Tagged: Lanark

Larkhall Thistle 3 Lanark 4, 12th January 2013

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Lanark

Thistle can count themselves extremely unlucky to come away from this hard fought derby with nothing, the difference in the sides at the end being an unfortunate JP Grant own goal and a dubious penalty.

A combination of goal line clearances bad misses and poor refereeing decisions prevented the Jags from taking at least a share of the points. Lanark started the game brightly and were on top for the first ten minutes until Graham Gracie picked up the ball on the left and set off on a run before playing the ball across the face of the goal, Ross McGeachie just failing to make contact. Gracie was involved in Thistle’s next attempt too as his long throw found Mark Canning in the clear on the penalty spot, the midfielder’s shot flying past the post.

Lanark's Alan McFadden clears off the line
Lanark’s Alan McFadden clears off the line

Larkhall were having a good spell of pressure but were denied by two successive bad offside calls when first McGeachie and then Gracie were through on goal with the defence beaten. Larnark went ahead in 13 minutes against the run of play with their two best players on the day combining. Ex-Thistle winger Alan McFadden – who caused problems for the Jags all day down the left wing – crossed low into the six yard box and Jack Marriott nicked in first to get the touch and score.

Two minutes later Lanark almost made it two from a free kick that Davie McEwan just managed to scramble the ball onto the corner of post and bar. Dean Richardson was booked for the foul that led to the free kick. Half way through the first half Thistle nearly equalised when another Gracie throw set up a great chance that was cleared off the line. That was quickly followed up by a Canning shot that was miraculously saved at point blank range by the Lanark keeper.

Thistle’s pressure did pay off however on the half hour mark when Gracie again did well on the left wing before crossing the ball for McGeachie to head in at the near post.

Ross McGeachie equalises for Thistle
Ross McGeachie equalises for Thistle

The home team were only level for nine minutes though before McFadden again tormented the defence before playing an identical ball into the box for another close range finish.

Half Time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Lanark 2

Thistle started the second half in somewhat bizarre fashion, with two Jags players leaving the ball from the kick off to each other, allowing Lanark to snatch possession and break up the park and only a great diving save at the feet of the striker by McEwan stopped the Jags going further behind. This spurred Thistle into action and they replied with a series of corners but the visitors defence stood firm. Next up on 53 minutes was the move of the day from Thistle, Gracie drifting past his man on the left before crossing for Canning to hit a tremendous volley just past the post. A minute later the same two players combined as Gracie crossed from the left for Canning to head just over and he will have felt that he should have scored. Canning was booked a couple of minutes later for arguing about a free kick given against JP Grant.

Lanark were under the cosh and the only outcome looked to be a Larkhall equaliser but as they did in the first half they produced a smash and grab act against the run of play. Thistle should have heeded the warning when again the low ball into the centre of the defence had to be dealt with brilliantly by McEwan but on the hour mark yet another ball down the left caught the Jags out, Grant tried to clear it but could only steer it past the helpless McEwan to make it 1-3. A few minutes later Gracie picked up a booking and Scott McLachlan replaced Brian Jack.

McLachlan made an immediate impact on the game and did more in his first couple of minutes than Thistle had shown all day on the right side of midfield. His direct play produced a great cross into the middle of the goal for Gracie to take the ball on his chest before turning and volleying home. The Jags were once again piling on the pressure and on the 67th minute Grant was furious with himself as he missed a golden opportunity to level the scores, his header going just over the bar.

JP Grant heads over in second half
JP Grant heads over in second half

That was to prove costly five minutes later when Lanark were awarded a hotly contested penalty, Hugh Kelly was booked for his protests and Marriott made the score 2-4. Thistle weren’t done yet though and their tremendous fighting spirit got them back into the game a couple of minutes later when McGeachie tapped in after keeper Tobin failed to hold.

Mark McKeever sets off on a run as Dean Richardson takes a throw for Thistle
Mark McKeever sets off on a run as Dean Richardson takes a throw for Thistle

Spurred on by the goal, it was all out attack now and the Jags produced corner after corner and bombarded the Lanark defence in their attempts to get the equaliser but despite some heroic efforts the visitors held on for the win.

JP Grant was booked in the 83rd minute and Richardson was sent off for a second booking in time added on.

Full Time: Larkhall Thistle 3 Lanark 4

Thistle Scorers: McGeachie 2, Gracie

Larkhall Thistle Team:
McEwan; Brown, Kelly, Fleming, Richardson; McKeever, Canning, Grant, Jack; McGeachie, Gracie. Subs Russell, McLachlan, Weir, Strang, Moss

Best for Thistle on the day were Gracie and McEwan and McGeachie with Kelly and Canning also making good contributions.

