Month: October 2019

Banchory St Ternan 1 Larkhall Thistle 6 – 26th October 2019

On: By: ian

Milton Park, Crathes
Banchory St Ternan v Larkhall Thistle
Macron Scottish Junior Cup – 3rd Round

 

 

Thistle were the 2/5 pre-match favourites to come away from sunny Deeside with a win and although the final score reflected the odds it was far from plain sailing for most of the game. Larkhall made it hard for themselves for long periods and never really looked convincing until a couple of late goals made sure they would be in the next round.

 

An early goal could have settled any nerves and the Jags almost got one, Graham Gracie found himself in the clear after only two minutes but was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post. The game settled down into a typical junior cup tie with plenty of effort from both sides but not a great deal of quality, maybe partly due to the uneven park.

 

It took until midway through the half for the next real chance of note and again it was Gracie, this time in from the left with a good low shot that the keeper got down well to save but it was Banchory who nearly took the lead minutes later. A corner to Larkhall was cleared and Thistle were caught short and left facing a 2 v 2 quick break, the ball was played down the left and rolled into the middle for the striker, Jags keeper Cherry got out quickly to block and was a bit lucky to find the shot hit straight at him.

 

That was the jolt that Thistle needed and two minutes later they took the lead. Gracie appeared to try and take the whole defence on as he was forced further and further left and eventually found a space for a shot, the keeper saved but the ball rebounded back to Warren Grenfell who curled a shot up over the defence and into the top corner.

 

Seven minutes from half time the Saints broke away and looked like they might score but Cherry got out well to head clear, colliding with Adam Boyle in the process. The defender went down with a head knock and caused a bit of concern before making a full recovery and carrying on.

 

Larkhall doubled the lead just before the interval from a corner, Dom Chiedu got up highest and bundled the ball over the line.

 

Half time: Banchory St Ternan 0 Larkhall Thistle 2

 

Banchory started the second half well and had a decent claim for a penalty turned down and plenty of the play in the opening 20 minutes with Thistle not really getting going at all. The home side’s hopes however disappeared in a bizarre one minute spell deep into the second half. David Cherry came for a high ball that looked to be a routine catch but totally flapped at it and missed the ball altogether, it landed at the feet of a Banchory stiker who had the goal gaping and needed only to roll it into the empty net from close range but somehow managed to miss by five yards.

 

From the kick out Thistle went straight up the park and scored. Gracie fended off two defenders and slid the ball down the line for the overlapping Cowan to cross into the middle for Currie who took a touch to set himself and shot past the helpless keeper.

 

It was possibly more than Thistle deserved at that stage and any possible lingering doubt was removed 10 minutes from the end when Thistle’s man of the match Bartoz looked to have tripped over his own feet but recovered to play a one-two before turning inside and floating a magnificent shot right into the top corner.

 

Even with five minutes left, a clean sheet was probably a bit too much to hope for and so it proved with the whole defence switching off and allowing a free shot from close range.

 

The difference between the teams was emphasised with two late goals, a great strike from Gracie that he flicked up and hit on the half-volley from the edge of the box and a stooping header from Jack Currie as Gracie turned provider with a pinpoint cross from the right.

 

A good day out for all the travelling players and supporters – job done and on to the next round but Thistle will have to up their game if they are going to progress any further in the cup.

 

Full time: Banchory St Ternan 1 Larkhall Thistle 6

 

Cherry; Chiedu (Dickson 84), Stewart, Boyle, Dawson; Grenfell, Cuthbertson (Gallagher 68), Bartoz, Dawson (Wilson 84), Currie, Gracie

 

Glasgow Perthshire 4 Larkhall Thistle 6

On: By: hugh

Thistle arrived at Keppoch Park Possillpark with a much depleted squad due to holidays and injuries. Unavailable for selection were David Cherrie , Michael Brunton , Craig Dickson , Warren Grenfell, Billy Wilson , Dylan O’ Hagan ,Taylor Scott.

