East of Scotland League

Division 1

Wednesday 7th August 2024

Kick Off 19.15 On Time!

Kinnoull 1 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 2, attendance 84

17’ 0-1

20’ 0-2

73’ 1-2

@ Tulloch Park

Tulloch Road

Perth

PH1 2SN

£6 Admission

No Programme.

Tonight’s game was 8th versus 14th (out of 16) in the league table, with Kinnoull having one win and one defeat from their opening two games, whilst Inverkeithing had managed a draw and a defeat from their two played. It was the visitors who got off to the better start, opening the scoring after seventeen minutes, with an angled shot into the far corner. They doubled their lead three minutes later, when a cross from the right was volleyed in from inside the six yard box. They dominated the first half and could have been further ahead, but were unable to add to their tally and it looked like their job would be much easier when Kinnoull had a man red carded for dissent five minutes before halftime.

Although Inverkeithing did the majority of the attacking in the second half, Kinnoull remained in the game and they pulled it back to 1-2 with seventeen minutes left, bundling in a corner at the far post, but never really looked like adding to it and the visitors deservedly hung on to take the three points.

Kinnoull play at Tulloch Park in Perth. Entering behind the goal, the changing rooms/tea bar are in the near left hand corner, where there is cover and a few benches, but set back too far from the pitch to afford decent viewing. The pitch is fully railed and runs lengthways away from the building, with a pair of dugouts on the left hand side. There are also floodlights, but they looked to be more for training use.

S.J.F.A. North Region

League Cup Group 3

Tuesday 6th August 2024

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Cruden Bay 0 Bridge of Don Thistle 10, attendance 33

6’ 0-1, 10’ 0-2, 22’ 0-3, 27’ 0-4, 32’ 0-5

51’ 0-6, 56’ 0-7, 67’ 0-8, 78’ 0-9, 83’ 0-10

@ Watson Park

off Auchiries Road

Cruden Bay

AB42 0PJ

£6 Admission

No Programme.

I was expecting a big away win here, although perhaps not by the double figure score that it ended up. Cruden Bay had finished bottom of the Championship last season, losing all 26 league games and even finished on minus three points, due to fielding an ineligible player in one of those matches, whilst Bridge of Don Thistle had finished second to champions Culter in the Super League. As far as the early group games in the League Cup go, it had been two defeats out of two for Cruden Bay (0-4 v Colony Park and 1-5 v Maud), but they were unlikely to pick up any points anyway, as they are a division below the three other teams. Bridge of Don Thistle had won their two games (1-0 v Colony and 3-2 v Maud), so only needed a draw tonight to guarantee them topping the group and advancing to the quarter finals.

The game was done and dusted after ten minutes, by which time it was 0-2. By halftime it was 0-5 and it was a case of when, rather than if, a double figure score would be achieved. In the end they managed it when they hit goal number ten with seven minutes left. It could easily have been at least another six, such was their dominance and the fact that they never took their foot off the pedal, even though the win was secured well before halftime.

Watson Park is to the north of the village, turning right off the road towards Auchiries, along what is basically a farm track, with the ground about 100 yards on the right. There is a small car park, which just about coped with tonight’s crowd, with changing rooms/tea bar/committee room to the left as you enter. The pitch runs lengthways. It is fully railed and has a small seated stand on the left hand side, with the dugouts opposite.

S.J.F.A. North Region

League Cup Group 4

Saturday 3rd August 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Stonehaven 3 Deveronside 0, attendance 63

17’ 1-0

27’ 2-0

74’ 3-0 (pen)

@ Glenury Park

Mineralwell

Stonehaven

AB39 2SP

£6 Admission, including 4 page programme.

Today I decided to visit the most southern based club in the S.J.F.A. North Region, at the Glenury Park home of North Premier League side Stonehaven, who were hosting Championship club Deveronside, one level below them. Both sides had won their opening group matches, Stonehaven winning 1-0 away at Buchanhaven Hearts and Deveronside beating Sunnybank 6-1 at home, with Owen Christie scoring five of the goals.

