Wigtown & Bladnoch v Annan Athletic

Wigtown & Bladnoch 2-3 Annan Athletic Reserves
Cree Lodge Cup First Round
Trammondford Park
Saturday 29th September 2018

The Wigtown Book Festival – soon to be covered by Kaitlin, watch this space – is wrapping up this weekend, and we made a jolly down to check it out. As luck would have it, the local senior team are at home today, so we headed slightly out of the town to catch a game in a brand new venue for me.

The Venue

Trammondford Park is situated just outside Wigtown, it’s actual postal address is genuinely “Near Wigtown”. It’s just a very short trip down the main road through the town when you come upon the ground.

Wigtown hold an SFA Entry License for Trammondford Park, and it’s a very tidy and well appointed ground, with all the basics required. There’s a sizeable covered enclosure down one side of the pitch, with hard standing and a raised disabled viewing platform on the same side. The rest of the ground is grass standing for an overall capacity of 888. There’s an old fashioned concrete pillar and painted metal pole spectator barrier. The old pavilion has been complimented with portakabins to ensure the correct accommodation for licensing is all present and correct. It’s a nice wee setup, and plenty for the club’s needs.

The Teams

Wigtown & Bladnoch were formed in 1880 as Wigtown FC, adding the “& Bladnoch” suffix in 1919. Bladnoch is a tiny village only a mile from Wigtown, but with the Bladnoch Distillery – the southernmost distillery in Scotland – and Bladnoch Creamery being two of the major employers in the area, it was decided to incorporate it into the club’s name. The club have played in the South of Scotland League since it was reformed in 1946, and have been champions on five occasions, most recently the 2014-15 season.

The club were granted an Entry Level SFA license in 2015, having been long term full members of the SFA. They sat out the 2017-18 season due to financial difficulties and lack of players. They returned this season but currently sit in thirteenth place in the table, with just three points from five games.

Annan Athletic, along with Stranraer, enter reserve sides in the South of Scotland League. This season’s Annan team have struggled, and have yet to pick up a point from six games, but do have a better goal difference than Newton Stewart, who sit bottom.

The Game

There was a slight delay to the kick off as a problem with one of the nets was addressed. It took a while for either side to get going and the first real chance came with 13 minutes played. A free kick about 25 yards out on the right hand side was struck by Wigtown’s Kieran Marshall and forced a decent save from Robbie Minto in the Annan goal. Two minutes later, Thomas Garron broke forward but could only put his shot straight into the arms of Minto.

Annan took until midway through the first half to register their first chance, when the ball broke to Danny Price just outside the Wightown box. His shot flew over the bar. With 28 minutes played, the home side took the lead. A good run from Garron was stopped by an excellent tackle inside the box, but the ball broke directly to Stuart McLimie, who blasted the ball into the roof of the net. Two minutes later it was 2-0, when McLimie won the ball near the halfway line and beat several players before slipping a low shot past Minto. It was a fantastic goal and the first sign of real quality in the match.

The home side were well on top, but failing to convert their pressure into clear cut chances and were punished for their failure to extend their lead. With 44 minutes gone, Elliot Parry saved the ball from going out for a goal kick and flicked the ball to Jack Ball. Under pressure from the Wigtown defence, Ball stood the ball up directly onto the head of Grant Scoular who nodded into the net to make it 2-1. It was a frantic end to the half with Aaron Roberts seeing a chance deflected just over for Annan, and Garron being denied only by a superb tackle by Ben English after he had beaten Minto to the ball. 2-1 and a well deserved lead for the hosts at the break.

Wigtown started the second half strongly and Garron had a headed chance that went hopelessly wide after 48 minutes. With 52 minutes gone, Kevin Jamieson cut in from the left wing and forced Annan’s substitute keeper Andrew Boyd into an exclennet save with a low, curling drive. Two minutes later, Annan equalised against the run of play. Some poor defending led to Danny Ross picking the ball up wide on the left. His cross/shot flew over the heads of everyone including Wigtown keeper Dale Reid, and nestled just inside the far post.

