of the extra man in midfield. However, the Dale came more and more into the game and were unlucky not to take the lead as a slack pass back eluded the Pumphy keeper only to trickle inches past the post. Robbie Feeney also went close with a superb effort that again went narrowly wide. The opener was surely not far away and it duly came after 20 minutes. Scott Dalziel barged his way into the box and flashed a shot that hit the base of the far post. The rebound very kindly came back to him and he rolled the ball into the net. Armadale now took the game by the scruff of the neck and it was 2 – 0 on 24 minutes as Robbie Feeney unleashed an incredible volley into the top corner of the net from the edge of the 18 yard box. A truly spectacular goal. Armadale were awarded a penalty when Scott Dalziel was brought down in the box by the Pumpherston right back, who was shown a straight red card. Dalziel took the kick but his effort was well saved and it remained 2 – 0. The Pumphy keeper pulled off another great save shortly afterwards as he again denied Dalziel’s point blank header, but the big man would not be denied and he eventually got his second goal of the game shortly before half time, superbly steering home a Calum Rodger cross. Armadale started the second half brightly and were soon 4 – 0 up as Sammy Watson headed home a cross from close range following a superb move down the right wing. Another goal came on 55 minutes as Rhuiri “Rooster” Maclennan, who had a fine game running the midfield, found himself in space in the box and was able to place a curling shot past the keeper's outstretched left hand into the bottom corner of the net. The Dale were cruising and it was surely a matter of how many they would score but credit to Pumpy who, although well beaten, lifted their game, managing to thwart a number of Armadale attacks; they even managed to hit the Dale crossbar with a long range effort late on. However, it was Armadale that would put the icing on the cake in stoppage time as Stuart “Stoogs” Mcleod hit the visitors’ 6th goal, running onto an over-the-top pass to calmly chip the keeper from a tight angle. My man of the match – Calum Roger

Kinnoull v Armadale is OFF waterlogged pitch

Armadale Thistle v Whitburn is OFF. Waterlogged pitch.

Armadale Thistle v Whitburn is OFF. Waterlogged pitch.

East of Scotland Football League – Conference X Armadale Thistle 6 – 0 Pumpherston Juniors (HT: 2 – 0) A fairly comprehensive victory for league leaders Armadale Thistle today, pretty much one way traffic from the first whistle to the last. Armadale took an early lead through a Scott Dalziel header. Colin “Coco” Strickland swung in a superb cross from the left wing which was well met by Dalziel to nod home from 6 yards out. The Pumpherston keeper, who actually had a good game, despite the score line, was left helpless. The home side continued to press and the advantage was doubled just minutes later, Dalziel again with the goal as he controlled JJ Henderson’s driven pass on his chest to set up a volley from the edge of the 18 yard box into the bottom corner of the Pumphy goal. Armadale had chances to increase the lead but were denied on a couple of occasions by the Pumphy keeper and a few efforts went narrowly wide. Half time: 2 – 0. The third goal came less than five minutes into the second half and it was scored by my man of the match, Stuart “Stoogsy” Mcleod. He received the ball at the corner of the 18 yard box and with one touch he set himself up to rifle a powerful shot past the keeper into the top corner of the net. The Dale were now well on top and it was 4 – 0 ten minutes later with Mcleod again the goalscorer. Leaving a string of Pumpherston defenders trailing in his wake, he burst into the box after a slaloming run down the inside left channel to finish it low and hard across the keeper into the opposite corner. Armadale’s fifth goal came around the 70 minute mark as Calum Rodger’s tremendous delivery from the right wing was converted by Colin “Coco” Strickland. More superb saves by the Pumpherston keeper kept the score down but Armadale were to seal the win with a sixth goal a few minutes before full time. Fraser Keast tapped home from close range after the Pumphy keeper pulled off another great save to touch a Coco Strickland curler onto the underside of the crossbar. The rebound dropped nicely for Keast to convert. Man of the Match: Stuart “Stoogsy” Mcleod. Put in a hell of a shift on the left hand side of midfield and was scored two absolutely cracking goals.

