Glasgow City v Hibernian

Glasgow City 1-2 Hibernian Ladies
SSE Scottish Women’s Cup Semi-Final
Forthbank Stadium
Sunday 14th October 2018

It’s semi-final day in the Scottish Women’s Cup. Unlike in the men’s game, which caused chaos amongst fans and the police when they tried to arrange both league Cup semi-finals at Hampden on the same day, the Women’s Cup (and league cup) frequently host both games at the same site on the same day, with today’s games having just four hours between scheduled kick offs. The first game up today is an absolute cracker between the two top teams in Scottish women’s football, fierce rivals Glasgow City and Hibs.

The Venue

Forthbank became the new home for Stirling Albion in 1993, when they moved out of their old Annfield ground. The ground is well appointed, fairly close to Stirling’s centre, and has become a popular venue for both home and away supporters. It is also home to the first team of Stirling University, who moved back in this season, after previously playing home games here from 2013-2016.

The ground has two fully seated stands on either side of the ground, which are both well covered and offer excellent views of the pitch. There are also two terraces behind the goals, which bring the overall capacity of the ground to 3,808 with 2,508 being seated. Forthbank is an excellent place to watch a game of football, and a really good venue for the semi finals of this competition.

The Teams

I’ve spoken about both of these teams at length in the not too distant past, so this is a very abridged section today. Both sides recorded 11-0 wins over lower league opposition at the quarter final stage, but today should be a very different kettle of fish. Both league games between the two sides so far this season have ended in draws, with the big almost certain league decider just one week away. Hibs do have the upper hand this season though, holding a 3-1 win over City in the League Cup semi-final. Another tight affair is to be expected this afternoon.

The Game

Hibs had the better of the opening exchanges and came close to taking the lead in the seventh minute. Emma Brownlie’s free kick wasn’t dealt with properly by Lee Alexander in the City goal, but Sam Kerr managed to clear the ball before it fell to a Hibs attacker. Two minutes later, City found themselves on the front foot, but Kirsty Howat’s effort from Leanne Ross’ corner was well wide of the post. Abi Harrison was causing problems for City’s defence every time she got hold of the ball, and she forced a good block from Ross with eleven minutes played after finding herself in a wonderful position.

Hibs took the lead with fourteen minutes gone, when City could only half clear, giving Lisa Robertson the chance to cross into the box. City failed to deal with the cross completely, and Kirsten Reilly knocked a shot in off Alexander. It was no more than the Edinburgh side deserved, and Alexander was having a rough time of it in goals for City. With 20 minutes on the clock, Robertson tried a speculative effort from distance that should have been routine for the Scotland number 1, but she could only spill it wide for a corner.

Abbi Grant was looking City’s liveliest player, and with 23 minutes gone, she cut in from wide on the left and sent a shot only just wide of the post. On the half hour, Hibs only half cleared a corner which gave Ross the chance to knock the ball back into the box. Howat picked up the ball and looked certain to score, but a fine save from Jenna Fife kept her side in the lead. Harrison was still looking dangerous for Hibs, and with six minutes to go until the break, she latched onto Rachel McLauchlan’s through ball but saw her volley blocked by Jo Love at full stretch.

Scott Booth must have ripped into his team at the break, because they came out looking like a different side in the second half. On 53 minutes, Megan Foley sent an inviting ball across the box that was missed by everyone until it was picked up by Lidija Kuliš at the back post. The Bosnian rifled a shot off the post with City looking dangerous. Four minutes later, City worked a short corner into the box and Kerr forced a great save from Fife. Howat put her head onto the rebound, and somehow managed to put the ball past the post when it looked easier to score. The game became a dogged midfield battle, and with 70 minutes played, City slipped up and allowed Harrison in. The striker rounded Alexander, but Ross had enough time to recover and put in an excellent saving tackle.

Just a minute later, City broke and Kuliš sent an excellent looking ball into the box, that was snatched off the head of Howat by Fife. As the game approached the last ten minutes, Jamie-Lee Napier, on as a substitute, very nearly got onto the end of an initially hopeful looking long ball. Hibs kept up the pressure, and with 80 minutes gone, Robertson found herself in the middle of a goalmouth scramble, but couldn’t quite get the final touch before City cleared.

It was a frantic last ten minutes, and Hibs looked like they’d put the game to bed in the 82nd minute. Brownlie’s corner sailed to the back post, and captain Joelle Murray ghosted in and slammed the ball past Alexander to make it 2-0. City broke straight up the pitch though, and Hayley Lauder got on the end of Leanne Crichton’s long ball, but could only aim her shot straight at Fife. City were given a glimmer with four minutes remaining, when Siobhan Hunter swung wildly at a harmless looking long ball from the City midfield and sliced the ball into her own net. City pushed for an equaliser, but Hannah Stewart’s injury time shot that was saved routinely by Fife was as close as they came. Hibs deservedly into the final in a spicy game.

The Pies

I had been going on about how good Stirling Albion’s steak pies were to Kaitlin for some time in the run up to this game today. Thankfully, they lived up to the hype, being crammed full of large chunks of meat and lashings of thick gravy. Well worth the £2.50, and a bloody good lunch at the game.

Admission: £5
Programme: Free online
Pie: £2 (scotch), £2.50 (steak)
Bovril: £1.50
Attendance: 600 (approx)

Renfrew v Glasgow City

Renfrew Ladies 0-11 Glasgow City
Scottish Women’s Cup Quarter Final
New Western Park
Sunday 16th September 2018

The Scottish Women’s Cup reaches the quarter final stage this weekend, and with several non-top flight teams left in the competition, there’s potential for some surprise semi-finalists. It looks unlikely to happen here as third tier Renfrew host 11 in a row champions Glasgow City, but stranger things have happened in football.

The Venue

I’ll refer back to this post for details on New Western Park, while mentioning what an excellent experience was put on today. It’s a fantastic venue, and the club went all out for the occasion.