Thistle started brightly on what is one of the tightest parks in junior football and soon had the home team under pressure and within four minutes had taken the lead when Jack Currie pounced when the home keeper failed to hold his first effort. Thistle kept on the offensive and Jack Currie got his second goal after finding himself unmarked in the box knocking the ball past Calder in the home goal . Thistle were now in complete control and Scott Cowan netted a fine goal from a Graham Gracie pass. However Thistle then proceeded to give away a goal from poor defensive play.

Half Time Perthshire 1 Larkhall Thistle 3

After a bit of an early push from the home team Thistle proceeded to go up the park and Graham Gracie netted from the right hand side of the box . As in the first half Thistle were now in control and Graham Gracie netted his second with an outrageous chip over the stranded home keeper. Minutes later he completed his hat trick with a well struck drive which left the keeper helpless to put the Jags in to what looked like easy street. However this Thistle team seem to like to do things the hard giving away a needless penalty when the ball should have been put out of play. They then proceeded to lose another two the last of which was the final kick of  the game.

The one thing you have to do when you play here is compete and no complaints on that score.

Once again everybody gave their all but a special mention to the deadly duo Jack Currie and Graham Gracie they did the business again today.

Team; Ryan Cooper , Ben Fraser, Dom Chiedu , Kyle Stewart , Paul Dawson , Scott Cowan , Shaun Gallagher ,Adam Boyle , Bartek,Jack Currie , Graham Gracie.

Subs ; Mark Cuthbertson , Aiden McMurray , Jonny Wilson , Scott Stewart

two yellow cards – Ben Fraser

Royal Albert 3 Larkhall Thistle 4 – 12th October 2019

On: By: ian

Tilework Park, Stonehouse
Royal Albert v Larkhall Thistle
McBookie.com West Region – League One

 

Today saw the first Larkhall derby in the league since season 2010/11 when Thistle had plunged to the bottom division for their one and only season since the leagues were restructured and it was a fitting return to the fixture. No holds barred and with nothing asked or given, it was a blood and guts affair played with maximum effort and intensity by both sides of an evenly matched contest.

 

The crowd had hardly settled into position before Albert took the lead with what must undoubtably be a contender for the best goal ever seen by them in their new home. The ball was punted forward out of defence and Alan Campbell was too strong in the air for Jags Kyle Stewart, he nodded the ball down to Mak McGinty who hit a worldy volley from 25 yards right into the top corner as Ryan Cooper in the Thistle goal could only look on helplessly.

 

Albert were very much on top in the early stages and took the game to their opponents, Campbell out-muscled Dom Chierdu on the left of the box to get in for a shot with Cooper making a good save and a minute later McGinty nipped in behind Dickson as he failed to clear, Cooper had to get down smartly again to tip past.

 

Larkhall did manage a break out of defence in the 19th minute and it got them an equaliser against the run of play. Stewart won the ball as the Albert winger slipped and strode forward 20 yards on the left side before delivering a cracking long pass up over the defence, Gracie brought the ball down with a great first touch and slammed it past the keeper.

 

Albert were unlucky not to score again before the break, in the 34th minute they won a corner on the left, the ball was fizzed right across the six yard area and a shot from point blank range hit Michael Brunton on the line. Thistle didn’t clear the ball properly and it fell to Barry Murdoch who shot from 30 yards and Cooper produced another top save down to his right, from the resultant corner Brunton again had to clear off the line, this time deliberately though.

 

At the other end Sean Gallagher just failed to meet a cross with a diving header and after good link up play between Bartoz and Currie, Bartoz made space to get his shot away but choked it well past the post.

 

Half time came with the Jags looking the happier side to be going in level.

