Tomorrow’s game at home to Benburb is the first of the early kick offs, 1:45pm
Month: November 2018
Larkhall Thistle v Dukla Pumpherston
Thistle lost an entertaining game against Dukla Pumpherston 5-4, the winner coming with the last kick of the ball.
The Jags team had old favourites like Davy McEwan in goals, Stewart Thomson and Alan “Cheesy” Watson as well as a last 20 minutes cameo appearance from true Thistle scoring legend, 68 year old Alastair Duff who unfortunately didn’t get the goal he was hoping for.
Dukla’s team was made up of ex-pros and celebrities like Peter Martin from Peter and Roughie’s football phone in who showed a deft touch and looked like he had been a bit of a player.
The Edwina McPhee memorial trophy was presented to Dukla by Levi’s daughter Chloe, Dukla will retain it for a year then it will be played for annually by the local primary schools.
140th Anniversary match
This Sunday we are having a charity celebration game with a squad of ex Thistle legends playing against Dukla Pumphertson who comprise of a mixture of ex professional footballers and radio/tv personalities with the gate receipts going to the Larkhall and District volunteers. Kick off of the actual game is 2pm but get down to the ground early and meet some of the great Thistle players from past years. The teams will be playing for Edwina McPhee Memorial Trophy in memory of our Levi’s wife. Going forward this trophy will be played for by the local primary schools on an annual basis.
Dalry Thistle 2 Larkhall Thistle 1 – 17th November 2018
Merksworth Park, Dalry
Dalry Thistle v Larkhall Thistle
McBookie.com West Region Championship
Thistle manager Derek Holmes made two changes from last week’s defeat to Muirkirk, Simpson and Hunter replacing Miller and Brunton but the Jags once again fell behind to an early goal.
Worse was to follow though when they were caught out badly down the problem right defensive side as Dalry broke away, the cross easily finished at the back post to give the home side a two goal lead at the interval.
Half time: Dalry Thistle 2 Larkhall Thistle 0
The second half started with Michael Brunton coming on for Ben Fraser at left back, a switch that looked like it must have been down to an injury.
Larkhall began the second half well with a good spell of pressure, a shot from Brunton brought loud claims for a penalty for handball and his follow up shot was heading into the roof of the net and only stopped by a great save as the Dalry keeper tipped the ball over the bar.
Thistle got the goal that their pressure deserved with 15 minutes left through a simple cross and a header from Breen that went in off the bottom of the post.
In the closing stages of the match both teams went for it and Larkhall keeper Colin McGraw had by far his best game as he made no fewer than five excellent saves to prevent the home side extending their lead.
For the third week in a row Thistle pounded the opposition defence in the closing stages and had a couple of chances to score and claim that elusive first point but again it wasn’t to be.
Full time: Dalry Thistle 2 Larkhall Thistle 1
Scorer: Breen
Larkhall Thistle:
McGowan, Rowan, Fraser, Boyle, McMurray, Dick, 11 Simpson, 8 Forbes 7 O’Hagan (Campbell), 9 Bartosz, Miller 10 Hunter (Breen), 12 Brunton. Subs Miller, Cooper (GK)
Larkhall Thistle 2 Murkirk 3 – 10th November 2018
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Murkirk
Ardagh Group West of Scotland Cup
Thistle went into today’s game on the back of a 3-2 home defeat to Kello Rovers, which before the game looked like being their best chance of a league win. Muirkirk are third bottom of League 2 and today’s game looked like the last chance of a win of any kind, as it turned out it was another defeat and exit from another cup at the first time of asking.
11 minutes into the game Larkhall found themselves in the familiar position of being a goal down, the defence failed to clear a corner properly and the second ball was finished from close range.
The Jags came into the game and played a bit of football in what turned out to be a decent first half for them. They created a few chances most notably a Miller header that he should have scored with and a move down the right that found Forbes in on goal but his touch was too heavy, allowing the keeper time to get out and block his shot.
Thistle did draw level just before half time though with a wonder strike from Michael Brunton, winning the ball and playing a one-two before unleashing an unstoppable shot that dipped high into the top corner.
Half time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Murkirk 1
The decision to play McGraw in goals ahead of young Cooper surprised most given the way he had struggled and ten minutes into the half his error proved to be the turning point in the game. The keeper came out of his goal to challenge for a high ball and got nowhere near it, instead clattering into the Muirkirk forward and conceding a penalty which was easily converted.
Five minutes later a move down the left wing had the home defence floundering and the cross was easily slotted past McGraw to make it 3-1.
Thistle manager Derek Holmes reacted right away by taking off Miller who had posed no threat in attack and replacing him with Hunter, a move that almost paid off right away as he made a good run and was put in by Forbes only for the keeper to dive at his feet and thwart him.
With time running out, Thistle won a corner on the right and the kick was swept first time into the roof of the net by Ben Fraser who again had a good game for the Jags.
As it was last week, the closing stages were all about Thistle bombarding the visitors goal in search of an equaliser, if they could bring that kind of urgency and will to win to the other 85 minutes they might have a chance of doing something.
Full time: Larkhall Thistle 2 Murkirk 3
Larkhall Thistle:
McGowan, Rowan, Fraser, Boyle, McMurray, Dick (Simpson), Forbes (Campbell), O’Hagan, Bartosz, Miller (Hunter), Brunton. Subs Holmes, Cooper (GK)
Larkhall Thistle 2 Kello Rovers 3 – 3rd November 2018
Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Kello Rovers
McBookie.com West Region Championship
Today’s bottom of the league clash saw the Jags welcome Kello Rovers, the only other team in the four divisions who were yet to win a point in the league. The good news was that at least one of them would lose that unwanted tag, the bad news is that it wasn’t Thistle.
There were four changes to the starting eleven from last week and anybody who saw the game last week wouldn’t have had many complaints about them with Cooper restored in goals and Hunter, Campbell and Breen the all-change forward three.
Larkhall suffered a major dent to their hopes however when the visitors took the lead before half time with a shot across the keeper.
Half time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Kello Rovers 1
The second half was only six minutes old when the Jags fell further behind, a run down the right past Michael Brunton and a shot low into the far corner of the goal. It went from bad to worse less than 10 minutes later as Kello looked to have put the game out of sight, a defensive howler as an attempted headed clearance spun backwards towards the Jags goal and right into the path of the Kello striker who rolled it in past Cooper.
In a season of lows, 3-0 down at home to a team who had not previously won a point this was hopefully the low watermark.
Things did pick up a bit from there as Thistle took the game to Kello in an attempt to try and get back in the game and they pulled a goal back on 64 minutes with the one genuine moment of quality in the game. Craig Forbes picked up the ball just outside the box and turned inside past his marker before firing an unstoppable dipping shot up and over the keeper and into the top corner.
In fairness to the Jags they battled hard to try and get another goal and came close on a couple of occasions but they did make it 2-3 right at the end of scheduled time with a Hunter pop shot from distance that seemed to catch the keeper by surprise. It looked like it was going to be little more than a consolation but the referee played a further five minutes to make up for the Kello keeper’s time wasting.
The Jags pounded the visitors goal in the remaining time and came within a fraction from scoring when a Kello defender cleared a netbound shot off the line but they couldn’t get the final break that would have seen them get their first point.
Full time: Larkhall Thistle 2 Kello Rovers 3
Larkhall Thistle:
Cooper; Fraser, Barclay (Rowan), Boyle, Brunton, Forbes, Dick, Adams (Simpson), Hunter, Campbell (Miller), Breen. Subs Bartosz, McGraw (GK)
Larkhall Thistle v Kello Rovers
Today’s game is on