Month: March 2019

Larkhall Thistle 0 Kilsyth Rangers 5 – 30th March 2019

On: By: ian

Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Kilsyth Rangers
McBookie.com West Region Championship

 

After last week’s 6-0 defeat at Rutherglen, Thistle were looking to show that the result was more of a blip on the road to recovery rather than a relapse back to early season form. Conditions were perfect for football although the first decent Saturday of the year probably saw more folk cutting their grass than visiting Gasworks Park.

 

Thistle started very brightly and had the majority of early play and chances. New Jags striker Lynn had a busy opening 20 minutes, getting himself into good positions three times and he might well have had a goal or two with a more favourable rub of the green. As it was, it was Kilsyth who took the lead in the 13th minute, Larkhall’s weakness at defending corners being exposed again and a simple header from Salim at the back post.

 

Thistle rallied well and were the better team in the first half but couldn’t translate their possession into goals, and like so often happens got caught with the sucker punch just before half time, a nice dummy wrong footed the defence and Kelly ran on to beat Cooper with a low shot.

 

Half time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Kilsyth Rangers 2

 

The second half was a complete contrast to the first as Kilsyth imposed themselves on the game from the start and Thisle hardly got a look in. The second goal seemed to have been the killer as the Jags failed to get a foothold and hardly managed as much as an effort on goal, a tame shot by Barthoz that went well wide was about as much as they could muster.

 

Kilsyth by contrast grew in confidence as the game went on, the third goal came just before the hour mark from a break down the left and a cross that was met with a sliding shot and it killed off any hopes of a home revival.

 

The fourth and fifth goals showed up the makeshift nature of the defence as they tried to play out rather than clear their lines and got caught, in truth Kilsyth didn’t really have to work too hard for the goals.

 

As with the game last week, Thistle had to see out the game with ten men, this time through more unfortunate circumstances as Mark Cuthbertson went off with an injury after the three subs had already been used.

 

Full time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Kilsyth Rangers 5

 

Cooper; Forbes, Rowan, Boyle, Fraser, Dick (O’Hagan 60), Brunton, K Wilson (Fernie 45), Cuthbertson, Bartoz, Lynn (Simpson 69)

 

Fixtures update

On: By: hugh

All remaining games scheduled as follows

Saturday 30th. March -home – Kilsyth Rangers

Saturday   6th. April – home –  St. Rochs

Saturday 13th. April – home-   Benburb

Saturday 20th. April – away –   Girvan

Saturday 27th. April – Home – Arthurlie

Wednesday 1st.May- away – Darvel venue to be advised as Darvel ground unavailable

Saturday   4th. May – home – Dalry Thistle

Saturday 11th. May – no game

Saturday 18th. May – home – Girvan

Saturday 25th. May – home – Craigmark

Saturday kick offs 2pm Wednesday kick off 7pm.

Category: General Leave a comment/

Rutherglen Glencairn 6 Larkhall Thistle 0 – 23rd March 2019

On: By: ian

Celcius Stadium, Rutherglen
Rutherglen Glencairn v Larkhall Thistle
McBookie.com West Region Championship

 

A month to the day since Thistle last completed a game – a 1-0 away win at Kello Rovers – this was to be a much different challenge with Glencairn sitting second top and the Jags bottom. It was to be a day when nothing went right for Larkhall.

 

There were setbacks before the game started as captain Michael Brunton and Jack Adams who had been playing well at left back were ruled out. New signing Steven Kyle made his debut in the defence but lasted just five minutes before he had to go off injured to be replaced by Aiden McMurray.

 

Thistle started the game well and had the bulk of the early play, taking the game to their opponents but fell behind to a goal against the run of play in the 13th minute. Keeper Ryan Cooper might have felt he could have done better with a low ball across the face of the goal but as he hesitated Mitchell nicked in at the back post to score.

 

The setback didn’t phase the young Jags team too much but Glencairn’s second was a bolt from the blue that nobody saw coming. McGregor won the ball from Ben Fraser on the wide right and whipped in an early shot/cross that dropped in high over Cooper with the keeper having no chance.

 

Cooper however kept Thistle’s slim hopes alive six minutes later, a simple through ball into the path of a runner who wasn’t picked up and got his shot away which the keeper did well to get a leg to. Half time came with Thistle having had decent possession but never really threatening the home goal.

 

Half time: Rutherglen Glencairn 2 Larkhall Thistle 0

 

The Jags sufferered a further blow a minute into the half, Fraser looked to have cleared the ball out of the box but it hit the Glencairn forward’s hand which allowed him to control it, he squared it across the 18 yard line and McRobbie was on hand to slot it into the corner.

 

The final setback of the day saw Fraser pick up a second yellow card for a lunge just eight minutes into the second half, a mountain to climb now became mission impossible and it was only a question of how many more Glencairn would score.

