Partick Thistle v St Mirren

Partick Thistle Reserves 1-0 St Mirren Reserves
SPFL Reserve League
Lesser Hampden
Monday 24th September

It’s September Weekend Monday, and I’m one of the lucky ones who gets the day as a public holiday. With the SPFL Reserve League playing mainly on Monday afternoons, it’s a competition I don’t usually get to see. Today I’m taking advantage of being off and the unexpected sunny bank holiday to take in my first game in the revived league.

The Venue

Lesser Hampden is covered in some depth in this post. I must say it is a far better venue in weather like today compared to the day I had here back in April, despite a couple of heavy showers. With the SFA agreeing to buy Hampden from Queen’s Park after the 2020 European Championships, Lesser will be due for another upgrade, as it will have to be brought up to licensing standards in order to be used as the home venue for Queen’s. I look forward to seeing how they do the revamp.

The Competition

It’s back! I could actually use that simple phrase to refer to this section of the blog and for the return of the Reserve League itself. After a number of years of a development league for Under 20s, this season sees the SPFL returning to the reserve concept. While most teams will continue to use the competition to give their young players a run out, the reserve moniker means that fringe players, first teamers returning from injury and new signings can be incorporated into the side with less hassle.

There are eighteen teams in the SPFL Reserve League this season, with each team playing every other team once either home or away. Teams are also playing in the Reserve League Cup, which has a substantial group stage in order to give more games. Professional teams are featured in the SPFL Reserve League, with part time sides competing in the newly rebranded SPFL Reserve League 2, with additional games being made up in the SPFL Reserve League Challenge Cup.

The Teams

Partick Thistle have had a rough start to the reserve league campaign, with three losses in their three games played against Hibs, Ross County and Falkirk. Thier cup campaign began with a 3-1 loss to Kilmarnock.

St Mirren are conversely in pretty good shape so far, with wins over Dundee United and St Johnstone, and one single loss to Rangers. The team have also been playing in the Irn-Bru Cup, where they have reached the third round via victories over their counterparts from Kilmarnock and Hamilton. They will play Queen’s Park in round three. They lost their opening Reserve League Cup tie 2-0 to Hamilton.

The Game

Saints started the game well on the front foot, and Thistle barely got a look in throughout the entirety of the first half. With six minutes gone, Cody Cooke played in Sam Jamieson, who forced Thistle keeper Jamie Stevenson to turn the ball past the post. From the resulting corner, Max Potter got a free header, but could only nod the ball straight at Stevenson. Five minutes later, Saints won a free kick about 20 yards out. Cameron Breadner tried his luck, but the ball was easily held by Stevenson.

With 22 minutes gone, Saints won a corner, and Stevenson had to be on his toes to punch it over as it looked to be dipping in. From the follow up corner, Potter saw his nudged effort scrambled off the line by Ruaridh McIntyre. With 27 minutes on the clock, Saints were awarded a penalty when Breadner was brought down in the box by Mohamed Niang. Breadner dusted himself off to take the penalty, but Stevenson made a fantastic save to keep the game goalless.

With ten minutes to go until the break Cooke picked up the ball and turned well before playing in Jamieson. Stevenson was again the equal of the Saints attack as he did well down low to deny the striker. Three minutes later, Breadner delivered a corner that Cooke met with a powerful header. Once more, Stevenson pulled off an excellent save. Saints’ first half frustrations were brought to a head on 42 minutes when Jamieson could only shoot wide after a good move. The half time whistle went with the game somehow still scoreless.

It had taken until three minutes into the second half for Thistle to make their first venture forward of any note, and they very nearly took the lead from it. A cross from Aiden Fitzpatrick fizzed across the goalmouth, only just being missed by Jordan Kemoe. The ball was picked up at the back post by Max Melbourne, who forced David Wilson into his first save of the afternoon. Ten minites later, Saints right back ben Cameron played an excellent ball through to Jamieson, who saw his shot somehow stopped on the line by Thistle defender Tam Scobbie. Antony Eadie blasted the follow up well over the bar. Less than a minute later, Stevenson was again called into action when he made another excellent save from Breadner.

With 66 minutes played, Thistle took an unlikely lead. Melbourne’s cross was scuffed by Kemoe, but the ball fell to substitute Dean Watson, who calmly slotted the ball past Wilson to make it 1-0. The goal seemed to spark the hosts into life, and three minutes later, they had a chance to double their lead, when Fitzpatrick made an excellent run down the right, but took the ball too close to the byeline to cause Wilson any issues. Less than a minute later, Fitzpatrick again called Wilson into action when he shot from the angle of the box after getting the break of the ball.

