With Girvan on William Hill Scottish Cup preliminary Rd. Thistle have arranged a friendly at Gasworks Park against their old friends St. Anthony’s K.O. 2pm.
Month: August 2018
Whittlets Vics 9 Larkhall Thistle 0
Thistle arrived in sunny Ayr minus 7 signed players due to holidays work commitments and injuries with four trialists in the starting line up.
Thistle started quite brightly without putting the home team under any serious pressure and then proceeded to lost what can only be described as three preventable goals in the space of 15 mins. the third being a very dubious penalty decision. To the players credit they re grouped and half time arrived with no further goals.
H/ time Whittlets Vics 3 Larkhall Thistle 0
Thistle made a change at half time with trialist (no 11) replaced by David Hazizi and the wide man came close on two occasions to reducing the leeway. Thistle were enjoying a good spell of pressure with both Bartosz and Michael Brunton coming close (trialist no.10) was then replaced by Mark Cuthbertson then Thistle lost 3 goals in 5 minutes . Bartosz then had to be replaced by Scott Cuthbertson due to injury. With 80 minutes on the clock Thistle were reduced to 10 when Darren Holmes was injured and could not continue. A further 3 goals were concede in the final 13 minutes.
Thistle showed glimpses at times with a couple of the trialists showing promise.
Final score Whittlets Vics 9- Larkhall Thistle 0
Team ; McGraw, Gibb, Adam, Trialist, Holmes, Trialist , McMurray, Brunton, Bartosz, Trialist, Trialist
Subs Hazizi for Trialist no.11, Mark Cuthbertson for trialist no.10, Scott Cuthbertson for Bartosz
G/keeping sub. Euan Alexander.
St Roch’s 9 Larkhall Thistle 2 – 18th August 2018
James McGrory Park, Glasgow
St Roch’s v Larkhall Thistle
McBookie.com West Region Championship
St Roch’s pulled in a good crowd for the anticipated hammering of traditional rivals Thistle, boosted by around 10 travelling supporters.
Thistle suffered an early blow when David Breen limped off with a hamstring injury but took a shock lead in the 17th minute, Mark Cuthbertson nicking in front of the defence to finish from close range.
The excitement was short lived however as the home side replied with three quick goals in five minutes and another shortly after.
A further goal before half time from a break down the right resulting in a low cross and easy finish summed up the extent of the Jags defensive frailties.
Half time St Roch’s 5 Larkhall Thistle 1
As they had in the first half, Thistle scored the first goal in the second period after a howler from the home keeper left Bartosz with an empty goal. The home team looked flustered for the first time although the chances of a comeback were slim to say the least but it took until the final quarter of the game for them to add to their lead with a scooped shot.
What followed later was an unfair reflection of the play, St Roch’s were better on the day but the margin was more than the young Jags team deserved to lose by. A daft challenge gave the referee no option but to award a penalty for 7-2 but the next goal was farcical, the wide right St Roch’s player being without exaggeration 10 yards offside before cutting the ball back.
The last goal was a more modest 2 yards offside but still blatant and though the home fans were desperate for another, they couldn’t manage double figures.
Positives for Thistle were thin on the ground but scoring first in both halves and getting two goals for the first time showed there is maybe something there to work with. Speed of thought and quickness on the ball need to improve drastically if the boys are going to make the step up to junior players as well as retaining the ball and not giving it away when not under any pressure.
Full time St Roch’s 9 Larkhall Thistle 2
Larkhall Thistle:
McGraw; R Adams, D Adams,
Holmes, Beattie, Hazizi (Park 70),
Brunton, Simpson, Bartosz,
Breen not shown (Paterson 10), Cuthbertson.
Subs not shown: Airth, Munn, Cooper
Fixtures going forward
Saturday 18th. August St. Rochs Away
Saturday 25th. August Whittlets Vics Away
Saturday 1st. September St. Anthonys Friendly home should have been Girvan postponed due to cup game in William Hill Scottish Cup preliminary round.
Saturday 8th. September Cumbernauld away
Saturday 15th. September Rutherglen Glencairn home (also 1st. round Scottish only 1 tie)
Saturday 22th. September Arthurlie away
Saturday 29th. September 2nd round Scottish
Saturday 6th. October Darvel Home
Saturday 13th. October Kilsyth Rangers away
Saturday 20th. October Neilston Home
Saturday 27th October 3rd.round Scottish Cup
Saturday 3rd. November Kello Home
Saturday 10th. November Muirkirk home West of Scotland Cup
Saturday 17th. November Dalry Thistle Away
Saturday 24th. November 3rd. round Scottish Cup
Saturday 1st. December Benburb Home.