Stonehaven had the game sewn up within half an hour. They opened the scoring after seventeen minutes, heading in a cross from the left from 8 yards out and goal number two followed ten minutes later, when a free kick from the edge of the D was bent round the wall into the bottom corner. Deveronside had a great chance in the closing minutes of the half, missing an easy chance when through on goal, shooting high over the crossbar. Unfortunately for them, the chance didn’t fall to Owen Christie. In fact, he never really had a look in all afternoon and was well marshalled by the home defence for the entire ninety minutes. Any chance Deveronside had of getting anything out of the game disappeared when they had a defender sent off nine minutes into the second half. His offence was calling the Referee ‘a clown’ following an award of a free kick against them. As expected, Stonehaven were well on top for the remainder of the game, but were only able to add one more goal, which came from the penalty spot after a foul on the corner of the six yard box.

Glenury Park has the changing room building/tea bar (plenty of hot food on offer) behind the entrance goal end. The pitch is railed off and there’s a pair of dugouts on the left hand side. No cover here, but not needed on a glorious afternoon. Approaching the ground along a lane running alongside the river, you first come to a cricket ground, where there was a match taking place, before reaching the football club. At the far end of the car park there is a 3G pitch, which was also hosting a match, presumably a friendly, that kicked off half an hour before the Stonehaven game.

S.J.F.A. East Region

Midlands League

Friday 2nd August 2024

Kick Off 18.45 On Time!

Kirriemuir Thistle 2 Brechin Victoria 0, attendance 162

63’ 1-0

74’ 2-0

@ Westview Park

Westmuir Road (A926)

Kirriemuir

DD8 5AZ

£6 Admission

No Programme.

With one of the Midlands League’s Referees getting married tomorrow, as well as a number of other Referees attending the wedding, the league asked if clubs would switch their games to Friday evening, to help ease the possibility of games being postponed due to a lack of available officials and luckily for me, of the three clubs that did agree to change, Kirriemuir Thistle were one of them (the other two were Blairgowrie and Forfar United, where I’d already been) and it was only forty minutes drive north east from our hotel in Scone, so fell perfectly.

It was the opening league game of the season tonight. It was 6th versus 16th (out of 20) as far as last season’s final placings go and saw a decent turnout for this Angus derby, with the two clubs some 17 miles apart. Westview Park is on the south west edge of town, on the left hand side of the A926 heading towards Westmuir. There is car parking available inside the ground, as well as in a car park on the other side of the road, which was the chosen option. Entering in the corner, the clubhouse, changing rooms and tea bar run along the left hand touchline, whilst on the opposite side is a raised seated stand, with a pair of dugouts in front. The pitch, which was in absolutely superb condition, is fully railed, with plenty of advert boards and there are also floodlights, although I’m not too sure if they were more for training under, rather than for match use. They certainly weren’t needed tonight anyway, despite drizzle falling during the first half and light rain in the second, as the game was done and dusted by half past eight and still light on arrival back at our hotel at 21.15.

As for the game, it was full blooded throughout and although there were chances at each end, Kirriemuir always looked the more dangerous in the attacking areas. The hosts had the best chance of the first half, but a point blank header was pushed wide by the ‘keeper. The opening goal came just after the hour mark, when a cross from the right was headed in from 10 yards by a midfielder arriving late into the box. They saw a free kick, heading for the top corner, brilliantly tipped over the crossbar, before finally making it 2-0 with sixteen minutes left, when a ball into the box was flicked past the ‘keeper into the bottom corner from six yards.

Friendly

Thursday 1st August 2024

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.03

Bridgeton United A.F.C. 3 Luncarty A.F.C. 1, attendance 41

10’ 1-0

57’ 2-0

74’ 2-1

87’ 3-1

@ Main Street

Almondbank

PH1 3NJ

No Admission or Programme.

This was a game between two teams who play in the Perthshire Amateur F.A. It was 3rd versus 2nd in last season’s final placings in Division 2 of the league, with Luncarty newly promoted into Division 1 for this season. It was an excellent game, end to end and edged by Bridgeton as they made the most of their chances. A free kick from the edge of the D saw the hosts take an early lead and they added a second goal twelve minutes into the second half, powering in a header from six yards. Luncarty pulled a goal back when they headed in from a corner with sixteen minutes left, but Bridgeton made it 3-1 late on, scoring another free kick from the edge of the D.

The ground is in the village of Almondbank, to the northwest of Perth, sandwiched between Main Street and the River Almond, on the right hand side as you enter the village from the A85. It’s just an open pitch, with a changing room building that’s on the other side of the lane that leads to the bowling club behind the north goal end. A very pleasant setting on a nice sunny evening.

East of Scotland Qualifying Cup

2nd Round

Wednesday 31st July 2024

Kick Off 19.00 On Time!