The Teams

I saw Renfrew back at the start of the season when they were heavily beaten by Cumbernauld Colts. Since then they have gone onto have a pretty good season and sit in fifth place in SWFL Division One South. With development teams taking up the top two places in the division, there is potential for the club to win promotion with a strong end to the season.

Renfrew’s route to the quarter finals started with a thumping 13-0 win over Bonnyrigg Rose in the preliminary round, followed by a 3-2 win over United Glasgow in Round One. Their second round game saw them travel to Aberdeen, where they prevailed 12-0 over Dee Ladies, and they reached the quarters with a tight 2-1 win over Edinburgh Caledonian.

Since I last saw Glasgow City, they have beaten Stirling University to stay top of SWPL1, and this past midweek travelled to Cyprus to play Somatio Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 32. An excellent 2-0 win has put them in pole position to qualify for the last 16. They have defeated fellow SWPL1 sides Forfar Farmington 3-0, and Stirling University 5-0 to reach the quarter finals.

The Game

There may be two divisions between these two sides, but for the opening twenty minutes the gulf in class wasn’t as apparent as could have been expected. Renfrew were well organised defensively and were frustrating the eleven in a row Scottish champions. Lara Ivanuša and Jordan McLintock were linking up well on the left hand side, but Renfrew’s defence were coping well. The home side lost influential midfielder Emma Baird to injury after twenty minutes, and it seemed to knock them off their game plan as City started to find their feet.

With 25 minutes gone, Hayley Lauder played a lovely ball down the line to Ivanuša who cut inside and knocked the ball back to the advancing Lauder. Lauder’s shot took a deflection that took it past Sam McQuillan for the opening goal. From this point it was pretty much one way traffic, and Ivanuša had another chance two minutes later, but could only hit the side netting with a shot following a good run. Two minutes later, Kirsty Howat controlled the ball well just inside the box and forced McQuillan into a good save with a shot on the turn.

With half an hour played, City doubled their lead. Leanne Ross played a short corner routine with Lauder and Lauder’s cross was met by the head of Lidija Kuliš, who had been left unmarked in the centre of the box. The Bosnian’s first City goal was quickly followed by her second when she came off the front post to meet Ross’ corner to make it 3-0 with 33 minutes played. With 38 minutes on the clock, Hannah Stewart found space on the right wing and sent a low cross into the box. Lauder stepped onto the cross and side footed the ball into the back of the net for her second of the afternoon.

With three minutes remaining until half time, City hit their fifth. Kuliš played a ball forward from midfield that was met by a truly wonderful flick from Lauder. The flick found it’s way to Howat, who slipped the ball past McQuillan. City should have been further ahead by the break, but some wasteful finishing coupled with some excellent goalkeeping kept the score at 5 at half time.

It took just three minutes of the second half for City to extend their lead. Murron Cunningham played the ball back to McLintock around 30 yards out, and the former Hamilton player unleashed a spectacular high curling effort into the top corner of the net. It was a goal of real quality and five minutes later, it was followed up by quality of a different kind. City strung together almost twenty passes before Ivanuša hit the byeline and sent a ball across the goal. With almost too much time on her hands, Stewart bobbled the ball over the line from two yards out. With 57 minutes gone, Stewart had her second in almost identical circumstances. Ivanuša again beat several players down the left hand side and sent another low cross into Stewart who simply had to tap the ball in to make it 8-0.

With an hour gone, City were awarded a penalty when Howat got a push in the back from Kirsty McGunnigle while facing away from goal. It was a fairly soft award, but Renfrew’s pain was kept down when Ross’ penalty was saved well by substitute goalkeeper Lindsay Crawford. Ivanuša was continuing to cause Renfrew all sorts of problems and with 62 minutes played she skated by two defenders before cutting in and forcing Crawford to make a really smart save.

Ivanuša finally got her goal with 70 minutes gone when a defensive error from Eilidh McDonald allowed the Slovenian to slide the ball in to make it 9-0. The goal was no more than Ivanuša deserved for a fine performance on the left wing. She nearly had a second just a couple of minutes later when she was played in by Cunningham, but Crawford did very well to tip her shot off the bar and over. City reached double figures on 73 minutes when Megan Foley danced her way down the right and cut the ball back to Howat who squeezed her shot just inside the post.

With 76 minutes gone, Ivanuša once again found herself in space on the left following an excellent through ball from Sam Kerr. Ivanuša cut the ball back into the box and it was met by Jo Love who side footed City’s eleventh into the back of the net. City had chances to add to their lead, but it stayed at eleven, and despite the resounding scoreline, Renfrew can be proud of their performance against a team that contained several current international players. All eyes will now be on the semi-final draw, as City will find out who of Hibs, Spartans and Motherwell they will play in Stirling on October 14th.

The Pies

Renfrew’s snack bar offers a really good menu, and we both plumped for a cheeseburger today, which really hit the spot. It’s nice to see a club at this level giving punters a choice, and every time I’ve been here they’re always doing a roaring trade.

Admission: £3
Programme: £1
Pie: £1.50 (cheeseburger £2.50)
Bovril: £1
Attendance: 153

Cumbernauld Colts v Arniston Rangers

Cumbernauld Colts 4-0 Arniston Rangers
SFA South Region Challenge Cup Second Round
Broadwood Stadium
Friday 14th September 2018

It’s a break from league action tonight for these two clubs as they begin their battle for the biggest senior non-league cup in the Lowland region. Clyde are at home tomorrow, so this game has handily been switched to Friday night, which is good news, as you all know how much I enjoy a Friday night game.

The Ground

I’ve spoken a fair bit about Broadwood recently, so won’t go into any more detail today. Other than mention the new addition to the stand behind the goal, a wooden/metal fox designed to stop birds from roosting on the roof. As you can see from the picture, it works wonderfully.

