Tagged: St Anthonys

Larkhall Thistle 3 St Anthony’s 2, 24th November, 2012

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
Gasworks Park
Larkhall Thistle v St Anthony’s

Thistle made hard work of beating a good St Anthony’s team in the heavy going, despite the visitors being down to ten men for most of the game. On a great day for football, this was one of the few games in the West Central area to survive the week’s rain and only made it due to the touchline being brought in by two yards on each side to cut out the worst of the damage caused by the weather.

Larkhall Thistle v St Anthony's first half, Ants corner
St Anthony’s win a corner

St Anthony’s started well and Davie McEwan had to look sharp to bring off a diving save to his left from a free kick in the seventh minute, after Hugh Kelly had conceded the foul for a shove just outside the box. It took until the sixteenth minute before the Jags made any impact, Ross McGeachie curling a shot just past the post from 15 yards.

Ross McGeachie curls a shot wide
Ross McGeachie curls a shot wide

Larkhall were pressing well now and eight minutes later a free kick from Graham Gracie fell nicely for JP Grant, who made a lung bursting run to get on the end of it and hit the ball on the half-volley from the edge of the box straight into the goalkeeper’s stomach.

The incident that turned the game however came in the 28th minute. Gracie took a throw on the left and as McGeachie went up for the header, the Ant’s defender was judged to have pushed him down and the referee awarded a penalty. Ant’s McDonald was booked and continued protesting until the referee lost patience and sent him off with another yellow card. Grant stepped up and scored low to the left to keep up his fine record with penalties this season.

The lead was only to last three minutes, St Anthony’s struck back right away with a ball swept from right to left finding O’Donnell on the corner of the box who smashed it high into the net. Thistle came back immediately and produced the best moment of football in the game, Grant played a defence splitting pass through the middle to McKeever who’s clever back-heel took out the whole St Anthony’s defence and set up a shot for Gracie who blasted over the bar. A minute later the big striker appeared to be clean through again but decided to check his run and the chance was lost.

Ross McGeachie and Alan Fleming watch a corner coming in
Ross McGeachie and Alan Fleming watch a corner coming in

Thistle’s pressure finally paid off though three minutes from the interval. A sweeping Jags move put Gracie in the clear and he tried to lob the keeper but it was scrambled clear for a corner. From the corner Dean Richardson picked up the ball and cut across the byeline past a defender, before catching out the Ant’s defence with a high cross to the back post for Grant to head into the empty net.

Half Time: Larkhall Thistle 2 St Anthony’s 1

Thistle started the second half fired up looking as if they wanted to take advantage of the extra man and kill the game off. A long clearance from keeper McEwan found the run of McGeachie who took the ball in his stride past a defender and past the keeper, unfortunately he had gone too wide and couldn’t roll the ball in from the tight angle. The Jags kept up the pressure though and a knock down from McGeachie set up a shooting opportunity for Richardson but he fired over from just outside the box.

In 55 minutes Larkhall did extend their lead when Andy Brown drove down the right wing before sending a looping cross to the back post for McGeachie to head back across the goal into the far corner. 3-1.

St Anthony’s squeezed the play up the park in an attempt to get the goals back but this left their defence vulnerable to long through balls and time after time Thistle caught them out but couldn’t add to their goals tally. The best of the chances fell to McKeever in 77 minutes after Gracie had done well to get the ball across and Canning had swiped at the ball and missed. The winger though couldn’t put the ball away and shot wide.

Davie McEwan lines up a free kick
Davie McEwan lines up a free kick

The Jags had a late let off five minutes later after a great block from Brown rebounded and was smashed off the bar with McEwan helpless. Brown then picked up an injury and was replaced by Scott McLachlan with McKeever filling in at full back.

Five minutes from time the visitors did pull a goal back when an innocuous looking ball appeared to be misjudged by Davie McEwan, the ball landed at O’Donnell’s feet and he stuck it in the net.

McGeachie was booked late on for heading the ball into the net after the whistle had gone, McKeever followed him into the book for a tackle and Kelly was booked for dissent.

Thistle survived a nervous last five minutes to hold out for the win that on balance of play and chances created they probably deserved, but credit to the Ants who made them fight all the way even with only ten men on the park.

Full Time: Larkhall Thistle 3 St Anthony’s 2

Thistle Scorers: Grant 2, McGeachie

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

Booked: McGeachie, McKeever, Kelly

Best for Thistle on the day was Grant, although there were good performances too from Brown, Kelly and McKeever

St Anthony’s 2 Larkhall Thistle 3 – 1st September 2012

Stagecoach West of Scotland League Central District First Division
McKenna Park, Cardonald, Glasgow
St Anthony’s v Larkhall Thistle

Larkhall Thistle travelled to McKenna Park to take on the well fancied Ants in their third league fixture. The Jags started the game shooting towards the M8 end and fielded an unchanged team from last week’s home draw with Carluke.