Larkhall Thistle v Benburb Wednesday 22 nd. August
The West Region have announced that all games scheduled for the 22nd.August have been cancelled due to the travel distances for some clubs and the problem of poor light making even a 6.30 pm k.o.. unpractical. This fixture will now be played 1st. December.
Thistle photos 1974 + 1975
Some great photos of Thistle in the 70s supplied by former Jags legend Arthur Whiteside. Not sure if they’ve been up on the site already but always worth seeing again either way.
Many thanks Arthur
Larkhall Thistle 1 Rossvale 6 – 11th August 2018
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Rossvale
McBookie.com West Region Championship
Thistle’s third league game of the season saw them go down to another heavy home defeat leaving them at the bottom of the table.
The Jags saw a glimmer of light when they pulled a goal back to make it 3-1 but another one before the interval killed off any comeback prospects.
Half time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Rossvale
4
A decent looking Rossvale side added a further two second half goals to push themselves up into joint third place.
Full time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Rossvale
6
Larkhall Thistle:
Cooper; Gibb, Kidd, Holmes, J. Adams, R. Adams, Riddoch, Broaton, Bartloz, M. Cuthbertson, Torrance
Subs: Munn, Airth, S. Cuthbertson, Campbell, McMurray
Scorer: Bartloz
Larkhall Thistle 0 v Cumbernauld United 8
Thistle started very well with a team containing 4 young lads and a mixture of trialists and signed players only to loose the opening goal as the result of a massive blunder by the assistant referee failing to raise his flag for offside with at least 3 Cumbernauld players in an offside position with one of them finally netting from close in. With regular keeper Ryan Cooper unavailable Young Lewis Melvin was in goal and was very unfortunate when he just failed to push a well struck Div. Reid free kick round the post . So half time Thistle 0 – Cumbernauld 2.
Thistle lost Mark Cuthbertson and Kevin Campbell to injury being replaced by two trialists.
With fifteen minute left to play the jags were 4-0 down but lack of experience and fitness resulted in a further 4 goals for the team who have been installed as favourites to win the league.
The management team are actively working to bring in some experienced players but patience will need be shown be everyone.
Larkhall Thistle 1 Irvine Victoria 6 – 4th August 2018
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Irvine Victoria
McBookie.com West Region Championship
Thistle began their league campaign against Irvine Victoria, a team who found themselves in the same situation of having no players, manager or money going forward into the new season.
The first half showed a marked improvement in the young Jags team as they saw out the half on level terms with the sides creating a couple of chances each.
Half time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Irvine Victoria 0
The second half started with Vics doing most of the pressing and they got the breakthrough when the ball broke from a corner and was steered in for the opener. However the game turned on a couple of wild tackles from Ross Adams in a five minute spell resulting in Thistle being reduced to ten men.
Having just about held their own and stayed in the game at 11 v 11, the extra man proved too much and the Jags collapsed with Irvine tearing the defence apart almost at will. Vics scored again straight after the sending off with a free kick that took a horrible bobble when the keeper looked to have it covered but three more goals in a five minute spell tied it up. Thistle pulled one back from the penalty spot but lost the six almost straight from the restart.
With Irvine Victoria as one of the teams potentially competing at the foot of the table for survival, this is a benchmark of the improvement that will be needed to stay in the league.
Full time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Irvine Victoria 6
Larkhall Thistle:
Cooper; Gibb, Kidd, Holmes, J. Adams, R. Adams, Riddoch, Broaton, Bartloz, M. Cuthbertson, Torrance
Subs: Munn, Airth, S. Cuthbertson, Campbell, McMurray
Scorer: Bartloz
Blantyre Vics 6 LarkhallThistle 1
After Thistle’s fighting display against East Kilbride on Monday night losing 3-2 after a spirited display a much changed team with 4 trialists in the line up were eventually well beaten by a strong Vics. line up. Thistle were 4-1 down at the break but improved in the second half. East Kilbride won the section after beating Glencairn 3-1.
The club are under no illusions that there is a great deal of work to be done having to start from scratch with no players remaining from last season so patience will be the key word for us all.
On to Saturday now with Irvine Vics. the visitors for the opening league game of the season.