With 77 minutes gone, Jamieson found himself with the ball inside the Thistle box and reached the byeline before flicking a pinpoint cross onto the head of Cooke. His header was full of power and looked like the equaliser, but flew just an inch or two past the post. With ten minutes to go, the referee gave a corner to Thistle despite it looking (and sounding) like Melbourne was fouled in the box. Niang forced Wilson into a great save from the corner, and then again from a second corner in quick succession, but Saints were holding on. They were to get one last chance to equalise, when Thistle failed to clear a free kick and the ball fell to Cooke just outside the box. His dipping shot fell just over the bar, and Thistle held tight to claim a victory that looked extremely unlikely for the first 65 minutes of the game.

The Pies

The cafe was selling hot and cold drinks, plus crisps and sweets. The chippy across the road was also open, and I enjoyed a roll and chips at half time, followed up by a Bovril!

Admission: Free
Programme: None
Pie: None
Bovril: £1.70
Attendance: 142

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

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)

 

East Kilbride v Dumbarton

East Kilbride 1-3 Dumbarton
Pre-Season Friendly
K-Park Training Academy
Saturday 30th June 2018

With competitive action in Scotland now starting in mid July, it means that pre-season games are now starting at the tail end of June. It’s a good opportunity to see some bigger clubs for discounted prices, and today’s fixture is giving me the chance to get a first look at Dumbarton’s new look squad before their assault at League One, as well as another look at potential Lowland League challengers East Kilbride

The Venue

Situated in the picturesque Calderglen Country Park, K-Park Training Academy was opened in 2011 by the East Kilbride Community Trust. The charitable organisation intended the venue to be a state of the art training and community sports venue. East Kilbride FC began playing here in 2011, and continued to use it as their home venue when they were accepted as founding Lowland League members in 2013. I was actually here for the club’s very first home game as a senior club, when they defeated Whitehill Welfare 1-0 back in August 2013.

K-Park was supposed to be a temporary home ground for the club before moving to their own purpose built facility, but delays have meant that they continue to call it home. In partnership with the EKCT, who still own the facility, a covered enclosure behind the goal at the clubhouse end was erected by the club last year.

In addition to the new enclosure, spectators are housed in the single grandstand the runs almost the entire length of the pitch on the entrance side. The stand has 400 seats in four rows, and provides good cover in most weather conditions. The official capacity of the ground is capped at 660. The main clubhouse buildings are highly impressive, housing multiple changing rooms for both the main pitch and the small sided pitches at the complex. There are also significant catering and corporate facilities. The separate pie hut is just across from the main buildings and doubles as an entrance hut.

The Teams

East Kilbride have kept a good core of the side who finished second in the Lowland League last season, with Kieron Gibbons, Bryan Prunty and Adam Strachan being their most high profile departures in the playing department. More crucially however was the resignation of manager Billy Stark, who left to take up the position of Under 19 manager in the Scotland setup. Former Albion Rovers boss Brian Kerr, himself a former Scotland international, took the reins in May.

Kerr has signed several players from SPFL sides in order to strengthen his side for another title challenge, with Jamie Longworth coming in from Stenhousemuir, Anton Brady joining from Queen’s Park and Graeme Holmes making the switch from Albion Rovers. Drew Ramsay and Graeme McGregor have also signed from Lowland League rivals East Stirlingshire, and with many of Kilby’s big names staying with the club, their fans can definitely feel positive about the season ahead.

Dumbarton’s squad following relegation from the Championship will be almost unrecognisable, with only captain Andy Dowie, Craig Barr, Stuart Carswell, Kyle Hutton and Calum Gallagher being retained from last season’s squad along with the management team of Stevie Aitken and Iain Durrant.

Aitken has made use of a partnership with stadium sponsors C&G Systems to sign players on part-time contracts, while C&G offer them full time employment on the railways. It has proved to be a fruitful partnership so far, with several players who were full time last season signing on. Former Dumbarton favourite Ross Forbes has signed from Morton, nine years after his wildly successful loan spell at the club. Goalkeeper Grant Adam has joined from Forfar, while defenders Cammy Ballantyne, Willie Dyer and Ross Perry have signed from Dundee United, Brechin City and Albion Rovers respectively. The summer signings have also included Bobby Barr from Raith Rovers, Ryan Thomson from Stranraer and Rory Loy from Falkirk. With only thirteen players confirmed as signed, expect a large number of trialists to feature for the Sons today, as Aitken looks to complete his squad.