Luncarty 1 Tynecastle 2, attendance 82

12’ 1-0

40’ 1-1

43’ 1-2 (pen)

@ Brownlands Park

Main Road (B9089)

Luncarty

PH1 3EP

£7 Admission

No Programme.

This was a re-run of the opening league game in the East of Scotland League Premier Division on Saturday, where it finished 0-3 to Tynecastle. Luncarty had a man sent off late in the first half of that and then conceded three times in the second half whilst down to ten men, two of the goals coming from the penalty spot. Tonight was a second round East of Scotland Qualifying Cup tie and an early chance for Luncarty to try and put Saturday’s defeat behind them. They got off to the perfect start, going ahead after just twelve minutes, finishing with a lob over the ‘keeper from just inside the box. Tynecastle had a goal disallowed for offside just before the half hour mark, but did draw level five minutes before halftime, shooting high into the net, after a corner from the right was played into the six yard box and not cleared. Two minutes before the break they made it 1-2, coolly dispatching a penalty, awarded for a trip on the right hand side of the box.

Luncarty had a real go in the second half. They had a goal disallowed for offside and also saw a header come back off the crossbar. Tynecastle also hit the crossbar late on themselves and in stoppage time Luncarty nearly levelled, but a free kick hit the inside of the post and bounced right across the six yard box before being booted clear.

Luncarty play at Brownlands Park, on the left hand side of the main road when heading north out of the village, sandwiched between the main Perth to Inverness railway line and the road itself. It is railed on three sides, with no access behind the far (north end) goal. The clubhouse/changing rooms are raised behind the near goal (where there was also a tea bar selling the usual fayre you’d expect at a Scottish Junior ground). New wooden dugouts are on the railway side of the ground, whilst the original brick built ones remain in place, with one on each side of the pitch.

For an afternoon match, you’d probably spot more trains than the three that passed during tonight’s game! Just St. Andrews United required to complete the Premier Division of the East of Scotland League for me now.

S.J.F.A. North Region

League Cup Group 1

Tuesday 30th July 2024

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.29!

Burghead Thistle 2 Forres Thistle 1, attendance 60

19’ 1-0

25’ 2-0

67’ 2-1

@ Forest Park

St. Aethans Road (B9013)

Burghead

IV30 5YQ

£6 Admission

No Programme.

Tonight was the opening round of matches in the North Region League Cup, played on a group format initially, before reverting to straight knockout in the later rounds, with this game between two teams in the Championship Division. Burghead started very brightly and opened the scoring after nineteen minutes, when a quick break down the right was finished with a shot that beat the ‘keeper at his near post, despite him getting a hand to it. Six minutes later it was 2-0, when a long ball over the top was finished with a lob over the ‘keeper from the edge of the box. Forres pulled a goal back midway through the second half, scoring from a free kick on the edge of the D that found the top corner. It was an edgy finish to the game for the hosts, as Forres went close a couple of times and Burghead did manage to get the ball in the net again in the final minute, but it was ruled out for offside.

Home to Burghead Thistle is Forest Park, situated about half a mile from the town, on the left hand side of the B9013 when approaching from the A96 Inverness to Aberdeen road. There is a very small car park, from where you enter the ground, with the changing room building immediately to your left., which also housed the toilets and a tea bar. The pitch is railed, with access on all bar the section on the near side, from the dugouts down to the corner, whilst opposite is a small area of cover, that has some bench seating, but would be too low to watch the game from if sat down.

Inverness & District F.A.

Premier Division

Monday 29th July 2024

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.01

Ardesier 4 Balloan/Loch Ness 1, attendance 47

22’ 0-1

55’ 1-1

66’ 2-1

71’ 3-1

86’ 4-1

@ Cromal Park

High Street (B9006)

Ardersier

IV2 7QB

No Admission or Programme.

As is the norm with this league, the fixtures/venues were only confirmed on the league’s Facebook page late yesterday afternoon. Luckily for me, I’d only previously visited two of the four hosting tonight’s games. Rather than visit bottom of the table Tomatin, who’d already been relegated, I chose third in the table (out of 8, with Avoch already crowned champions) Ardesier, who were hosting sixth placed Balloan/Loch Ness. Ardesier play at Cromal Park, which is on the right hand side of the High Street as you head northwards towards Fort George. It is just an open pitch, with grass banking along the far side, with trees rising steeply above and from this side there are superb views out over the Moray Firth. The changing room building is at the near goal end, next to some tennis courts, with houses beyond the far goal.