Wigtown continued to press despite being pegged back, and with 57 minutes on the clock, Garron grazed the top of the bar with an effort from distance. Three minutes later, Jamieson saw his shot held by Boyd, and with 70 minutes gone Jamieson’s cross really should have been nodded in by Garron, but the striker failed to get anything on the ball.

Sorry to have to mention another referee who wanted the day to be all about him, but the performance of Sean Sutherland in the middle really was something to behold. It wasn’t so much the decisions he gave, which for the most part were fine, but the ones he didn’t give. Some of his calls were genuinely comedic, and I wasn’t the only one in the crowd outwardly laughing at his performance.

With thirteen minutes remaining, Annan took the lead for the first time. Ross’s corner was headed in by English, their third goal with just their third shot on target. Wigtown tried in vain to find an equaliser, but couldn’t manage to find a way through as Annan attempted to close the game out. Wigtown’s substitute forward (who I didn’t catch the name of) was shown two yellow cards for dissent and was sent off in the dying seconds as the visitors picked up their first win of the season and will see themselves in the second round draw.

The Pies

The pie today was a really tasty Scotch one, I believe from the butcher in town. It was exactly what I needed to keep me going for the long drive home.

Admission: £4
Programme: None
Pie: £1.50
Bovril: £1
Attendance: 37 (+1 Westie, the adorable Max)

Gartocharn v Buchlyvie United

Gartocharn 1-0 Buchlyvie United
MacGregor Ferguson Cup Semi Final
Shandon Park
Friday 1st June 2018

The Forth and Endrick FA run several cups as well as their league competition, and the MacGregor Ferguson Cup is traditionally the first silverware of the season and reaches the semi final stage this weekend.

The Venue

With Gartocharn’s home pitch still unplayable, they have been playing home games at their neighbours Drymen’s Shandon Park. You can read all about this excellent little ground here from when I visited on the first day of the Forth and Endrick season.

The Teams

As previously mentioned, Gartocharn were formed in 1957 and have played in the Forth and Endrick League since their inception. They have had a good start to the season, and were sitting second in the league table last weekend. They have had a couple of poor results over their last two games, but I haven’t seen an up to date league table. They reached the semi-final here with a 5-2 win over Gargunnock.

Buchlyvie United were founder members of the Forth and Endrick FA back in 1910. As of last week, they were eighth of ten in the league with just five points from six games. Again, I’m not actually sure how their last couple of games have gone. They reached tonight’s semi-final when Deanston scratched from their first round game.

The Game

Garto had the first chance of the game after four minutes, but were forced wide by the Buchlyvie keeper. With ten minutes gone, the referee displayed a ridiculous sense of self importance as he began bellowing at Garto’s young forward for dissent that was much worse in his head than in real life.

Garto continued to attack, but couldn’t get past the Buchlyvie keeper who made a couple of decent saves in the opening twenty minutes or so. With 21 minutes gone, it looked like Buchlyvie had taken the lead, but Garto’s left back somehow managed to clear what looked like a certain goal off the line after an absolutely sensational cross from the left wing. Five minutes later, Garto’s right back had a 25 yard free kick well saved.

The rest of the first half was a scrappy affair with neither side really able to get a proper grip on the game. There were half chances for both teams, but neither goalkeeper was really tested before the half time whistle blew.

About ten minutes into the second half, both sides had chances, but Garto saw an effort fly over the bar, while Buchlyvie’s effort was well blocked by the Garto defence. With just over an hour to go, the home side did break the deadlock. John Campbell was strong on the left hand side and swung a low cross into the box. The cross was flapped at by the Buchlyvie keeper and fell at the feet of Gregor Mitchell who slid in to slot the ball into the net.

Four minutes later, Mitchell almost turned provider when he managed to round the Buchlyvie keeper and cut the ball back, but the Buchlyvie defence dealt with the chance and scrambled it clear for a corner. The visitors started to push for an equaliser, but despite dominating the midfield after going behind, could not find the all important final ball.