The Game

Speaking of trialists in the Dumbarton team, the Sons had one in their starting line up. This trialist did turn out to be the familiar figure of Iain Russell, though, aiming to earn an extension to his deal from the back half of last season with a strong pre-season showing. It was a cagey start to proceedings as was to be expected in the early pre-season. Ross Forbes put in a good cross for Dumbarton with three minutes gone, but Matt McGinley in the Kilby goal punched clear well. The home side had their first real chance with ten minutes played when Ross McNeil found himself one on one with Grant Adam. The usually reliable striker fired his shot well over the bar though to keep the game goalless.

As both sides began to get a feeling for the game, there were some half chances being created. With thirteen minutes on the clock, Forbes sent a speculative long range free kick only just wide of the post. Four minutes later at the other end, Sean Winter found himself in space at the angle of the box and forced a decent save from Grant Adam. Forbes was causing some issues for the Kilby defence, and with 21 minutes gone, he again tried his luck from just outside the box, but saw his shot fly just over the bar.

Following a water break in the baking heat, Dumbarton began to take control of the game. Their efforts were rewarded in the thirty third minute when Ryan Thomson picked the ball up around the halfway line and drove forward. After beating a couple of defenders, Thomson hit a low, hard shot that was pushed away by McGinley. The rebound was met by Calum Gallagher who fired the ball into the net. Just a minute after the restart, Thomson almost doubled the lead but saw his effort from twenty yards saved well by McGinley.

Dumbarton continued to press for the remainder of the half, and could count themselves a bit unfortunate not to be further ahead at the break. Russell attempted an overhead kick that was cleared away, while shortly after, Bobby Barr’s charging run into the box was broken up by an excellent blocking tackle by Fabio Capuano. The visitors went into the break with their slender lead.

East Kilbride started the second half brightly, but Paul Woods was unable to force the ball over the line after some good work from Craig Malcolm shortly after the break. Their bright start was nullified with 48 minutes gone though when Dumbarton doubled their lead. Forbes played a good ball into Cammy Ballantyne on the right wing and the right back got to the byeline before cutting the ball back into the danger zone. Thomson rushed onto it and slotted the ball past substitute keeper Jacob Kean.

Two minutes later, Dumbarton won a corner which was headed towards goal by Andy Dowie. The ball broke off a Kilby defender to Russell, who attempted a second overhead kick of the game and saw it fly only inches over the bar. A raft of substitutions for both teams changed the pace of the game, and the hosts began to come back into it. With just under an hour gone they had a goal back. Graeme McGregor, on as a substitute played Sean Winter through on the right wing. Winter took on Willie Dyer and floated a cross towards the back post that was met by the head of Woods, who directed the ball past Dumbarton’s trialist sub keeper Jamie McGowan.

The goal lifted the hosts and just a minute after scoring had another chance but Malcolm could only strike his free kick off the wall. Dumbarton created a couple of chances just after the hour, with Stuart Carswell, on as a half time substitute, hitting a beautiful half volley from 25 yards which Kean saved well. Ballantyne, who was having an impressive first game in Dumbarton colours, then saw his cutback cleared off the line.

With around 15 minutes to go, Kilby were very much on the front foot, with Malcolm forcing another decent save from McGowan. Four minutes later, Malcolm again broke through with a powerful run but poked his shot harmlessly wide. The home side had another chance with nine minutes to go when Woods found himself with the ball inside the box. The Kilby winger had his shot blocked by Ross Perry and couldn’t get a proper hold of the rebound.

As the game came to a conclusion, both sides had chances with Winter shooting just wide for Kilby and Russell forcing a save from Kean for the Sons. But despite East Kilbride having the better of the last half hour, it was Dumbarton who had the final say. With the final whistle approaching, teenage trialist Kieran Campbell sprung the offside trap and squared the ball to Russell who only had to tap the ball into the empty net to seal victory.

The Pies

There was a full catering service on today, and the pie hut seemed to be doing a roaring trade in hot dogs in the sunshine. Midway through the second half, a committee man came along with a couple of pies for a friend in the crowd. Said friend didn’t actually want a pie, so I ended up with a tasty free pie. I’ll never say no to that!