 

It looked ominous when three minutes later Simeon went round the keeper to roll the ball in for a fourth but Larkhall to their credit hung in there and stemmed the flow to an extent. There were further goals from McKay and Simeon but Thistle did create a couple of chances of their own. Forbes curled a shot just past the post, Boyle headed past from a corner after a good move had brought out a save from the home keeper and new signing Lynn hit a free kick that the keeper had to get down to save.

 

Not much was expected of Thistle today and as it turned out the score reflected the league positions but with a full squad to pick from and 11 men on the park it would surely have been a lot closer.

 

Full time: Rutherglen Glencairn 6 Larkhall Thistle 0

 

Cooper; Kyle (McMurray 5), Rowan, Boyle, Fraser, Forbes, Dick (O’Hagan 60) K Wilson, Bartoz, Lynn, Simpson (Fernie 60)

 

Darvel v Larkhall Thistle

On: By: hugh

Today’s game postponed waterlogged and snowbound pitch

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Jimmy McAnenay

On: By: ian

It is with great sadness that the club have to announce the passing of Jimmy McAnenay, a true Thistle legend in every way. Jimmy passed away peacefully on Tuesday 5th March. Without any shadow of a doubt Jimmy played in one of the finest teams every to grace the turf at Gasworks Park .

 

Larkhall Thistle team photograph 15
Bottom row left to right: Jimmy Easton, John McGill, Willie Mclean , Charlie Brown and Jimmy.

He was a right footed old-style winger who played on the left and was capped for Junior Scotland, no mean feat back in the fifties. I can remember going to the games with my dad, I was about ten at the time and loved watching the forward line of Jimmy Easton also capped for Scotland, Big John McGill who went Airdrie, Willie McLean who also went to Airdrie, Charlie Brown who went to Clyde and Jimmy who in such illustrious company did not look out of place.

 

Another internationalist in that team was the great Jimmy Gwynne who was capped at least 6 times for Scotland. I had the great pleasure of meeting Jimmy when he and his nephew Sean were guests at a home game a couple of years ago where he met his old teammate Micky Lyons that day and they had a right good blether about the old days.


Everyone connected to Larkhall Thistle Committee , Supporters, Coaching and Playing Staff would like offer their sincere condolences to the family at this sad time.


R.I.P. Jimmy.

 

Article by Hugh Kerr

 

Larkhall Thistle 1 Givan 1 (match abandoned half time) – 2nd March 2019

On: By: ian

Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Girvan
McBookie.com West Region Championship

 

After a good recent run that had seen Thistle go unbeaten in three games, they had a chance today to draw within two points of their visitors and level on points with Kello Rovers if they had lost to Irvine Vics.

 

All of the early pressure was towards the Girvan end in the rain and swirling wind and Bartoz went close in the second minute with a header from a corner after Brunton had done well to win it. Girvan replied in the ninth minute when their striker found himself clear in the box and it took a good block from the ever-improving Rowan to clear the danger.

 

The wind was causing problems for both sides with passes going out of play regularly in a game that had plenty of endeavour but lacked a good deal of quality. Girvan did weather the early pressure though and got a strong foothold in the game half way through the first half.

 

There followed a good chance each, Brunton just failing to get a touch on a good through ball for Thistle and for Girvan a long ball from inside their own half that went all the way through but was headed just past the post.

 

Larkhall opened the scoring 10 minutes from half time with one of the most remarkable pieces of skill you will see anywhere, far less the Championship in the juniors. Dylan Simpson found himself blocked off from goal by two Girvan defenders on the right hand side of the box but managed somehow to fashion a cross high up into the air and right down onto the line with the back of his heel, the Girvan defence seemed to be in shock and the attempted clearance from the Girvan defender landed in the back of the net.

 

The lead only lasted five minutes however as Girvan rallied and got the equaliser they badly wanted. Thistle conceded a free kick on their left and the cross was swung in and met by the number 11 who got there in front of Brunton to poke it home from close range.

 

Half time: Larkhall Thistle 1 Girvan 1

 

There then followed one of the most bizarre decisions ever seen at Gasworks Park as the referee abandoned the game. The players had gone off for half time but strangely the subs were carrying the kit bags from the dugout back indoors. The referee and linesmen appeared with jackets on and ran about a bit. Then they dropped the ball on the grass and alarm bells started to ring, even though the ball bounced back up almost into the official’s arms.

 

Yes it was raining and the match officials were getting a bit wet. Yes there was a swirling wind but the park itself was 95% perfect with just a small rutted patch in one of the corners so why the game was called off it a complete mystery.

 

As it turned out, the Kello game was also abandoned with them winning 3-1 so if anything the calloffs benefitted Larkhall but that’s little consolation to the playes and fans, especially those who had made the long trip from Ayrshire.

 

Larkhall Thistle:

Cooper; Fraser, J Adams, Rowan, Boyle, Dick, Brunton, K Wilson, Bartoz, Simpson, Breen (Tialist 23)