The referee made himself centre of attention again with ten minutes to go, when he decided to scream (and spit in the face of, going by what I could hear of the exchange) at Garto captain Graeme McKenzie for seemingly nothing, instead of dealing with the injured Buchlyvie keeper, who had been left hurt on the ground after a heavy challenge. After a delay, the game continued with McKenzie in the book, the keeper able to continue, and the referee looking like an absolute balloon.

There was still time for more drama, when Garto’s left back rattled a 40 yard free kick off the bar with five minutes to go, before forcing a good save with a shot from the resulting corner. Buchlyvie continued to push forward, but could only come as close as hitting the side net in stoppage time, and it was Garto who progressed to the final to play Blanefield Thistle, who defeated Thornhill 2-0 in tonight’s other semi-final.

The Pies

As last time, no catering on the go tonight.

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 26 (+1 dog)

Vale of Leven U21 v Barrhead U21

Vale of Leven U21 3-3 Barrhead U21 (Barrhead win 5-4 on penalties)
Lady Darling Cup Final
New Western Park
Friday 25th May 2018

The Lady Darling Cup is a supplementary cup run by the Scottish Youth Football Association for clubs who exit the Scottish Cup in the first two rounds. It has become one of the biggest events in Under 21 football and this year features two sides separated by only twenty miles or so, at a venue roughly equidistant for both. With the excellent weather continuing, a good crowd is expected for what should be a fiercely contested final.

The Venue

I visited New Western Park just a few weeks ago and you can read all of my thoughts about the excellent ground there.

The Teams

Vale of Leven U21 are affiliated to the West Region Junior club, with several of their players having made appearances for the first team this season. They play in the First Division of the West of Scotland Under 21 League, and are unbeaten in their 13 games. With three games to play, they know that maximum points will see them winning the title. They exited the Scottish Cup in the second round 3-1 to Rutherglen Glencairn, leading to their entry into the Lady Darling Cup.

Their Lady Darling Cup campaign began with a hard fought 2-1 win over Cameron Thistle at home in Round 1, before a 6-2 win against Barrhead’s Yellow (2nd) team in Round 2. They defeated Steins Thistle 3-2 at home in the quarter final, before besting Finnart 4-0 in the semi final.

Barrhead YFC were formed in 1971 as Barrhead Boys Club, and currently run youth sides at almost every age group, being one of the biggest youth football clubs in the West of Scotland. They have two under 21 sides, with this team playing their trade in the West of Scotland Under 21 League Premier Division, where they have found themselves in a mid-table position this season. They exited the Scottish Cup after losing on penalties in a replay with Johnstone Burgh to enter the Lady Darling Cup.

They received a bye in the Lady Darling first round before defeating St Mungo 3-2 at home in Round 2. Their quarter final saw them crush Leith Athletic 16-0 at home and in the semi-final they saw off Renfrew (Blue) 3-1.

The Game

I didn’t have team lines available for this game and without them I really struggle to do a proper report. What we got though was a fantastic advert for under 21 football, with both teams playing some fantastic football and creating plenty of chances. There was no skimping on tackling, but there was never any indication of the game ticking over into anything nasty.

The Vale started the game well, but with eleven minutes gone it was Barrhead who were given the opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty for handball. The chance was squandered though as the penalty was struck past the post. On 29 minutes, the Vale were awarded a free kick around 25 yards out wide on the right. Lewis Fagan stepped up to curl a spectacular effort into the net and put his side into the lead.

Going one down seemed to spur Barrhead on, and with 37 minutes played they were level, when  cross from the right wing was nodded in by McGroarty. 3 minutes later they had the lead. The impressive O’Neil picked the ball up in the midfield, cut inside and curled a wonderful strike into the net. It was a fantastic goal from a player who showed some real quality.