East of Scotland Football League – Conference X Bathgate Thistle 3 – 5 Armadale Thistle (HT: 1 – 2) Armadale escape back up Sibbald’s Brae with the points after yet another pulsating local derby. Armadale started the better team and deservedly took the lead on 9 minutes when Robbie Feeney finished well following some fine link up play between Scott Dalziel and Colin “Coco” Strickland. The away side continued to press were rewarded by a second goal just shy of the half hour mark as Sammy Watson smashed home a superb header from a Tomas Murphy corner. Only a belligerent display of goalkeeping kept the home side in the game as the Dale pounded the Bathgate goal; the keeper producing a superb string of saves, defying efforts from Scott Dalziel, Coco Strickland and Robbie Feeney in quick succession. However, as is often the case, missed chances came back to bite Armadale just before the interval. A rare misplaced pass by JJ Henderson was controlled by Kai Wilson, who strolled in one on one to finish well past Connor Shaw in the Armadale goal. 2 – 1 to the Dale at half time but it really ought to have been more. If Armadale started the match the brighter, it was Bathgate who were the better team at the start of the second half, the unexpected goal just before the break had obviously given them a lift. The equaliser came on 55 minutes and we now had a game on our hands. Armadale went ahead again shortly afterwards as Chris Donnelly rose in a crowded penalty area to head a JJ Henderson corner into the top corner of the net. Bathgate were not done yet though and were level again (3 – 3) just a minute later when Kai Wilson took advantage of some erratic defending to bag his second goal of the game. The old adage of being at your most vulnerable when you have just scored… Armadale made changes in the midfield, Liam Kane and Stuart “Stoogsy” Mcleod replacing JJ Henderson and Ruari Maclennan, and began to take more of a grip on the game. The Dale took the lead again on the 75 minute mark as Robbie Feeney beat the offside trap and went through one on one with the onrushing keeper to smash the ball into the Bathgate net. The next ten minutes saw some frantic action at both ends of the pitch, in typical local derby fashion. Armadale were unlucky not to extend their lead when a vicious shot from Stoogsy Mcleod was deflected onto the Bathgate crossbar with the keeper beaten. Bathgate missed a headed chance, Sammy Watson superbly blocked a through ball and Connor Shaw saved smartly at his near post as Bathgate pushed for a third equaliser. At the other end Robbie Feeney had a shot saved to deny him a hat-trick and Liam Kane also had a shot blocked. The points were wrapped up in injury time, however, as Stoogsy Mcleod capitalised on a mix up between the Bathgate keeper and left back to nip in and stroke the ball into the empty net. A hard fought victory for the Dale today but we just about deserved it on the balance of play. Quite how Bathgate are bottom of the league is a mystery as they can step it up when the want to and Kai Wilson up front is lively and has an eye for goal. They concede far too many goals, I guess.

East of Scotland Football League – Conference X Whitburn 2 – 3 Armadale Thistle (HT: 2 – 2) Central Park, Whitburn, witnessed two fierce local rivals go head-to-head in what proved to be a keenly-fought a top of the table clash. Whitburn started the brighter team and they carved out the first opportunity of the game as Reece Duncan’s well struck free kick was well saved and held by Conor Shaw at the base of his left hand post. The reprieve was short lived, however, as Armadale went a goal behind on 15 minutes. A cross from the right wing evaded Sammy Watson’s effort to clear and fell nicely for Stewart MacDonald to put the Burnie a goal up from close range. Armadale almost levelled the game a few minutes later when a Robbie Feeney shot rebounded off the post and back into the keeper’s grateful arms. Armadale were now back in the game and deservedly equalised on the 20 minute mark. Greg Forrest’s long ball was nicely controlled by Robbie Feeney, who laid it off for Chris “Dougie” Donnelly to fire home. Whitburn took the lead again from the penalty spot on 35 minutes. It looked really soft to me but the referee decided that Reece Duncan was hauled down in the box by Sammy Watson. Duncan took the kick himself and calmly slotted the ball past Conor Shaw in the Armadale goal. However, Armadale were not behind for long as JJ Henderson’s curling long range effort evaded the Whitburn keeper and found it’s way into the bottom corner of the net. There was no further scoring in what had proved an absolutely pulsating first half. Armadale went 3-2 up five minutes into the second half. Tomas Brady’s excellent through ball took advantage of a high Burnie line and found Robbie Feeney, who beat the offside trap to tuck it past the keeper low into the bottom corner of the net. Now with their nose in front, Armadale defended manfully, content to soak up pressure and hit on the break. Whitburn did come close with a looping effort that thankfully just dropped just over the crossbar, but apart from that it was clear that Armadale were well in control of the game and colossal second half performances by Stephen Horn and Sammy Watson in particular, and a late Conor Shaw save, ensured that the points would be coming back up the Tippethill Road. Man of the Match: JJ Henderson.

Edinburgh South 0-0 Heriot Watt University A dour affair with little in the way of goalmouth action but still better than watching soaps with the wife. Heriot Watt shaded it in the first half, Edinburgh South were the better team after the break.

Fauldhouse v Armadale is OFF

Fauldhouse v Armadale is OFF.

Whitburn v Fauldhouse is OFF. Waterlogged pitch.

Armadale Thistle 4 – 0 Bathgate Thistle (HT 2-0) Armadale started strongly and took a well deserved lead on just 4 minutes. Calum Rogers swung in a superb cross from the left which was met by Scott Dalziel, who rose like the proverbial salmon to crash a majestic header into the top corner of Bathgate’s goal. Armadale doubled their lead on 10 minutes as another cross into the box found an unmarked Robbie Feeney at the back post. He required two goes at it but his shot deflected off a Bathgate defender and ended up in the back of the net. The second half was more of the same with Armadale firmly in control and the third goal came on 55 minutes. Stuart 'Stoogsy' McLeod won a duel in his own half and turned and drove over the halfway line. Colin 'Coco' Strickland took possession and laid on a fantastic through ball for Robbie Feeney, who stepped inside to get the ball onto his right foot and he smashed an unstoppable shot past the Bathgate keeper. The Dale added a fourth just after the hour mark following some superb passing down the right wing. Scott Dalziel laid it off to Colin Strickland, who in turn moved it on to the unmarked JJ Henderson, who drove a low shot into the net from 10 yards. Man of the Match: Stuart 'Stoogsy' McLeod Attendance: 380