Random Matches You Are Going To...

[GordonS]

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 0-2 Auchinleck Talbot, WoSFL Premier League @ Duncansfield Park, Kilsyth.

I couldn't find out why the game was at Kilsyth Rangers' ground rather that Guy's Meadow as usual. 

Talbot started the evening 11 points behind top-of-the-table Beith, with 3 games in hand and 6 games remaining. Hard to see them winning all of them as it's a pretty tough set of fixtures to jam into 13 days and they really needed to beat the side second-from-bottom and 6 points from safety.

They got their business done early and without fuss, two first-half goals killing the tie despite a spirited effort from the "home" side. Talbot were never in real trouble but don't look like a side about to get the results they'll need to win this league. We'll see.

Last time I was here it was for a pre-season friendly in hot weather; still needed The Big Coat tonight. A traditional old Junior ground with loads of good terracing, a big old shed and no seats. Love it.

[Ginaro]

31 minutes ago, GordonS said:

I couldn't find out why the game was at Kilsyth Rangers' ground rather that Guy's Meadow as usual. 

Probably because that would've been the fourth game in the last nine days, with another four coming up by 11th May. 

https://www.wosfl.co.uk/matchHub/956946990/-1_-1/-1/262590247/-1/-1/-1/true/2.html

[GordonS]

13 minutes ago, Ginaro said:

Probably because that would've been the fourth game in the last nine days, with another four coming up by 11th May. 

https://www.wosfl.co.uk/matchHub/956946990/-1_-1/-1/262590247/-1/-1/-1/true/2.html

That's what I would guess but it could be something else.

[Jute]

Leith Athletic 6-0 Lochore Welfare. Too nice a night to sit in so headed over to Meadowbank to watch the East of Scotland 1st division game between teams is 10th and 13th respectively. Comfortable victory for Leith with Lochore not helped by one of their players having a couple of goes at getting himself sent off by booting Leith players off the ball before being successful. 

 

 

[GordonS]

Ellon United 1-1 Hermes, North Region SJFA Premier League.

The Meadows is a very basic park, just a grass pitch at a leisure centre with only a catering portacabin marking it as an actual ground. The set-up is the kind of thing you see in healthy countries like the Netherlands, with multiple grass and artificial pitches for various sports all together. I've been here once before but only watched a first-half, from the car at the raised parking behind the far goal, before going to a game at Formartine.

The sides were second and third in the table at kick-off, which sounds more exciting than it is; Culter are running away with the league and Ellon's position is a little false, as they're only a few points ahead of the teams behind them but have played as many 10 matches more. The first half was muscular and even, giving little indication of the madness to come.

Hermes began to feel they were getting the rough edge of the referee, though I thought they were just the losers in a lot of marginal but fair calls. Then they started to lose their sh*t. One booking late in first half turned into another soon after half time, then another, then more, before the inevitable second booking around 65 minutes. At this point they lost the run of themselves. More bookings, a red for the manager, and a second double yellow with 10 minutes to go put them down to 9 men. They could and arguably should have lost more.

With five minutes to go the inevitable happened and Ellon scored, in farcical circumstances. The keeper made a decent save but palmed the ball straight up in the air. You could see it was going to come down right on top of him, on his line. For reasons passing understanding he turned around and flapped the falling ball straight into his net.

A goal to the good, two players and one manager up, 5 minutes left. Easy. Except in the last minute Ellon gave away a free kick out to their right. Wall lines up, keeper covers the far side. He got a very good view of the ball as it went in at his side, not too fast, at knee-height.

A wild last couple of minutes saw no further goals. The home side left aggrieved at chucking away a winning position, the away side left aggrieved at their fictional perception of the refereeing.

[The Mantis]

Whitehill Welfare 5 Vale of Leithen 1. EOSL Div 1 at the San Fergie.
Welfare now pretty safe on the 30 point mark, but Vale, despite playing a lot of excellent football, still in search of their first point. 
Daniel McKinlay is fouled after about 7 minutes and James Flynn drives the free kick straight past Pollock to put the Vale ahead. This doesn’t last as Lewis Walker quickly levels and an unfortunate headed O.G. makes it 2-1 Welfare.
Just on half time Cammy Dawson brings down a ball on the edge of the box, turns his man and rifles in a magnificent right foot strike, giving Chris Malcolm no chance at his left hand post. 3-1 Welfare. 
Early in the second half a Devers tap in makes it 4-1 and a hammering for Vale looks on the cards. But they produce an excellent performance for 25 minutes or so, leaving the WW faithful frustrated. Dawson gets another late strike for 5-1. 
 

 

Edited May 1 by The Mantis

[GordonS]

3 hours ago, The Mantis said:

Whitehill Welfare 5 Vale of Leithen 1. EOSL Div 1 at the San Fergie.
Welfare now pretty safe on the 30 point mark, but Vale, despite playing a lot of excellent football, still in search of their first point. 

 

Vale of Leithen have conceded more than 400 goals in the league in less than 3 seasons and have won 5 league games in 5 years. I hope they find their level soon because that doesn't look like fun. 