The Competition

It’s a brand new section here, which will be used from time to time going forward when I’m talking about a competition that is new to the blog. I’ve thought back, and I could definitely have utilised it previously, but I’ve never actually thought of it before today.

The SFA South Region Challenge Cup (usually referred to simply as the South Challenge Cup) came into being in 2007, effectively replacing the Scottish Qualifying Cup (South) when the SFA restructured the Scottish Cup to allow direct entry to full members. It has been played out between all senior non-league teams in the Lowland region since it’s inception, with finals being played at a variety of neutral venues. Spartans are the most successful team in the cup’s history, having won it on three occasions. Whitehill Welfare and East Kilbride have each won the cup twice. Teams play for the impressive trophy pictured above, which I am holding following Whitehill’s win over Dalbeattie Star at Annan in 2013.

The cup has expanded in size almost every year, and this season, with the influx of new teams in the East of Scotland League, it has grown to include 69 teams. An abridged first round saw five ties, to bring us to the second round of 64 teams this weekend. Teams are drawn from the Lowland League, East of Scotland League and South of Scotland League, with amateurs Glasgow University also entering. Civil Service Strollers are the current holders. The parallel version in the North Region was scrapped after just two editions in 2009. Edinburgh United produced the absolutely wonderful programme cover above for their first match in the competition, featuring all 69 teams in this year’s cup.

The Teams

I’ve seen Cumbernauld Colts a couple of times already this season and they have actually only played once since I last saw them against Spartans, with their match last weekend being postponed due to East Kilbride’s participation in the Irn Bru Cup, and their previous match being scheduled against Selkirk, who folded and resigned from the Lowland League. The one match they have played was a 3-2 win in Annan against Edusport. They currently sit 6th in the Lowland League table.

Arniston Rangers are based in the Midlothian former mining village of Gorebridge. They were formed in 1878 and named for the local Arniston Colliery – one of many Midlothian teams to be named after the nearby mines – and the village of Arniston, very close to Gorebridge itself. Until this summer they were a junior side, who had a fair amount of success in the twentieth century, including seven East of Scotland Cup triumphs, and winning the East Region twice in the early 1970s. More recently, they struggled near the bottom of the East Region, with only fleeting limited success.

This past summer they were one of the influx of junior sides who moved to the East of Scotland League. Their move was one of the last to be confirmed, and came after every other junior club in Midlothian had already indicated their intention to go senior. Life as a senior side began poorly as they finished bottom of their Qualifying League section, with just one point (a draw away to Hawick Royal Albert) and heavy home defeats to Tranent and Blackburn United. Since league games begun, they have fared better, and sit in eighth place in Conference A, with two wins and three defeats. They have played the most games of anyone in their conference. Their current manager is Ryan Bissett.

The Game

It was fairly obvious right from that start that Colts were the better team, but they were near constantly frustrated throughout the first half by poor final balls and lacklustre finishing. With five minutes gone, Scott Davidson broke from the back and beat several Arniston defenders before shooting wide of the post. Ten minutes later, a superb run down the right hand side from Callum MacDonald, making his debut on loan from Stirling Albion, saw a wonderful cross put straight across the six yard box. It was crying out to be knocked in by someone, but Paul Nash couldn’t quite get on the end of it.

With 28 minutes played, Michael Wallace got himself in a good shooting position around 25 yards out and stung the palms of Darren McBey, who managed to turn the ball away for a corner. Five minutes later, MacDonald one again broke free on the right and played in Wallace, who really should have done better than screwing his shot harmlessly wide. It was all Colts at this point and on 35 minutes, Pedram Ardalany – back in Scotland after a spell in Japan, Korea and at home in his native Iran – fired a long distance strike only just past the post.

As half time approached, Colts stepped up their game further, but a spell of really good football between Wallace and Stephen O’Neil ended with O’Neil’s cross failing to be converted. Just before the half time whistle, O’Neil again caused problems when he forced McBey into a good save, before turning provider with a cross that was met by the head of Davidson before being held well by McBey. 0-0 at half time, with Colts well on top but being frustrated by their own wastefulness.

It looked like it was going to be more of the same for Colts in the second half, when Craig Henderson’s corner with 48 minutes gone was headed by Davidson and held easily by McBey, but they did finally get the breakthrough just two minutes later. Arniston failed to clear an attack properly and were punished when the ball broke to MacDonald, who slammed the ball into the net from a tight angle. Just before the hour, Nash just failed to get his head on O’Neil’s cross, and Jordan Marshall struck just wide from distance after Arniston could only half clear the danger.

Colts pressure was looking like it could pay off, and with 62 minutes gone, Henderson was unlucky to strike the bar with a 25 yard free kick. Three minutes later, it was 2-0, when O’Neil swung a wonderful free kick into the top corner after Adalani had been fouled around 30 yards out. It was a moment of real quality, but things went from the sublime to the ridiculous almost straight from the kick off. Arniston made a complete mess of things trying to play it out from the back and allowed Henderson to pounce. He sent what looked to be a harmless ball into the box, but it bounced off Dean Boyne, and that touch somehow managed to take the ball past McBey. It was full on comedy own goal territory, and to be honest, just about summed up Arniston’s night.

Colts were enjoying their football now, and with 72 minutes played, substitute Craig Holmes broke in the midfield and played O’Neil through. O’Neil took the ball wide and sent in a cross that was met by Fraser Team – also on as a substitute – who fired just over. Team made amends for that miss two minutes later when he got on the end of Henderson’s cross and smashed a cool finish at the near post in off the post to make it 4-0. Arniston pushed for a consolation goal as time ran out and came close with four minutes to go. Captain Paul Power – just minutes after being involved in some handbags – dispossessed Greg Pascazio and cut the ball back to Kyle Houldcroft-Doig. His shot was saved well by Andy Wilson in the Colts goal, and the game ended without any further incident. The gulf in class between the two sides was evident, but Arniston never gave up, and despite being second best, can be pleased with the way they handled themselves.