Admission: £6
Programme: None
Pie: £1.80
Bovril: £1.50
Attendance: 165 (approx)

Dumbarton v Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Dumbarton 0-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Irn Bru Cup Final
McDiarmid Park
Saturday 24th March 2018

A cup final is always an occasion, no matter what teams are involved. The Challenge Cup has always been seen as the least significant of the national competitions in Scotland, and recent attempts to revive it have actually done as much to damage its reputation as boost it. But this was Dumbarton’s first national final since 1897, and 121 years of waiting made it the biggest occasion for any living Sons fan in their lifetimes.

Indeed, ten buses full of supporters left in a convoy from Dumbarton, with one more heading up earlier to place banners round the stadium and place alternating black and gold flags on every seat that had been sold to a Dumbarton fan. It was a colourful, noisy and festive cacophony in the Dumbarton end, and for 92 minutes it was probably the best atmosphere I’ve ever been a part of. The SonsTrust should be proud of their efforts to make this a truly special occasion.

The Venue

McDiarmid Park was a popular and sensible choice for this final, being situated roughly halfway between the two finalists’ locations, with ample parking and handily situated right off the main A9 road. My wife and I had arrived slightly later than anticipated due to a spontaneous trip to nearby Scone Palace, so parked at the half empty Tesco across the road with the promise of 3 hours free parking. Win-win.

McDiarmid has the distinction of being the first purpose built all seater stadium in the UK. With their previous Muirton Park home in need of a major upgrade, but the club struggling financially, an offer from Asda to buy the land and build them a new stadium at no cost to the club was gratefully accepted. Local farmer Bruce McDiarmid donated approximately sixteen acres of what he called at the time his “berry and barley fields” as a gift to the people of Perth, with his name being used for the new stadium. It was officially opened on August 19th 1989, when St Johnstone defeated Clydebank 2-1 on the opening day of the First Division season.

The Stadium has four stands, with the Main (West) Stand being slightly taller and larger than the others. The floodlights were moved from Muirton Park. The stadium has a capacity of 10,696 and this was the tenth time it has hosted the Challenge Cup Final, making it by far the most used venue for the showpiece of the competition. We were sitting today roughly in line with the 18 yard line at the south end of the ground in the third row from the front and had a fantastic view. I can’t imagine there’s actually a bad seat in what I found to be an excellent place to watch football.

The Teams

Dumbarton’s road to the final began on a horrifically wet night in August with a 2-1 win over Rangers Under 20s. An early penalty from Calum Gallagher and a goal just after half time from Mark Stewart were enough to see off the Rangers youngsters in front of just 389 fans. Many Sons supporters had heeded calls to boycott games in the competition against Premiership youth teams. Dumbarton’s second round game was a first for the club, as they played Connah’s Quay Nomads in their first ever competitive game against a team from outwith the Scottish system. Nomads took the lead thanks to a 26th minute penalty and then put in one of the most disgraceful performances I’ve ever witnessed, doing everything within their power to waste time and kill the game. It worked for an hour, but David Wilson’s goal four minutes from time took the game to extra time. Nomads had George Horan sent off with a minute to go and up stepped Dimitris Froxylias, who had signed less than 48 hours earlier to send the resulting free kick into the net to ensure instant cult hero status. In an ironic twist of fate, Nomads missed their train home, the irony of which was not lost on the home support.

In the third round, Dumbarton defeated League 1 Stranraer 2-1 in a game played on a Friday night because the stadium had been rented out for a wedding on the Saturday. Goals from Craig Barr and Mark Stewart set up a quarter final with League 1 title chasers Raith Rovers. Rovers were comfortably dispatched by 2 goals to nil with goals from Chris McLaughlin and Ally Roy. Not even Tom Walsh’s missed penalty could dampen the spirits of reaching a semi-final. The last four match was the first away trip of the competition for the Sons and saw them travel to Oswestry to take on Welsh champions The New Saints. The over 500 travelling supporters were treated to two of the best goals anywhere this season after going a goal behind in the second half. Danny Handling’s 74th minute equaliser was a thing of beauty, but even that couldn’t compare to Froxylias’ 40 yard free kick winner, which sent the visiting fans into raptures, and their first major final since 1897. Froxylias was a doubt going into this final after playing 64 minutes for Cyprus in his international debut just 24 hours before kick off, but through sheer determination and well timed flights, he made it in time for a place on the bench

Inverness saw one less game on their route to the final, starting in the second round with a 4-2 win “away” to Aberdeen’s Under 20s in a game that took place at Brechin’s Glebe Park in front of just 175 fans. A comfortable 3-0 win over League 2 Peterhead in the third round set up an enticing looking home quarter final against fellow Championship strugglers Falkirk. In a game broadcast by BBC Alba, the 1,078 inside the Caledonian Stadium, plus those watching on TV at home were treated to a drab game only lit up by Connor Bell’s second half goal.