[The Mantis]

30 minutes ago, GordonS said:

Vale of Leithen have conceded more than 400 goals in the league in less than 3 seasons and have won 5 league games in 5 years. I hope they find their level soon because that doesn't look like fun. 

I reckon they’ll be ok in div 2. I’ve seen a few of their games courtesy of @Crow doing the driving as he’s a good mate of Ian Flynn the manager, while I get to scoop up the excellent pints at the Traquair Arms. Ian’s improved them a lot and they’ve lost a few games late on from winning positions.
Obviously they’ve taken a few pastings from the stronger sides and there’s still the problem of attracting players to the Borders once they find out how far it is. The guys running Vale are sound blokes though. 

[Le Tout P'ti FC]

Exciting news reaches me from Lanzarote. My old Dad is out there for a holiday sunning himself and generally squandering my inheritance, but has managed to use his day productively today by taking in UD Lanzarote 2 CD Hebarnia 0. 2nd v 13th in the fifth tier of Spanish Fitba.

Despite the strange Wednesday 12pm kick off time, the game attracted a decent crowd of around 2,000.

He says that Lanzarote are decent, playing at about the level of our Championship with two very good players, the names of which he will surely be passing on to his beloved Killie for scouting purposes. The other team were dreadful apparently (it’s the Hibernian way).

Hoping he’ll send me some pictures of the stadium when he finds a decent Wi-Fi later on.

Beats my day sitting at the desk! 

EDIT - no pies. You could buy bocadillas, croissants or Kit Kats. Plus beer on tap. 

Edited May 1 by Le Tout P'ti FC
Grub news

[Andy groundhopper]

Glous County relegation finally sorted at the Hamfield Leisure Centre ( on sight of Berkeley Power Station) Sharpness 5 Gala Wilton 1 att around 100. Blistering start aided by poor non defending, at 30 game almost over. Raft of 2nd half subs disrupts the game,at least Gala make a better fist of it, but sadly it's back into the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League for them next season. 

[shuggz]

Got a tour of Berkeley 50plus years ago during a summer camp with the cadets. R.I.P. Berkkeley.

[tamthebam]

Not particularly random matches you're going to...

My pal is a Broxburn fan and had a passing interest in the result of Jeanfield Swifts v Musselburgh last night as anything less than a win for Mussey confirmed Broxburn as East of Scotland League champions. 

It was a good match with Musselburgh coming back from 2-0 down and nearing snatching things only for a late Swifts goal to seal the win and make Broxburn fans mildly contented...

On a dampish night the bloody midges were out too... 

Broxburn committee members: "Swifts have scored a third. Pop down the Co-Op for some silver polish the morn will you?" 

[GordonS]

Thorniewood United 0-2 Johnstone Burgh, West of Scotland First Division.

Bottom-half dwellers Thorniewood hosted promotion-hunting, big spending Johnstone Burgh. I've always thought this looked a proper ground and it didn't disappoint, tucked in behind houses off the main street with a big grass banking on the pavilion side, a shed opposite occupied by one of the noisiest, finest ultras squads I've seen/ heard and a good terrace at the home end.

The pitch was lush but bobbly and slow, preventing any free-flowing football from being played and quality was at a premium. Burgh won it with two goals in the first half, a header and a lovely 20-yarder arrowed into the top-left corner. Thorniewood stuck in without every really looking like scoring until a wee stramash in the closing minutes, when we were also treated to a substitute appearance from Kyle Lafferty.

And I'd appreciate it if anyone can explain why there were 6 cameras filming the match, all from the same position.

Edited May 2 by GordonS

[Craig fae the Vale]

Thorn Athletic u20s 1-0 Dumbarton u20s.

Thorn knew a win would see them crowned Conference C Champions, but for 92 minutes it looked like it wasn't going to happen. Cue a stoppage time winner to set off absolute scenes in Renfrew. What a way to win a title.

Had the honour and pleasure of presenting the team with their medals and trophy after the game. A lot of very happy young men tonight!

[GordonS]

Black Rock Rovers 4-0 Fortrose, Inverness & District Football Association First Division Cup, Quarter Final.

Have to admit, the only reason I went to this game was because it was at a pyramid ground. Clach A use three grounds for the North Caledonian League matches - Grant Street Park, Inverness Royal Academy and here, the ground they seem to prefer but it has no lights and is rarely playable in the winter months.

An enjoyable watch on a good pitch, two early goals for the home side were a fair reflection of the gap between the sides. Fortrose fought to get back into the game but a third midway through the second half ended it as a contest, and Rocks put a gloss on it through a penalty with the last kick of the ball.

Black Rock Rovers are (presumably) named after the nearby Black Rock Gorge, which is one of the most unheralded, extraordinary natural features in Scotland. Rushing water has eaten through the soft rock to create a slot that's well over 100 feet deep but only a few feet wide at the top. If you're passing this way you have to see it, it's a very pleasant walk through the community woodland from Evanton.

Their badge features the Fyrish monument, the fruits of a work creation scheme in the late 18th century. You can just make it out on top of the hill in my first picture, about 1,500 feet above the Cromarty Firth.