 

Lanark 2 Larkhall Thistle 0 – 27th October, 2012

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Moor Park, Lanark
Lanark v Larkhall Thistle

Larkhall Thistle slumped to their fifth successive defeat in the biting cold at Moor Park despite having the lion’s share of possession throughout. The Jags again started without midfielder JP Grant who was sitting out the second game of his two match suspension and his drive and determination were badly missed in the middle of the park.

Thistle's defender Mark Russell clears the ball
Thistle’s Mark Russell clears the ball

The game started quietly and the best effort in the early part was an Alan Fleming header from a Mark McKeever corner that went over the bar. Thistle then fell behind in the 13th minute against the run of play, a high ball cleared the Jags defence and fell to Lanark’s Burns, who beat Andy Brown before firing a low shot past keeper Davie McEwan.

Lanark players celebrate the first goal against Larkhall Thistle
Larkhall came back and again saw most of the ball with Mark McKeever causing a constant problem to the Lanark defence with his running on the left and his crosses. In the 22nd minute the Jags came close to levelling the game when Graham Gracie fought hard to win back a ball just outside the box and laid it off to McKeever, whose cross was met by Mark Canning on the volley but his effort flew over the bar.

A couple of minutes later Brian Jack was booked for a tackle in the middle of the park that was judged too forceful by the referee. He was followed quickly into the book by Ross McGeachie.

Thistle first half attack at Lanark
Thistle continued to dominate with Lanark being reduced to defending and counter attacks and ten minutes from half time a high ball into the Lanark goal was fumbled by the keeper. It broke to McKeever who had an open goal in front of him but was foiled by a home defender, who made an excellent lunging block to keep his side on top. Two minutes later the Lanark defence again performed heroics to keep out a triple effort from Thistle, the ball finally being cleared for a corner. McKeever took the corner and Brian Jack met it on the volley but shot wide.

Larkhall Thistle go close with a header in the first half
Two minutes from the interval Lanark’s new signing ran from deep to get on the end of a long clearance and took the ball past Brown before slipping his shot past Davie McEwan to double the lead.

Half Time Lanark 2 Larkhall Thistle 0

The second half had only just started when Thistle made their first substitution, Mark Weir replacing Mark Russell. Andy Brown switched to right back with Weir taking his place at centre half. The Jags went close to reducing the deficit in 55 minutes when a McKeever corner was met by Jack who managed to get a shot away while falling but the shot was off target.

The Lanark keeper scrambles across to repel another Larkhall Thistle attack
Five minutes later an audacious 35 yard chip from Graham Gracie was tipped wide by the Lanark keeper at full stretch for a corner. Dean Richardson was then booked for a tackle before Gracie produced another moment of quality with a tremendous cross from the left that was headed just over by McKeever.

Larkhall Thistle's Graham Gracie delivers a great cross for Mark McKeever to head
Gracie was involved again moments later with another great cross, this time from the right that fell temptingly for Scott McLachlan but just evaded his stretching effort. The big striker then had a mazy dribble and shot but the keeper saved well, before Ryan Moore was brought on to replace McLachlan who had been carrying a shoulder injury for most of the game.

Larkhall Thistle substitute Ryan Moore wins a header
Larkhall were in control of most of the play and it took until fifteen minutes to go for Lanark to produce their first real threat of the second half. The ball was worked down the right side and a whipped low cross was met by a smart shot that McEwan did well to produce a reaction save to.

Larkhall Thistle keeper Davie McEwan clears
With ten minutes to play Jack produced his best moment of the match when he played a slide rule pass inside the Lanark defender to find McKeever whose low cross into the middle was fired over the bar. The Jags last real attempt came five minutes before the end, again involving Graham Gracie who beat two men before shooting over the bar. Mark Canning was booked just before the end for a tackle.

Whilst the recent run of form is disappointing Thistle are by no means out of contention and still have everything to play for in the league, the result today leaves them three points behind third placed Lanark with a game in hand. So still all to play for, hopefully starting next week at Bellshill.

Full Time Lanark 2 Larkhall Thistle 0

Larkhall Thistle:
McEwan; Russell, Fleming, Brown, Richardson; McLachlan, Canning, Jack, McKeever; McGeachie, Gracie. Subs Moore, Weir, McNab, MacKay, Moss

Best for Thistle on the day were McKeever for the first half and Gracie for the second.