Caley’s semi-final was a much livlier affair as the they hosted Northern Irish side Crusaders for a place in the final. The home side were 2-0 up within the first fifteen minutes, and went into half-time three goals to the good as Jake Mulraney added a third just before the break. Crusaders hit back after 57 minutes through Paul Heatley, who added a second 22 eleven minutes from time after Brad McKay had been sent off for the Scots. Despite a nervy ending, the hosts held on to reach their fourth Challenge Cup Final

The Game

Despite a sizeable and noisy crowd, the game wasn’t really high on quality, and was more notable for mistakes than any moments of magic. Referee Andrew Dallas and his assistants had an interesting afternoon showing a frustrating lack of consistency and at times what looked like a genuine shortfall of knowledge of the rules. This is by no means sour grapes, as both teams managed to benefit and suffer from some of the downright bizarre decisions being made.

Dumbarton shaded the first half in terms of performance, despite creating little in the way of chances. Shooting towards the Inverness end, the Sons failed to give Caley goalkeeper Mark Ridgers much of a test despite efforts from Iain Russell and Danny Handling having the Dumbarton end on their feet. Chris McLaughlin picked up a yellow card for a late, high tackle late in the first half that on another day could easily have been a red and the booking seemed to spark Caley into life, with both Bell and Polworth testing Scott Gallacher in the Dumbarton goal. 0-0 at half time, which was unsuprising given the 45 minutes we’d just watched.

Dumbarton sat back as the second half began and allowed Caley to press increasingly further forward. Despite the frustrations brewing in the Sons’ end with the tactics, Inverness were struggling to create anything of real substance. Dumbarton finally started to create some half chances following the introductions of Froxylias and Stewart midway through the second half, but Ridgers was still untested in the Caley goal.

There was major drama in the 83rd minute when Dallas pointed to the spot as Caley were pressing. The penalty seemed to be given for handball against McLaughlin (I was at the other end of the pitch and couldn’t clearly see the exact reason). Interestingly, McLaughlin was not shown a second yellow card. The drama was multiplied when Iain Vigurs’ low effort was saved and smothered by the impressive Gallacher. Just as it looked like thirty extra minutes were coming our way, Dumbarton’s defence switched off and defender Carl Tremarco bundled home sixteen year old Daniel McKay’s cross deep into stoppage time to send the Cup north. An absolutely sickening way to lose any game, never mind a cup final. Most Sons fans stayed back to applaud the team off the pitch after a stellar effort, but after such a cracking day out, there will have been some quiet trips back to Dumbarton.

The Pies

We arrived a bit late and still full from lunch to bother with a pre-match pie, and that meant that I was not to sample the fare on offer at McDiarmid Park. I went to join the horrendously long queue well in advance of halftime to find it snaking round their concession room, barely moving and the young, understaffed servers in a state of chaos. I left with no food and later found out that they had run out of pies anyway. A bit of a shambolic effort that St Johnstone should take a look at rectifying if they have another big event like this.

Thankfully, Kaitlin and I had stopped for lunch at the Boozy Cow in Stirling on the way up to Perth. Their Holy Cow burger, skinny fries, onion rings and a pint of their fantastic Boozy Brew lager had us so stuffed that the lack of a pie wasn’t a huge deal. Boozy Cow have branches in Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen as well and I’d highly recommend checking them out. Their food and vibe are fantastic and all their profits go to local charities. They’re well up near the top of my favourite places to eat.