Despite there being nothing on the game, it certainly wasn’t played as if that was the case. It was a very even first half, where the only goal came courtesy of an own goal that saw the visitors go in front. Ardersier deservedly levelled ten minutes into the second half, before Balloan/Loch Ness thought they had gone back in front, but the goal was disallowed for offside, which was followed almost immediately with Ardersier actually taking the lead, through an angled shot in off the far post, with the game then swinging hugely in favour of the hosts. A powerful downward header at the far post, from a corner on the left, soon saw them make it 3-1 and they rounded off the scoring with four minutes left, finishing coolly when played through on goal, with the visitors then reduced to ten men, following a red card for dissent after conceding the goal.

Berwick Charities Cup Final

Saturday 27th July 2024

Kick Off 18.30 On Time!

Crusaders 1 The Angel Alkis 4, attendance 230

13’ 0-1

44’ 0-2

47’ 1-2

72’ 1-3

77’ 1-4

@ The Stanks

Parade

Berwick-upon-Tweed

TD15 1DG

No Admission (raffle tickets/donations collected) or Programme.

Ever since seeing photographs of The Stanks it has been on my ‘to do list’ for a football match. There is just about enough room to squeeze a pitch into an area beneath the old defensive ramparts of Berwick-upon-Tweed and each summer it hosts the Berwick Charities Cup. Teams are basically pub teams/groups of mates that form teams just for this competition. Things like all team players not wearing matching kit doesn’t seem to be a problem and it does appear to be very much ‘Sunday League’ as far as stupid team names being used goes. You cant ever guarantee that games will take place either, making it a bit of a risk to travel especially for a game. However, as I was already up in the area and the fact it was the final of the competition, it was worth the effort to give it a go and it was only an hour and twenty minutes drive back from Edinburgh, arriving almost an hour before the scheduled start. Thankfully, not only did the game take place, it was of a far higher standard than I’d been expecting, between two excellent teams.

Angel Alkis took an early lead and having looked the better side for long periods, added a second just before halftime. When Crusaders pulled one back just two minutes into the second half it set the game up perfectly. It was end to end stuff, played with full commitment from both teams and although Crusaders pushed hard for an equaliser, it just wouldn’t come and when Angel Alkis made it 1-3 with eighteen minutes left, the cup was secured and they even added a fourth five minutes later. Hero of the night for them was Craig Bell, who scored all four of their goals, although two or three of their back line were also outstanding.

East of Scotland League

Division 3

Saturday 27th July 2024

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.28!

Edinburgh Community 1 Edinburgh United 5, attendance 57

16’ 1-0

18’ 1-1

26’ 1-2

52’ 1-3

76’ 1-4

77’ 1-5

@ St. Mark’s Park

Warriston Road

Edinburgh

EH7 4HN

£6 Admission

No Programme.

I intended doing the Berwick Charities Cup Final in Berwick upon Tweed tonight at 18.30, so was rather limited in picking a competitive game this afternoon within easy reach of there. This game fitted the bill perfectly, situated in the north of Edinburgh, about two and a half hours north of last night’s game in Washington and only an hour and a quarter drive back south across the border to Berwick and it would leave me with just Linton Hotspur to complete this division now. The ground consists of a railed pitch (set well back from the pitch) with a pair of dugouts on the left hand touchline and raised grass banking running behind the entrance goal end, continuing round to the far corner. Both the changing rooms and tea bar are outside the perimeter fencing and although there is a car park, it is very small, so street parking about 50 yards away did the job. There was a very heavy downpour in the half hour leading up to kick off, but no problem with the pitch, which was in superb condition.

Edinburgh United had been relegated last season, finishing second bottom, after a nine point deduction (they’d still have gone down without it) and life one level down didn’t get off to a very good start for them today, going behind after just sixteen minutes. They equalised a couple of minutes later though, with a cracking 25 yarder into the top corner and midway through the half they were in front, finishing a ball over the top that looked suspiciously offside. Early in the second half it was 1-3, when a corner from the left was headed downwards and cleared off the line, although the well placed Referee judged it was over the line before being booted away. With fourteen minutes left they made it 1-4, when a ball over the top was finished with a scuffed shot into the far corner and they made it 1-5 a minute later, when a mishit cross fell perfectly for a fellow striker following in. They could have added another couple late on, but saw a shot that came back off the crossbar tipped round the post on the rebound, before they hit the post with another chance having been played through one on one with the ‘keeper.