The Pies

I didn’t bother with a pie tonight, but did get a Bovril at half time. It was 8 degrees, which meant that it felt a damn sight colder than even that at Broadwood, and the Bovril definitely helped keep me warm for the second half!

Admission: £6
Programme: £2
Pie: £2
Bovril: £1.50
Attendance: 73

Dumbarton v Montrose

Dumbarton 0-1 Montrose
Irn Bru Cup Round 2
The C&G Systems Stadium
Saturday 8th September 2018

International break weekend once again brings round the second round of the Challenge Cup. The Welsh, Northern Irish, Irish and newly invited fifth tier English sides enter at this stage, but unlike last year, Dumbarton avoided the foreigners and today play Montrose, coincidentally also next weekend’s league opponents.

The Ground

Having visited the C&G Systems Stadium just a matter of weeks ago, I’ve not really got any further details to go into today.

The Teams

Since I saw Dumbarton knock out an experimental Morton side out of this competition, their league form has taken a major turn for the worse. A 1-1 home draw with Arbroath has been the highlight of their recent fixtures, with away defeats to Brechin City and Stenhousemuir following. Former Portland Timbers, Houston Dynamo and Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Spencer has joined the club after impressing as a trialist, and the squad has also been boosted by the loan signings of Scott Allardice from Dundee United and Jack Aitchison from Celtic. Both of the youngsters are cup tied however, and will not play today.

Montrose, based at Links Park in the Angus town, were formed in 1879 and were first elected to the SFL in 1923. They have perennially been a lower league club, with their most successful period being in the mid 1970s-80s when they were a somewhat regular fixture in the second tier and reached the League Cup semi-finals in 1975-76. The club won their first league championship in the 1984-85 season when they won the third tier Second Division. The club have spent most of the past 30 years in the fourth tier, and actually finished bottom of the SPFL as recently as the 2014-15 season, where they maintained their league status with a 3-2 aggregate win over Highland League Champions Brora Rangers in the SPFL Relegation Play-off. The club’s fortunes were turned round last season, when they won only their second ever league title, pipping Peterhead to the League Two championship on the last day to win the league and gain promotion to League One.

Under the stewardship of former Dunfermline legend Stewart Petrie, who has been in charge since 2016, Montrose have started life in League One relatively well. After being thrashed on opening day by local rivals Arbroath, they picked up back to back wins over Airdrie and Brechin, but have lost their last two games away to Sranraer and at home to East Fife. They reached the second round of this competition with a penalty shoot out win over Highland League champions Cover Rangers after a 2-2 draw.

The Game

I usually take notes during games I’m at in order to facilitate a match report, but sometimes the notion just doesn’t take, and I instead simply watch the game and try to enjoy it. Today was one of those games, although it was definitely more frustrating than enjoyable.

It was a first half low on quality, with two struggling sides failing to do much with the ball. Some catastrophic defending from Dumbarton with sixteen minutes played allowed Craig Johnston a free header from Danny Cavanagh’s cross and Grant Adam in the Dumbarton goal was helpless to stop the visitors from going ahead. Neither side really carved out another clear cut opportunity, although Bobby Barr did his best to set up his strikers Calum Gallagher and Rory Loy.

Loy had a golden chance to equalise less than a minute into the second half, but his powder puff effort from Cammy Ballantyne’s through ball was as disappointing as it was inept. Ross Forbes did manage to come close for the Sons when a speculative shot on the turn from close to 30 yards out cannoned back off the post.

Dumbarton pushed for an equaliser in the last ten minutes, and only a superb last ditch tackle from Michael Bolochoweckyj prevented Iain Russell from tapping home. Andy Little hit the top of the bar with a header from the resulting corner, and then got himself in the book for a ridiculous dive in the box a couple of minutes later. Montrose then kept hold of the ball to see out the victory. I can’t help but think if Dumbarton had shown the same urgency throughout that they showed in the last ten minutes that the result could have been different.

The Pies

The steak pies were on point today, as was the pint I enjoyed in the bar pre-match since we had arrived early. The catering outshone the football today.

Admission: £10
Programme: £2.50
Pie: £1.90 – £2.60
Bovril: £2
Attendance: 456

Glasgow City v Stirling University

Glasgow City 5-0 Stirling University Women
Scottish Women’s Cup Third Round
Whitehill Secondary School
Wednesday 22nd August 2018

This game was originally scheduled to be played ten days ago along with the rest of the third round ties, but due to City’s participation in the Champions League qualifiers, it was rescheduled for tonight. The sole remaining non SWPL side in the competition, Renfrew of SWFL Division One South will host the winners in the quarter finals.

The Venue

Whitehill Secondary School is a high school in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow’s east end. It currently has a roll of around 450 students and is possibly the strangest venue I’ve ever seen a Scottish Cup match played. Petershill was unavailable for this rescheduled tie, and from what I understand, Glasgow City had a bit of a hard time finding a suitable venue. So to Whitehill, and it’s 3G cage. And that’s about all that there is to say about it. This is a standard 3G pitch, with the requisite green cage, and no amenities. The entire crowd spent the first half watching from outside the cage, but around half ventured inside for the second half, mostly leaning against the cage as far away from the pitch as they could.

The pitch did look in fantastic condition, and I’ve never really felt that the cages are too much of a detriment to watching a game, so I found it perfectly adequate – especially given that no entrance fee was charged. Although I say it was adequate, I do mean as a one off in exceptional circumstances, and I don’t want to see the women’s game at the top level ending up going down this route more often. Interestingly, the school does have some football pedigree, with current Scotland international James McArthur counted among it’s former pupils, along with comedy legends Ricki Fulton and Still Game’s Ford Kiernan.