Admission: £15
Programme: £3 (84 pages, very few adverts, a really fantastic souvenir of the day)
Pie: £2.20 – £2.50
Bovril: £2.10!!!
Attendance: 4,602

Falkirk v Dumbarton

Falkirk 0-0 Dumbarton
SPFL Championship
Falkirk Stadium
Saturday 24th February 2018

Eighth versus ninth in the Championship may not have seemed like the most enticing of games for a February afternoon, but there were a couple of factors that drew me to Falkirk for this game. Firstly, I’m a longstanding Dumbarton supporter. My dad took me to Boghead in the early nineties and I’ve always followed their fortunes, getting to the odd game along the way. Secondly, as part of Falkirk Council’s “Take the Right Route” campaign to encourage people to be more active, this gme was chosen to be the second one in their “Kelpies to Kickoff” series, which offered a match ticket, pie and a drink in exchange for a walk from the stadium to the nearby Kelpies and back. Coupled with the unexpectedly fantastic weather on offer, it was an offer that seemed too good to refuse.

The Venue

The Falkirk Stadium opened in 2004, becoming the new home of Falkirk, after a year sharing with Stenhousemuir at Ochilview following the vacating of Brockville at the end of the 2002-03 season. The impressive Main (West) Stand holds around 4,200 and was the only part of the stadium that was finished at opening. The North Stand was opened in 2005, with the South Stand following in 2009, bringing the overall capacity to 7,937 all seated on three sides. It’s an impressive stadium, and one of the best new builds that I’ve visited. The stadium is situated in the Westfield region of Falkirk, near to Grangemouth and adjacent to the Helix Park, home to the spectacular Kelpies sculptures. Today, my wife and I were among several hundred participants in the “Kelpies to Kick Off” which saw us walk in a 5km loop from the stadium to the Kelpies and back. On a day such as this with the sun shining, it was a highly pleasant way to spend an hour, even if my wife somehow managed to pull a muscle in her foot on the way round.

The Teams

Falkirk started the season in awful form, finding themselves in a distant ninth place when Peter Houston was sacked as manager in late September. Former Scotland international Paul Hartley was appointed his replacement, and the poor form continued well into his reign. A raft of signings in the January transfer window changed their fortunes and saw the club leapfrog Dumbarton into eighth place.

Dumbarton, conversely had a reasonable start to the season, and found themselves a solid 8 points ahead of Falkirk at Christmas. But a poor run of games has seen Dumbarton failing to score since their 4-1 home defeat to Livingston on Boxing Day. Being one of only two part time clubs in the division, a spate of injuries and expired loans have left an unsettled team who have been struggling to find any sort of form. However, the Sons were riding high having reached the final of the Irn Bru (Challenge) Cup by beating TNS the week previously and needed to get something from the game in order to keep in touch with Falkirk and the pack in the race to avoid the playoffs.

The Game

Our complimentary tickets through “Kelpies to Kick Off” were supposed to seat us in the North Stand, but after a bit of negotiation with a completely confused turnstile man, we were granted access to the Main Stand in order to sit alongside the hundred or so other Dumbarton supporters in attendance.

In all fairness, this was far from a classic, but as 0-0 draws go, I’ve definitely seen worse. Dumbarton almost had the perfect start when Stuart Carswell was presented with a great chance after about four minutes, but he pulled his shot wide. I’d wager that if just about any other Sons player had been the one to get than chance, it may well have been buried. Carsy after all has a grand total of one goal in a total of 178 career appearances. Falkirk then launched an all out assault on the Dumbarton goal, somehow conspiring to hit the post twice and the bar another twice without managing to score. The Sons goal was leading a charmed life as it remained goalless at half time.

Falkirk continued to pile on the pressure in the second half, but the best chance of the half came for Dumbarton in the dying minutes as Liam Burt’s drive was pushed away by Conor Hazard in the direction of Mark Stewart, but the substitute couldn’t get himself set quickly enough and only managed to poke a tame effort wide.

All in all, Falkirk’s fans will have left frustrated having failed to win, but in hindsight a point suited them better than Dumbarton, who were left to rue not being able to convert any of the few chances that came their way.

The Pies

As part of the “Kelpies to Kick Off” promotion, a voucher for a pie and a hot drink were provided. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this allowed a choice of any pie, so was delighted to select a steak pie, and the standard Bovril. The pie was flaky, had nice, big chunks of meat and a thick gravy that didn’t end up all over my jacket. I would have been more than happy to have shelled out the £2.20 for what was a really good quality pie. My wife, Kaitlin stumped for a macaroni pie which she was very impressed with – mainly due to a layer of melted cheese on top of the macaroni and under the pastry lid. She said it was “the perfect macaroni pie” so seems pretty good value for £1.90.

Admission: £20
Programme: £2.50
Pie: £2.20 (steak) £1.90 (macaroni)
Bovril: £1.60
Attendance: 6,091