Vale came out all guns blazing in the second half, and forced Barrhead’s keeper into a couple of early saves. With 55 minutes gone, they drew the game level again. A long throw from Lewis Campbell was knocked past the keeper by Danny Paterson. Vale continued to press and were rewarded with 68 minutes gone. A good move down the right wing saw the cutback steered home by Robbie Stirling to give the Vale a 3-2 lead.

Barrhead pressed for an equaliser, but to no avail until the first minute of stoppage time. A sustained period of pressure saw a free kick and a corner turned behind by the Vale, and with the third ball into the box in quick succession, Barrhead’s captain headed the ball into the net for the latest of late equalisers.

30 minutes of extra time followed, with the game opening right up, and both sides creating chances. Despite a frantic, end to end extra period, neither team could find the winning goal and the game went to penalties to decide the winner. Lewis King missed the first penalty for the Vale as his effort came back off the bar, and despite a delay after the floodlights unexpectedly turned off, the following nine spot kicks were all expertly buried, giving Barrhead a 5-4 win on penalties to lift the cup.

The Pies

I didn’t actually sample anything from Renfrew’s fantastic snack bar tonight, but they had their full service on offer. They had also made the inspired decision to put ice lollies on sale for £1, and by the looks of things did an absolute roaring trade in them. Which was unsurprising on a night like this.

Admission: £3
Programme: None
Pie: £1.50 (and plenty of other options)
Bovril: £1
Attendance: 300 (approx)

Shortlees v Goldenhill

Shortlees 2-1 Goldenhill
Scottish Amateur Cup Final
Hampden Park
Sunday 20th May 2018

It’s the final of the biggest, most prestigious knockout cup for amateur teams in Scotland. Traditionally played the day after the Scottish Cup Final at the National Stadium, it’s a huge occasion for everyone involved. This year is made an even bigger occasion given that it’s a first final for either side. With glory today and qualification for next season’s “big” Scottish Cup on the line, it should be a fantastic afternoon’s entertainment.

The Venue

Ah, Hampden. One of the most famous stadiums in world football, home of Queen’s Park and Scotland. The third venue to have the name, the “current” Hampden was built in 1903 and was the biggest stadium in the world when it opened. The stadium’s record attendance is listed as 149,547 for a Scotland v England match in 1937, and following renovations that were completed in 1999, the current all seated capacity is 51,866. I could probably write an entire, substantial post on Hampden’s history, and I might well do that somewhere down the line, but for today I’m going to focus on how it is today.

The ground in it’s current state is a large bowl on all four sides, with the South Stand the only side that has a second tier. The East and West Stands, both situated behind the goals, are subject to regular criticism for their poor sight lines. The shape of the stadium means there are large unused areas behind the goals, and fans situated in these stands often complain that they struggle to see the action when it’s at the other end. The running track around the pitch also means that spectators are further away from the action than many would like. While I completely understand how behind the goals could be a bit of a nightmare, where we were all situated in the South Stand today gave me at least a pretty good view of the park, and I actually felt like I was further away from the pitch at Central Park, Cowdenbeath last week. Hampden isn’t perfect, but it’s a pretty decent place to watch a game, and the sense of occasion for the guys on the pitch today was completely apparent.

The Teams

Shortlees are based in Kilmarnock and in this iteration have been active since 2010. They are members of the Ayrshire Amateur Football Association and play in that association’s Premier League. They started their Scottish campaign this year in the second round with an 8-3 win over fellow Ayrshire side Bellfield Lochan. Their third round tie was a 3-2 home win over Cambusnethan Talbot, and in the fourth round they were at home again, dispatching Cambria 3-0. Lees were handed another home tie in the fifth round, where they defeated Cupar Hearts 5-1, and at home again in the sixth round the saw off Dumfries and Galloway side Mill by eight goals to nil. In the seventh round, Shortlees once again played at home and defeated Dumbarton Academy FPs 4-2 to progress to a quarter final with Thorn Athletic. After a 2-2 draw in Kilmarnock, Lees travelled to Johnstone where they picked up a 2-1 victory in the replay. The semi-final was played at New Douglas Park in Hamilton and saw Shortlees defeat Bannockburn 1-0 to send them to their first ever Scottish Amateur Cup Final, just eight years after reforming.