The Teams

As I literally saw City three days ago, there’s not a lot extra to say about them here. The 6-0 win on Sunday took City back to the top of SWPL1 on goal difference as their back and forth battle for the title with Hibs continues. They reached the third round stage of the cup with a 3-0 win away to Forfar Farmington. Jenna Clark is cup tied, having played with Rangers in the second round, and misses out as a result.

Stirling University reached the last 16 with a 4-1 win over SWPL2 side FC Kilmarnock in a “home” game played at Little Kerse in Grangemouth (apparantly ties in this competition are frequently moved from teams’ regular home grounds). They currently sit in sixth place in the SWPL1 table, ahving had a rough season so far. Head coach Barry Rodgers strengthened his side over the summer by signing Abby Callaghan from Celtic, Naomi Welch from SWPL2 side Central Girls, and American Kendra Bonsall from NCAA Division I side Cal Poly Mustangs.

The Game

Stirling started the game on the front foot and had three very decent chances inside the first five minutes. With just around 90 seconds gone, a cross from Kendra Bonsall was met by the head of Naomi Welch, and the striker really should have done better than turning her effort harmlessly over the bar. Two minutes later, a mix up in the City defence almost allowed Welch in again, but Megan Foley got over quickly to cover and clear the danger away. Stirling’s early pressure didn’t subside though, and with five minutes on the clock, Bonsall latched onto a through ball and forced a smart save from Erin Clachers in the City goal, when she narrowed the angle well.

Stirling continued to press without really troubling the City defence, and it took a while for the home side to get a grip on the game. With fifteen minutes gone, Nicola Docherty broke on the left wing and sent a teasing cross into the box. Leanne Crichton got the deftest of flicks on the ball and saw it cannon back off the post to the relief of Chloe Logan in the Stirling goal. Docherty was again looking sharp, and with 23 minutes played, it was her ball again that gave Abbi Grant a chance from the angle of the box. Grant controlled the ball well, but could only fire her shot into the arms of Logan.

Three minutes later, City had another chance when Kirsty Howat picked the ball up at the edge of the box, but couldn’t get enough purchase on her shot to cause any damage. The deadlock was broken as the game reached the half hour. A pinpoint long ball from Jo Love found Grant near the edge of the Stirling box, who carried it forward and sent an excellent shot under the despairing Logan into the back of the net. City almost doubled their lead three minutes later, when Docherty’s inswinging corner was met by Carly Girasoli. The teenager’s powerful header was saved spectacularly at pint blank range by Logan, keeping the score 1-0.

With half time approaching, both sides had chances to change the tide of the game. With 39 minutes gone, a fantastic run from Jordan McLintock saw a superb cross met by the head of Hannah Stewart, who really should have doubled City’s lead but headed the ball straight at Logan. And with just two minutes until the break, Stirling were awarded a bizarre free kick 25 yards out when Sam Kerr was penalised even though it appeared that two Stirling players had run into each other in her general vicinity. Lisa Sutherland stepped up and rattled the bar with the free kick. City scrambled the ball clear and it remained 1-0 at half time.

City came out all guns blazing in the second half and very nearly doubled their lead just seconds from the restart. Grant did well to beat two Stirling defenders on the right hand side and played in Stewart. Her shot across the goal came back off the post into the path of Kerr, who bundled the ball over the line, but had strayed into an offside position from the initial shot. City did score again though just five minutes later. Howat found Jordan McLintock just inside the box, and the former Hamilton midfielder held off the challenge of Lauren Eadie before turning and firing an unstoppable drive past Logan and in off the post. City were flying, and it was 3-0 just two minutes later. Docherty found Howat midway between the halfway line and penalty box, and City’s number 9 danced past two Stirling defenders before unleashing a fantastic strike past Logan into the net.

Welch did manage to break forward for Stirling with 63 minutes played, but Foley delt well with the danger as she entered the box. A minute later, the game was out of sight. Docherty found space on the left and played the ball into Howat, who turned and struck the ball beautifully past Logan into the bottom corner. With 69 minutes gone, it was Docherty causing problems for Stirling again when her tenacious play near the corner flag led to McLintock’s cross being knocked just over the bar by Grant.

City were enjoying themselves and made it 5-0 with 8- minutes gone. Docherty’s corner was half cleared by Gemma Mason, and picked up at the edge of the box by Grant, who turned sharply and knocked the net off it’s fixings with the power of her shot, her 20th goal of the season in all competitions. City had further chances to score in the last ten minutes, but despite near constant pressure couldn’t find another way through. Nevertheless, it was another dominating performance, and the 5-0 final score did not flatter them in the slightest.

The Pies

This is a high school after hours, so unsurprisingly there was no food this evening.

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 55 (approx)

Dumbarton v Morton

Dumbarton 2-1 Greenock Morton
Irn Bru Cup Round 1
The C&G Systems Stadium
Tuesday 14th August 2019

The Challenge Cup usually means reduced prices, and this early season midweek fixture is a long-term favourite of mine. Tonight saw a local rivalry re-ignited with the hosts looking for a repeat of last year’s memorable run to the final of this competition.

The Venue

The C&G Systems Stadium has undergone a multitude of sponsored names since opening in 2000, when it replaced the crumbling Boghead as the home of Dumbarton. Originally known as the Strathclyde Homes Stadium, it has also been named Dumbarton Football Stadium Sponsored By DL Cameron, The Bet Butler Stadium, The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium and The YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium before local railway firm C&G Systems took over naming rights in May this year. The ground is also colloquially known as “The Rock” locally, due to the location of the stadium, which sits under Dumbarton Castle and Dumbarton Rock. The stadium consists of one large all seated stand running down one side of the ground with a capacity of 2,020.

The ground has come in for criticism due to only having one side, but offers excellent, unobstructed views from pretty much every seat. The stadium building also houses two large supporters’ bars and a substantial function suite which is available for public hire. Dumbarton have been looking at moving from the ground, but with the most recent set of plans having been rejected, any potential move seems to be on hold.