Larkhall Thistle break in the first half at St Anthonys
Action from St Anthony’s v Larkhall Thistle

Thistle had the home side under pressure in the 8th minute when a Mark McKeever shot hit the corner of the bar and post and was an early sign of things to come. St Anthonys retaliated with a break four minutes later that saw their dangerous looking striker Chris Mackie unmarked in the centre of the box, his free header going over the bar.

Ross McGeachie headed narrowly wide from a free kick in the 18th minute, the home side broke and were unlucky not to take the lead with a shot that went just past the post. A  minute later a Larkhall break led to a corner on the right, Hugh Kelly swung it in and the Ants keeper somehow managed to reach up and scramble it into his own net for the opening goal.

A couple of minutes later Thistle were denied the chance to double the lead when the referee denied a strong looking claim for a penalty after Kelly was upended in the box following good work from Grant on the right. St Anthonys replied shortly afterwards when a quick break sprung the Jags offside trap and left three home players clear but fortunately for Thistle they squandered the chance. The lead didn’t last much longer however, on the half hour mark St Anthonys won a corner which was headed in at close range by Mackie.

Larkhall bounced back almost immediately though, regaining the lead in the 32nd minute. Grant played a great ball through to Canning that caught the home defence out leaving the midfielder one on one with the keeper. He kept his composure and slipped the ball just inside the left hand post.

Half Time: St Anthony’s 1 Larkhall Thistle 2

The second half started with a strong swirling wind which was to prove telling.

Three minutes after the restart Grant hit the bar with a header from a McLachlan cross, then a home attack resulted in a curling shot from the edge of the box being tipped over by Thomson. A minute later Mark McKeever had a great chance to put Larkhall further ahead but a heavy touch allowed the keeper to dive at his feet and smother the ball. McKeever was adjudged to have gone in too aggressively to the challenge and was booked with the home fans calling for a red card.

Thistle’s Mark McKeever goes close in the second half

Just before the hour point defender Mark Weir picked up an injury and was replaced by Graham Gracie. In the resultant reshuffle Hugh Kelly moved to centre half and JP Grant dropped back into midfield. Next to threaten the Ants goal was Mark Canning who found himself one on one with the keeper on 65 minutes but failed to convert. Ants then made a double substitution, one of the subs being ex-Larkhall Thistle player Bonner.

70 minutes in and Gracie chased down a lost cause, winning the ball and creating a chance for himself. By now the big striker was getting involved in the game and after some superb defending by Kelly had kept the Jags lead intact, he worked his way down the wing and set up Canning in front of goal. Only a last gasp tackle prevented Thistle from extending the lead.

With ten minutes to go Gracie again found himself in on the keeper but passed when he could have shot, Ants broke right back up the park and Mackie should have equalised but fired over. Four minutes from time the game was over as a contest, a high ball forward got caught in the wind and dropped behind the St Anthonys defender 25 yards out. The keeper raced out but Graham Gracie was always favourite to get there first and the ball rolled into the empty net.

Thistle brought on newcomers Mark Bradley and Ryan Moore for Canning and McLachlan with a couple of minutes left on the clock and with the game looking to be won.

Larkhall Thistle second half free kick at St Anthonys
Thistle second half free kick

However there was a late scare when St Anthony’s pulled a goal back and the visiting supporters had visions of another two goal lead being squandered.

The final action of the game saw Graham Gracie in yet another one on one with the Ants keeper, his attempted lob not being high enough to clear the goalie’s outstretched hands.

So  a great result for the Jags and a great start to the league campaign in what looked like a very difficult opening set of fixtures.

Best on the day for Thistle were Thomson, Brown, Kelly and Grant. The improving Mark Russell also deserves a mention.

Full Time: St Anthony’s 2 Larkhall Thistle 3
Thistle Scorers: Kelly, Canning, Gracie

Larkhall Thistle Team:
Thomson; Russell, Weir, Brown, Richardson; McKeever, Canning, Kelly, McLachlan; McGeachie, Grant. Subs: Gracie, Bradley, Moore

Next Game – St Anthonys v Larkhall Thistle

The next game is a League Division 1 fixture away toThe Ants on Saturday 1st September. Kick off is 2:00pm.

Any supporters wanting to travel to the game on the bus should see Chris Lenson, or email iamcintosh @ bluebottle dot com and I will get details for you. By road, St Anthonys park is easy to get to, from the Ibrox junction of the M8 head west along the A8 and the park is on the left just after the roundabout.