Goldenhill are a Clydebank based side and have been playing in one shape or form since 1971. They are a member of the extremely West Coast bases Scottish Amateur Football League and play in their Premier League. They also received a first round bye and started with an 8-2 away win over Newshot in the second round. Their third round trip to Ayrshire saw a 10-0 win over Monymusk, while Edinburgh Star were demolished 10-2 at home in the fourth round. A much delayed fifth round trip to Blantyre Celtic resulted in a 3-1 win, and they fought to a 2-2 draw with Tullibody Community at home a week later, before prevailing 5-0 in the replay. Their seventh round tie away to Edinburgh side Sandys was postponed three times before a 2-2 draw, with Goldenhill winning at home in the replay by three goals to two. Their quarter final saw a fantastic 3-1 home win over Oban Saints, to set up a semi final in Hamilton against Erskine side Bridgewater. Goldenhill also won their semi final 1-0 to set up today’s match.

The Game

After the formalities and handshakes it was on with the action, with Shortlees looking the more confident side from the start. With just seven minutes gone, they were ahead. Keir Knapp’s cross was cleared and from the resulting corner, Gordon Minor rose to send a thundering header past Scott Rennie for the opening goal. Three minutes later it got worse for Goldenhill when right back Steven Dock misplaced a simple pass allowing Joseph Gold to collect and slip a low shot off the base of the post and in.

It could have been easy for Goldenhill to crumble at 2-0 down after ten minutes, but to their credit they got their nerves in check and began to to get themselves back into the game. An attack after twenty minutes saw the ball break to Daniel Gibson, who’s shot was well saved by Garry Murdoch. The rebound fell to Jonathon Dyer, but his effort was scrambled away by the Shortlees defence. While Goldenhill were looking better going forward, their defence was still looking frail. With 28 minutes played, they failed to deal with a routing through ball and gave Richard Mullen the chance to shoot from the edge of the box. Mullen’s strike came back off the bar and Goldenhill once again regrouped.

The game sparked back into life after 32 minutes when Goldenhill pressed forward and scored the goal of the game. With the ball around 25 yards from goal, Martin Lawlor unleashed a spectacular low drive that hit the inside of the post and into the back of the net. It was a fantastic way to bring his team back into the game and breathed new life into the Goldenhill side. The half ended with James Gallagher’s 30 yard free kick flying just wide of the Shortlees goal and the game hanging very much in the balance.

Both sides had good chances to score in the opening minutes of the second half, with Kerr Dale shooting just wide across the goal for Shortlees and Daniel Gibson coming close at the other end just two minutes later. Goldenhill were pushing to find an equaliser, but Shortlees defence was standing tall, and restricting the Clydebank side to long range efforts and speculative crosses.

Goldenhill’s best chance to equalise came after 62 minutes, when a long ball from defence was nodded on by substitute Marc Morrison. Gibson got onto the end of the knock down but couldn’t get enough purchase on his shot to trouble Murdoch. As Goldenhill piled players forward to find the elusive equaliser, it allowed Shortlees to counter, and Minor, Gold and Knapp all had chances to increase the lead, Knapp’s chance coming after hesitation from Rennie in goal, who eventually recovered well enough to save. It was the last chance of an entertaining, competitive final and the final whistle went to the jubilation of the travelling support from Kilmarnock.

The Pies

Hampden’s pies are pretty decent, but also pricey. I’ve definitely had a better steak pie for £2.90, but it was a tasty enough eat. They can get tae with charging £2.30 for a Bovril though. That’s robbery.

Admission: £8
Programme: £2
Pie: £2.30 – £2.90
Bovril: £2.30
Attendance: 1,404

Balfron Rovers v Aberfoyle Rob Roy

Balfron Rovers 1-1 Aberfoyle Rob Roy
Forth and Endrick Football League
Donaldson Park
Friday 19th May 2018

With the sun shining and me having just picked up a new car I fancied taking a run in, I headed to Stirlingshire to take in my second game of the season in the Forth and Endrick Football League.