The Teams

Dumbarton are a team who I have spoken about on a few occasions on this blog already, and there’s no need to go into any more historical details on them. Since I last saw them, they have also added former Aberdeen forward Michael Paton and former Rangers utility man Andy Little, as well as goalkeeper Jamie McGowan to the squad. The club are operating with a very small pool of just seventeen players this season.

Dumbarton’s League 1 campaign started well with a 2-0 win at East Fife but stumbled with a 2-0 defeat at home to Forfar at the weekend.

Morton (who added the Greenock prefix to their name in 1994, although it’s rarely used in practice any more) were formed in 1874, and were founder members of the Scottish Football League Division Two in 1893. They play at Cappielow Park in Greenock, and the Morton name is believed to come from Morton Terrace, a street where many of their original players lived. The club’s finest hour was winning the 1921-22 Scottish Cup, when they defeated Rangers 1-0 in front of 70,000 at Hampden. Their best league finish was a second place in the 1916-17 season. Morton last played in the top flight of Scottish football in 1988, and have flitted mainly between then second and third tiers since, with one season in the fourth tier in 2002-03, when they won the league by one point from East Fife.

Former Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon took over at the end of last season. Their Championship season has started strongly with a 2-2 opening day draw with Queen of the South followed by a 2-0 win away to Alloa on Saturday. They are expected to rotate the squad for tonight’s game, with a heavy emphasis on youth players getting some first team experience.

The Game

Dumbarton started the game slowly, and with seven minutes gone, the first real chance fell to the visitors. A corner from Connor Bell was met by Robert Thomson, but his header was held easily by Grant Adam. Two minutes later, Bobby Barr found space on the left wing and sent a cross into the box. Iain Russell got on the end of it, but could only head over. With twelve minutes played though, the home side did have the lead. A shot from Stuart Carswell was blocked to Barr, who found Russell in the box again. His shot was saved superbly by Derek Gaston but the rebound was rattled into the back of the net by Michael Paton, to the delight of the home support.

Morton attempted to get themselves back into the game, and with 15 minutes on the clock, Bell sent a cross into the box, but Thomson’s header was again saved by Adam. With a little more than 20 minutes played, Paton beat a man on the right at sent an excellent cross towards the far post. Ryan Thomson launched himself at the ball and forced Gaston to make a save.

Barr was causing all sorts of problems for his former employers and with 26 minutes gone he was heavily involved as Dumbarton doubled their lead. Barr and Carswell linked well, with Barr’s pass finding Russell in the box. The veteran striker finished tidily to put the home side 2-0 up. It was almost three just after the half hour mark, when Ryan Thomson’s cross was cut out by Jack Iredale, who must have been grateful to see the ball safely fall into Gaston’s hands. Dumbarton were well on top, but a defensive lapse five minutes rom the break allowed the visitors back into the game. Darren Hynes found Gary Oliver on the edge of the box, and Oliver’s low strike nestled just inside the near post. Morton a little fortunate to only be one goal behind at half time.

Five minutes into the second half saw the home side get the first chance, but Andy Dowie’s header from Paton’s corner was straight at Gaston. Seven minutes later it was Morton’s turn for a chance, when Bell’s cross was volleyed on the turn by Oliver. His technique was excellent, but the shot was straight at Adam, who held on.

As the midway part of the second half arrived, Morton started to apply serious pressure, putting Dumbarton’s lead under real threat. A long distance strike from Iredale was gathered at the second attempt by Adam, and a minute later a cross from substitute Ross MacLean flew across the face of the goal with no-one able to turn it into the net. With 70 minutes gone, a free kick from MacLean was well saved, and just three minutes later, the same man again struck the post from a tight angle after Dumbarton failed to properly clear.

A major talking point in the second half was the performance of the officials. Referee Gavin Ross showed a frustrating lack of consistency throughout, and awarded some extremely questionable free kicks, especially in favour of the visitors (although this admittedly may be slight bias, some of the free kicks he gave against Morton may also have been dubious, I wouldn’t be surprised given his performance.) But it was also the apparent lack of understanding of the rules from both assistants that caught my eye. I’m not sure which assistant was on which side, but within minutes of each other, David Roome and George King had between them managed to award free kicks for offside. One was direct from a throw in, and one was for a pass that appeared to travel backwards. Such basic mistakes really shouldn’t be happening at this level. The officiating was pretty awful all night, and I feel it’s something that the SFA should really be addressing.

Morton continued to press into the closing stages, but outwith free kicks from MacLean never really threatened. Adam was forced into a couple of good saves, and hearts were in mouths in stoppage time when a long free kick into the box from MacLean saw a good old fashioned goalmouth scramble ensue. Dumbarton eventually hoofed the ball clear and took their victory when the final whistle went just seconds later. A highly entertaining and competitive cup tie, and well worth a midweek evening out.

The Pies

Dumbarton’s match day catering is handled by a contractor, which does mean that it can get a little pricy, but also usually means that the quality is pretty high. Tonight, Kaitlin and myself both got a pie and a drink, and did manage to come away with change from a tenner, which isn’t really too bad in the grand scheme of things. As is the usual, I had the steak pie, which was pretty excellent. Nice and flaky on top, a good heavy gravy, and most importantly it held it’s shape and didn’t fall apart on me. Kaitlin had her standard macaroni pie and couldn’t really have had many better things to say about it. Plus the Bovril was properly mixed. It was a good night for the catering team.

Admission: £10
Programme: £2.50
Pie: £1.90 – £2.60
Bovril: £2
Attendance: 680 (I’m not 100% sure if this included the under 12s who were admitted for free)

 

Vale of Leven v Vale of Clyde

Vale of Leven 2-1 Vale of Clyde
SJFA West Region Sectional League Cup Group 9
Millburn Park
Wednesday 1st August 2018

The American adventure has concluded with a heavy heart and a new appreciation for baseball, and it’s back to the normality of every day life once again. Thankfully, the Scottish football season seems to be starting earlier and earlier each year and I can dive right back into domestic action with the last game of this season’s SJFA West Region Sectional League Cup group stage.