You know you're watching amateurs when two of the guys are in different tops from the rest of their team.

[The Mantis]

Forth and Endrick League. Deanston 5 Aberfoyle Rob Roy 1.

McAlpine Park, Deanston. This doubled up as a league fixture plus a Telfer Cup tie. 
Always enjoy an ammies game. 3-1 ht and a missed pen in the second half made it pretty comfortable for Deanston who missed a hatful of chances. Rob Roy were no pushovers but they found it difficult to get out of their own half at times.

Have to say this was a fabby day out. I had to nip up to Callander in the afternoon so I took the chance to get a tour at Deanston distillery, with a driver's dram pack of course, then up to the Scottish Real Ale Shop at the Lade Inn. Couldn't resist a pint (Lade Back Ale but they had 3 brews, wish I could have tried them all). A quick Chinese takeaway, then on to the game and home on a fine evening. Keen hill goers will spot 3 significant mountains in the pics.

[GordonS]

55 minutes ago, The Mantis said:

Forth and Endrick League. Deanston 5 Aberfoyle Rob Roy 1.

McAlpine Park, Deanston. This doubled up as a league fixture plus a Telfer Cup tie. 
Always enjoy an ammies game. 3-1 ht and a missed pen in the second half made it pretty comfortable for Deanston who missed a hatful of chances. Rob Roy were no pushovers but they found it difficult to get out of their own half at times.

Have to say this was a fabby day out. I had to nip up to Callander in the afternoon so I took the chance to get a tour at Deanston distillery, with a driver's dram pack of course, then up to the Scottish Real Ale Shop at the Lade Inn. Couldn't resist a pint (Lade Back Ale but they had 3 brews, wish I could have tried them all). A quick Chinese takeaway, then on to the game and home on a fine evening. Keen hill goers will spot 3 significant mountains in the pics.

Ben Vorlich, Stuc a Chroin and Ben Ledi?

[Groundhopping Adventures]

Campbeltown Pupils 3-3 Saltcoats Victoria 

There comes a time in every groundhopper's career when the Glasgow and Edinburgh grounds just won't cut it and you need to start extreme groundhopping.

That's why today we find ourselves at the Western most town on Mainland Scotland (it's not Malaig) at the Western most football club in the pyramid (it's not Fort William). Their nearest team in the pyramid is (I think) Girvan, think there will be a Northern Irish team closer though. Campbeltown is famously a long way from everywhere. 50 miles to their old "local" Derby against Lochgilphead Red Star for instance. They are however an excellently run club who do their best given the huge geographical challenges. Even Orkney has the three Caithness teams in Wick, Thurso and Halkirk.

Unfortunately for most of this game it was pishing with rain. Thankfully they let you out to retrieve your umbrella. I think Kintyre Park is a work in progress. They do have toilets but they leave something to be desired. Also no tea hut. Is it really too difficult to put and urn on?

Usually I'm crap at reporting on the actual football but this one was crazy. The game kicked off at 13:55 and by 2 pm Saltcoats were 2-1 up! After a Pupils equaliser I go to the loo, it is a 4 hour drive from Fife after all, and I miss a further two goals. 3-3 after 20 minutes! My dreams of an 8-5 are dashed and there is no more scoring. When the relegation battles in League one and two are reaching their conclusions where else is there to be but the two lowest ranked teams in Scotland battling out a draw at the end of the universe.

Do come, you hopefully get better weather than us. Hopefully for a lot of you and the Saltcoats Vics players they get round to putting the Ardrossan to Campbeltown ferry back on.

 

[Andy groundhopper]

Western Lge : Oldland Abbotonians 6 Millbrook 0. Fairly easy v the relegated Cornish visitors, who did their best to cause unrest. In 1st half down to 9 men, both sin binned. One comes back on, sin binned again and then gets sent off - but doesnt walk. What a clown. The return game on monday a bit far for me these days (nr to Plymouth 130 mls each way) 

[GordonS]

Banchory St Ternan 6-3 Forres Thistle, NRSJFA Championship. Att c. 25.

I've long wanted to come here and I love Deeside, so it was a wee bit disappointing to find the strath with a grey lid snapped on a few hundred feet up the hillsides. It's still a lovely spot, tight above the Dee and a good few miles east of the town. I also love teams named after saints, the more obscure the better. 

The best thing about this game was that it seems it's never occurred to either side that midfielders are allowed to do some defending. It was end-to-end throughout and could have finished any score. 

Before the match Banchory were only 4 points ahead of Forres having played a game more, so it was a surprise when the home side opened a 3 goal lead in the first 10 minutes. At that point you hope the losing side will either mount a comeback of have a heids gone, but it was Banchory that couldn't work out how to play it and Forres clawed it back to 3-2 on the stroke of half time. In the second half Banchory opened it to 4-2 and then midway through the half a double within a minute made it 6-2. Forres pulled one more back late but both sides had many chance. 8-5 would have been a fairer reflection.

Pick of the goals were the first, a Banchory player finding the ball at his feet and back to goal, cooly back-heeling it through the keeper's legs, and the last, a 25 yard free-kick wide left for Forres that curled and dipped into the postage stamp.