The Venue

Donaldson Park is handily situated just at the entrance to Balfron from the A811 road, right next to the golf course. (Note to self, check maps before driving straight through the village next time.) It’s a fairly basic set up, a large grass pitch with a small, tidy looking pavilion and flat grass standing surrounding the pitch. There’s a couple of benches, which I suppose add a seated element to the ground’s capacity!

It’s a pretty perfect place for amateur football to be played. The pitch has clearly taken a bit of a hammering with the long hard winter, but with our recent dry spell was in pretty good condition tonight with all things considered. The ground is basic, but extremely well kept, and being enclosed on three sides by trees, feels like a proper football ground rather than a public park. With the sun beating down it was a fantastic place to watch a game.

The Teams

When I saw Gartocharn and Drymen United play last month, I mentioned how stable the Forth and Endrick League has been over the years. Since I wrote that, Kippen have unfortunately had to withdraw from this season’s competitions, while Deanston have yet to play a game due to lack of player availability. I’m hoping that this isn’t a trend, because it would be a real shame to see this fantastic league disappear.

As I mentioned last time I watched this league, there’s very little information online about the league or it’s teams, but I’ll do what I can! Balfron Rovers were formed in 1930, and have been members of the league since their inception. From what I can tell, they’ve been one of the most successful teams in the league, and were league champions in both of the last two seasons. They have played twice this season, a 7-0 away win against Thornhill last month, and a 2-1 loss at home to Gartocharn on Tuesdasy night.

Due to Balfron producing a match programme, I actually have substantially more information on their opponents tonight than I do on themselves. Aberfoyle Rob Roy were formed in 1910 and were founder members of the Forth and Endrick League. They have been league champions on six occasions, although their last triumph was in 1969. The side have won the Cameron Cup nine times, the MacGregor Ferguson Cup twice, the Telfer Cup once, and the Salmon Leap Inn Trophy for being top scorers once. They have played four times this season, losing to Gargunnock and Killearn, while drawing with Buchlyvie and notching up an 8-2 win away to Thornhill.

The Game

A combination of the game kicking off five minutes early and me taking a spectacular wrong turn up a single track dirt road meant I missed the first ten minutes of the game and the home side taking an early lead. I also failed to take proper notes on the game, so I do apologise for this extremely abridged version of a match report.

When I arrived, Balfron were in the ascendancy and pushing for a second goal. The visitors got stronger as the half progressed however, and were deservedly level six minutes before the break when a long trow into the box was headed on into the net by Sean Wilbert. It was a competitive, energetic first half with some good football played by both sides.

The second half saw Balfron mount a siege on the Aberfoyle goal, but they were kept out by some frankly outstanding goalkeeping from the Aberfoyle keeper who made several top drawer saves to keep the game level. Balfron player-manager David Reid brought himself on early in the second half and his class on the ball shone through. Aberfoyle had a late chance to steal victory away, but the home defence stood tall, and a late long throw from Balfron almost paid dividends, but Aberfoyle’s man of the match keeper kept them out once again.

I’ll definitely be back at Donaldson park before the season ends, and I’ll attempt to do a much more detailed report. This is a lovely, welcoming club, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

The Pies

While there was no food on offer tonight, I must again mention the excellent match programme. There’s a lot of content in just four pages, and it’s an excellent read. It is fantastic to see a club at this level put so much effort into the match day experience, and something that they should get a lot of credit for.

Admission: Free
Programme: £1
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 36 (+2 dogs)

 

 

Gartocharn v Drymen United

Gartocharn 1-1 Drymen United
Forth and Endrick Football League
Shandon Park
Friday 20th April 2018

After the entire card of opening round fixtures fell foul of the weather last Friday night, the Forth and Endrick Football League – a summer season league falling under the auspices of the Scottish Welfare FA – got under way on a gloriously sunny evening. I’ve never taken in a game in this competition before, and made the short trip with no idea what to expect.