The Venue

I’ve talked about Millburn before way back in the early days of this blog. Being by some way the closest club to my house, it’s somewhere I visited on a regular basis last season, and plan to continue to visit regularly this year. The Vale committee have done a wonderful job here over the last year, and the place has been freshened up considerably. It’s incredible what a lick of paint and some TLC can do to an old place like this, and it’s a venue most teams must now look forward to visiting.

A notable addition to the ground since the last time I was here is that the large grassed area behind the goal at the pavilion end has been marked out for the newly established and already very popular Walking football team associated with the club. It’s a fantastic use for this piece of land and an addition I’m really happy to see.

The Teams

The Sectional League Cup has been revamped this season, with teams assigned into fifteen sections of four teams and one section of three. The same sections will be kept for next season with the fixtures reversed before being redrawn for the following year. The sixteen group winners will proceed to a straight knockout cup to determine the overall winner. In the event of a draw in a group match, a penalty shoot out is played, with the winner receiving a bonus point.

Vale of Leven have had their full history written up on here before, and given that I will see them multiple times this coming season, I’ll got into some historical titbits in the future and talk about the current side. The club have retained the services of most of last season’s squad, although notably, club captain Kenny Wilson has moved on. Several players have been brought in, including Ross Lyden from Clydebank, goalkeeper Ben Fulton and forward Scott Gallagher. Several players have also stepped up from the highly successful under 21 side with Mark Meechan, Robbie Dolan and Anthony Pilkington all making the step up. The season has seen a rough start with two losses in the Sectional, 3-1 at home to Yoker Athletic and 3-0 away to Clydebank. They will be looking to finish strong tonight ahead of the new League Two campaign.

Vale of Clyde, based in the Tollcross region of Glasgow have been around since 1873 and call Fullerton Park their home. They were one of the most successful teams in the early days of junior football winning the Scottish Junior Cup three times in the 1890–91, 1892–93 and 1903–04 seasons. In more recent years they have flitted around the lower divisions, but did win promotion to the Superleague First Division with a Central District Division One title in 2005.

Mark McKay was appointed as the club’s new manager for the 2018-19 season and he has assembled an almost entirely new squad, retaining just a few key players from last season’s mid-table side. They started the Sectional campaign with a 2-0 defeat away to Clydebank, before a fine 4-0 victory over Yoker on Monday night. They go into tonight’s game knowing that a victory could see them top the section depending on Clydebank’s result against Yoker.

The Game

The torrent of rain over the last few days that followed our long, dry spell rendered the usually flawless Millburn pitch unusually both heavy and slippery and both sides struggled with the conditions – which got progressively worse as the evening proceeded. It took until the sixteenth minute for the first real danger to present itself at either end. Vale of Leven picked the ball up deep inside their own half and played a serious of excellent passes that eventually released Ben Craig down the right wing. His cross fizzed across the box and was met at the back post by Robbie Dolan, who forced Vale of Clyde’s keeper Chanda Sula into a good, point blank stop.

The chance kickstarted a flurry of activity that saw the home side take the lead two minutes later. Some more good movement down the right hand side saw Craig’s cross only half cleared. The ball fell to Mark Butler twenty-five yards from goal and his strike took a big deflection to take it past Sula for the opening goal. The visitors were only behind for a matter of seconds however, as almost straight from the restart they marched down their own right wing and Chris Kennedy’s cross was met by the head of Cameron Wilson, who steered the ball past Ben Fulton in the Vale of Leven goal for the equaliser. Wilson almost put his side ahead just three minutes later when he got the break of the ball at the angle of the box and shot just inches over the bar.

Just before the half hour, Vale of Leven found more joy down the right through Craig, whose cross was spilled by Sula to the feet of Dolan. It was a fantastic chance to retake the lead, but the winger saw his shot cleared off the line by a spectacular lunge from Kevin Turner. Five minutes later, full back Adam Monaghan’s free kick from just inside the Vale of Clyde half was flapped at by Sula, but Dolan fired the rebound over the bar. With half time approaching, the home side were having the bulk of the chances, and a fine 1-2 between Craig and David McNaught looked promising until a scuffed shot. Vale of Clyde looked menacing going forward but were lacking a cutting edge and failed to work Fulton on several occasions. Unbelievably, the home side had another shot cleared off the line by Turner before the break, when Scott Gallagher – on as a substitute for the injured Anthony Pilkington – snapped off a shot after a poor clearance. It was a breathless end to the half, but the sides went in level.

The second half began much in the same vein as the first, with neither side settling immediately. With 52 minutes played, a slack pass in the Vale of Leven midfield allowed Mark Little a clear run at goal. His initial shot was straight at Fulton, but the keeper failed to hold on and gave the striker another bite at the cherry, which he really should have done better with. Three minutes later, the home side has a gilt edged chance when Butler’s shot was saved well by Sula but only into the path of Gallagher, but the new signing couldn’t hit the target with his effort.

It took until the 68th minute for any more real action, and it saw the home side retake the lead. Craig Cowan floated in a harmless looking free kick from inside his own area, but the slippery ball was spilled by Sula. A Vale of Leven trialist (who I didn’t catch the name of) slid in to knock the ball into the net. Once again though, Vale of Clyde stormed straight up the pitch and were handed a golden chance to draw level for a second time. Little’s run into the box was halted when he was upended by Stuart Bryson and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Little picked himself up to take the penalty, but his powerful strike came back off the bar to retain the home side’s advantage.

The game was turned on it’s head with 72 minutes played when a long ball over the top saw two Vale of Clyde players bearing down on goal. Fulton rushed out of his box to block the ball, but used his hands and was shown a red card by the referee. With all three substitutes used (and no sub keeper that I could see on the bench anyway) forward Ryan Kerr, who was only just on as a substitute, took over in goals for the home side. Vale of Leven did an excellent job of protecting Kerr, and largely managed to keep Vale of Clyde at bay even with a man down.

With seven minutes remaining, Kerr’s inexperience in goal showed when he spilled a fairly routine shot at the feet of Little. He recovered superbly though to make an excellent save from the Vale of Clyde striker’s follow up, and the danger was cleared. The visitors were throwing everything they could at the hosts in order to equalise, but Vale of Leven’s defence held resolute.

As the game entered stoppage time, Dolan broke free down the left and beat several Vale of Clyde players before being brought down in the box. With the opportunity to seal the win, Cowan stepped up but saw his penalty saved by Chula. With six minutes of stoppage time to be played, it set up a nervy finish, but the home side held on to pick up three points and finish the campaign on a high note in a highly entertaining game.

The Pies

I assume the club predicted that a second midweek fixture of the week, coupled with the poor weather and Celtic’s Champions League qualifier on the TV would result in a low crowd, so the pie hut wasn’t open tonight. Thankfully I had also predicted this and ate before I headed along to the game!

Admission: £5
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 31

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)

Dumbarton United v Dee Ladies

Dumbarton United Ladies 3-4 Dee Ladies
Scottish Women’s Cup First Round
East End Park
Sunday 27th May 2018

After a preliminary round last month to thin the field down to the desired numbers, this season’s Scottish Women’s Cup (sponsored for the third year by SSE) gets fully underway this afternoon. The sides from SWFL1 and 2 who received byes join the preliminary round winners in sixteen ties up and down the country.

The Venue

Dumbarton’s East End Park was the venue for the first game I blogged about on Pies on the Terraces, and therefore doesn’t really need any further introductions. I’ve watched games here in all weather conditions, and it really makes a difference when the sun is shining like today. It’s a fine place to watch football when the sun is out.

The Teams

I went into a lot less detail when talking about teams when I started this blog than I do now, but I still covered the salient points on Dumbarton United’s history in that previously mentioned initial post. The team have had a mixed bag of results so far this season since I saw them winning on opening day. They have twelve points from their eight games in SWFL2 West, with four wins and four losses. One of the “losses” however came in controversial circumstances when Kilmarnock 23s were awarded a 3-0 win due to Dumbarton being unable to field a team. The initial game was postponed due to the snow, and several Dumbarton players had made alternative arrangements for the rearranged date, having been previously told that it was a free weekend. United received a bye and didn’t play a preliminary round tie.

Aberdeen based Dee Ladies appear to have been formed in 2013 and currently play their trade in SWFL Division One North. They’ve had a rough start to the season and sit eighth of twelve with seven points from eight games played. A 3-0 win over second in the table East Fife last week will have given the side confidence going into their trip south today. Dee also received a bye and did not play in the preliminary round.

The Game

It was an absolutely rapid start to the the game and I wasn’t even inside the cage yet when Ashleigh Brown latched onto a through ball and slipped a shot past the Dee keeper to give United the lead inside a minute. The lead was short lived, however, as Dee were level after just three minutes when a free kick wide on the left was headed past Shelby Penman in the United goal.

The early flurry soon died down, and the tempo slowed in the baking heat, with the surface also seeming to cause some issues, with players from both sides requiring treatment after hard falls. Both teams did manage to create some half chances as the first half went on, but couldn’t find a way to truly test the goalkeepers. Dee broke through with 36 minutes gone after a defensive mixup, but the shot that followed was poked just wide. Two minutes later, Penman was forced into a good save and Dee capitalised from the resulting corner when their captain rose to head them into the lead.

United forced the Dee keeper into a good save with three minutes to go in the first half, but they went in behind in what was turning out to be a competitive game.

United came out swinging in the second half, with captain Megan McMillan and Nicole Wilkie both coming close and forcing decent saves from the Dee goalkeeper in the opening minutes after the break. Dee were holding possession well in the midfield, but it was United who were having the best of the chances. The Dee keeper made another good stop after an hour, but could do nothing three minutes later when Wilkie’s strike following some good work on the edge of the box proved too powerful to stop crossing the line for the equaliser.

Two minutes later there was major controversy when the referee somehow decided to not give a penalty for one of the clearest fouls that you’re likely to see on United striker Abby Smith. The fact that even the Dee players all stopped for several seconds told me all I needed to know. The referee hadn’t been great up to that point, but this ridiculous decision seemed to spur him on to have one of the worst half hours of refereeing I’ve ever seen.

Just a minute later, with United still flummoxed at the non penalty, they fell behind again as a long, looped ball was headed over the top of the onrushing Penman to make it 3-2 to the visitors. Dee could have increased their lead, but some excellent defending from Leona Boyd and Christie Grierson kept the gap at one. With 76 minutes played, the game was once again level as McMillan cut past two Dee defenders into the box and slid a low shot into the net.

As both sides pushed for a winner, gaps were showing at the back for both teams and it was the away side that took advantage. A rather speculative cross was only half cleared and the ball fell to a Dee midfielder on the edge of the box who slammed it into the net to make it 4-3 with six minutes to go. United pushed for another equaliser but couldn’t find a way through. There was time for the referee to put all the attention back on himself one more time as he gave an extremely dubious offside against Smith in the closing seconds as she looked clean through on goal. This was a highly competitive cup tie, that swung back and forth throughout and could have gone either way. Dee Ladies now eagerly await Wednesday’s second round draw.

The Pies

It’s a public park so there’s no catering facilities, but we stopped at Gregg’s on Dumbarton High Street to ensure we had a chicken bake each to eat while watching the first half.

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: None
Attendance: 57

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)