The Venue

The fixture list that the Forth and Endrick League posted a few weeks ago had this listed as a home game for Gartocharn, but it was played at Shandon Park, the home of their local rivals Drymen United. Driving past Gartocharn’s usual park on the way here, it didn’t look in a playable state, and I’m unsure if there’s an underlying issue. I’m not totally clear if the game had been officially switched to a home tie for Drymen, or if Gartocharn had been forced to give up home advantage.

Shandon Park is situated just before you enter the village on the right hand side if approaching from the Stirling direction, or once you pass through the village on the left if you approach from towards Balloch. It’s hidden behind some hedges and could easily be mistaken for a field if you don’t know where exactly it is you’re looking for. Once inside, the ground is a very tidy little setup, with a decent quality grass pitch (which did cut up a bit as the game progressed, but held up relatively well). There’s a wooden pavilion on site and wooden spectator barriers down the two sidelines, both of which are covered in sponsor boards. This is an excellent little ground that wouldn’t look out of place at all in the lower junior leagues.

The Teams

For the purpose of this blog, there is frustratingly little information on the teams available online. As a summer league that is playing Friday night games this season, I’ll probably be frequenting the Forth and Endrick League, and will figure out some sort of format as I go.

The Forth and Endrick League is a Welfare league, a grade of amateur football that was originally set up for works teams. The Forth and Endrick Football League actually predates the Welfare Association, having been set up in 1910, with the first league competition being played in 2012. It operates on a summer season, and from this year moved from Saturday teatime kick offs, to Friday evening games. There are currently eleven teams, primarily from the Stirlingshire area, competing, with Fintry currently in abeyance. The clubs represent small villages throughout the region. The members also compete in four cup competitions, with some league matches doubling up as sectional cup ties. Balfron Rovers have won the league the past two seasons.

Tonight’s teams are the two most local to me, and therefore most likely to be ones I visit again this season. Being situated only four miles apart, they are fierce local rivals. Gartocharn were formed in 1957 and are the youngest team in the league despite celebrating their 60th anniversary last year. Drymen United were founder members back in 1910, having formed the same year. Drymen have Vale of Leven captain Craig Cowan in their side, with the Vale only having one game left of their season and no chance of promotion, Cowan has registered with his home town side for the start of the season.

The Game

I got held up and missed about the first fifteen minutes of the game but arrived to find Gartocharn on the attack and looking dangerous. With 17 minutes played, they opened the scoring when Dougie Wilson latched onto a through ball and placed his shot well across the Drymen keeper and into the net. Having missed the start, I don’t know if the goal came against the run of play, but from that point on it was pretty much one way traffic in favour of Drymen. Over the following ten minutes they bombarded the Garto goal, with Cowan heading just wide from a corner, the keeper being forced into two good saves, and seeing the ball hit the post following a good old fashioned goalmouth scramble.

The one way traffic continued after the half hour mark, with Garto’s keeper making two good saves in quick succession and another header from a corner flying inches over the bar. The pressure paid off with 36 minutes gone when right back Davie Cowan burst down the wing and cut into the box. His shot was blocked but the rebound was turned in by David Fraser (according to Gartocharn’s Facebook report, although the Drymen supporters next to me thought it was a young lad by the name of Cammy who had scored). As half time approached, Craig Cowan saw a 30 yard free kick fly just wide of the post, and despite Drymen’s dominance, the two sides went into the break level.

The second half started in cagey fashion, with neither side really able to string anything together. With fifty minutes gone came an amusing interlude when a dog got loose and invaded the pitch. The dog stood in front of Cowan as he was preparing to take a free kick, took a shit on the pitch and then ran off with the ball. The mess was picked up by the dog’s owner, the mutt was captured and put back on his lead, and the game was able to continue with most of the crowd in fits of giggles. Drymen continued to dominate possession, but long serving Garto captain Graeme McKenzie was marshalling his defence well and restricting United to long range efforts.

With an hour gone, Garto made a rare foray up the field, but goalscorer Wilson snatched at his shot and saw it fly past the post and get stuck in a tree. McKenzie came close to restoring Garto’s lead with a 35 yard free kick that took the Drymen defence by surprise, but it flew just past the post. The short spell of danger from Garto fizzled out and Drymen took over pressing again, but still found themselves unable to make the final connection. Craig Cowan was controlling the midfield, and he had two similar long range chances midway through the half, but both of them fell just past the post.

The last fifteen minutes were played at a frantic pace as the light faded, and both teams were stretched on a couple of occasions. Again, the finish just couldn’t be found and the game finished 1-1. Drymen will I’m sure be disappointed not to have picked up all three points in a game where they dominated possession, but just lacked the killer touch. Gartocharn will be extremely pleased with their defensive performance, as the restricted their opponents to mainly long range efforts. All in all a good game, a really decent standard, and I look forward to seeing both teams again over the summer

The Pies

No pies or other catering as would be expected at this level. Instead I made a visit to the always excellent Palombo’s chippy in Balloch on my way and devoured my favourite sausage supper.

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: Fluctuated between 40 and 60

Lomond Vale v Glasgow Island

Lomond Vale 2-3 Glasgow Island
Glasgow Colleges Football Association League Cup 2nd Round
Argyle Park 4G
Saturday 24th March 2018

Ahead of a day out at the Challenge Cup Final, I decided to pop five minutes along the road from my house to watch my local Saturday morning team in action. The Glasgow Colleges Football Association has been playing Saturday morning football for over fifty years with 29 teams in three divisions. The name appears to be purely historical at this point, with none of the current teams seemingly affiliated to colleges. The association has seen some relative success in recent years with teams regularly reaching the latter stages of the Scottish and West of Scotland Amateur Cups.

The Venue

Argyle Park used to have three full size grass pitches as well as one three quarter sized one that was affectionately known as Snooker Park. In 2014-15, West Dunbartonshire Council turned Snooker Park into a 7-a-side pitch, and constructed a brand new 4G park where the closest grass pitch to the pavilion sat.

The 4G is the now standard caged off pitch, with markings for 11-a-side and 3 7-a-side pitches. The cage has the added benefit of outshots for the 7s goals, and there’s a permanent spectator rail with multiple gates down the pavilion side. It’s a quality facility, and something that Alexandria had been severely lacking until its installation.

The Teams

Lomond Vale were formed in 2008 with the intention of giving local players the option of playing competitive Saturday morning football. The club made headlines in 2012 when they were the only Scottish representatives at the Keele Cup for international amateur teams in Staffordshire, where they played against teams from Belgium, Colombia and England. Vale play in the third tier Division Two of the GCFA setup, and are top having not lost in the league this season.

Glasgow Islands were formed in 1997 with the amalgamation of Park Wanderers and Snaffle Strollers. The club was originally comprised of players from the Western isles who had found their way to Glasgow for work or studies. While the team is now supplemented by several locals, the core of the team is still formed of the island ex-pats. Islands, based at the Firhill complex, are now an established Premier Division team, two tiers above their hosts for the day.

The Game

The game itself was a competitive one, and it didn’t look like the two teams playing were separated by two divisions. Despite dominating possession, Vale found themselves a goal down after ten minutes due to some slack defending. The home side continued to have the bulk of the ball, but were failing to create much in the way of clear cut chances. Islands doubled their lead late in the first half, again against the run of play and took their two goal cushion into the break.

The second half began as the first had ended, with Vale dominating, but Islands looking more dangerous when they broke forward. I had to leave after about an hour to get started on my journey to Perth, and unfortunately missed three more goals. Islands went 3-0 up before being pegged back to 3-2, but Vale couldn’t find the third goal to take the game to extra time. The hour I saw was an enjoyable way to spend some time on a Saturday morning.

The Pies

As always on a public facility, no catering.

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 14 (headcount)