 

Half time: Royal Albert 1 Larkhall Thistle 1

 

Albert started the second half even quicker than the first and in the opening minute they were allowed in again in too easily and produced a shot that Cooper got down to save. Thistle didn’t heed the warning and three minutes later good work by Man of the Match McGinty on the edge of the box left him in space for a shot that Cooper looked to have saved comfortably but spilled and Campbell reacted far too quickly for the sleeping Thistle defence, rounding the keeper easily before tapping in.

 

Back came Thistle again, Gracie made a good run and was fouled but should have been allowed to go on, the referee however stopped play to book the Albert player. Gracie took the free kick himself and the difference between the desire of the two teams was summed up when the keeper dropped the ball, two defenders were there to clear while no Thistle player was anywhere near.

 

Michael Brunton had made a contribution by being on the line twice to prevent a goal but was replaced by Taylor Scott who made an immediate impact with a great cross fom the right that Jack Currie headed in for the equaliser. Although Thistle had never really been in the game it was anybody’s now and two minutes later they took the lead for the first time. Currie picked up the ball on left and with three defenders round him twisted and turned clear before whipping a vicious shot that looked to have hit the bar but in fact rattled back out off the stanchion, a good spot by the referee without the aid of goal line technology.

 

Albert weren’t done and midway through the half they won a free kick that was floated in with no marking at all as the Thistle defence allowed a free header that fortunately landed right at Cooper’s feet. But the luck didn’t hold out for much longer as Larkhall switched off when Dickson was off injured, Albert hit on the break and Cooper was beaten at his near post.

 

The winning goal came in 72 minutes and again it was Scott who started it off with a cross from the right, the defence cleared only as far as Gracie whose shot was parried into the path of Scott who couldn’t miss from two yards.

 

That was the end of the scoring despite a frantic ending that could have produced goals at both ends with yet another great save from Cooper tipping over the bar and being enough to see the game out.

 

A great game but very harsh on Albert who were the better team and should have taken something from the game, defences were poor on both sides and in Campbell and McGinty Albert probably had the two best players on the park. From the Thistle side Taylor Scott was the man who made the difference.

 

Full time: Royal Albert 3 Larkhall Thistle 4

 

Cooper; Chierdu, Stewart, Dickson, Boyle, Brunton (Scott 55), Gallagher, Grenfell (Cuthbertson 85), Bartoz (Dawson 80) Currie, Gracie

 

Larkhall Thistle 3 Port Glasgow 3 – 5th October 2019

On: By: ian

Gasworks Park, Larkhall
Larkhall Thistle v Port Glasgow
McBookie.com West Region – League One

 

Having drawn 2-2 at the start of the season at Port Glasgow, Thistle were playing the return fixture unusually early today due to the scheduled game against Wishaw being postponed for a Scottish Cup replay.

 

The Jags started the game well and could have taken the lead as early as the first minute but Taylor Scott scuffed his shot from a good position. However for all their pressure it was Port Glasgow who took the lead in the 16th minute and from a defensive point of view it was a bad goal to lose. Kyle Stewart attempted to see the ball out for a goal kick but was dispossessed and the cross went straight to a Port attacker in the proverbial acres of space twelve yards out for an easy finish.

 

Four minutes later it was the unfortunate Stewart again who failed to clear properly and the ball went straight to an opponent whose shot took a deflection and looped up over David Cherry in the Thistle goal.

 

It looked like a long way back at that point in the game but Larkhall aimed to get back in the game straight away and a good long ball out of defence from Stewart was flicked on by Jack Currie into the path of Sean Gallagher who took a good touch but his first time shot was blocked by the advancing keeper.

 

Thistle had decent possession and some good play but didn’t really create any more chances, going in at the break two goals down.

 

Half time: Larkhall Thistle 0 Port Glasgow 2

 

The Larkhall manager made a double substitution at half time with the fit again Graham Gracie and Dom Chiedu replacing the ineffective midfield pairing of Taylor Scott and Dylan O’Hagan in a 3-5-2 formation. The change made an immediate impact on the game as Larkhall dominated the second half with Ben Fraser and Paul Cowan providing the width down the wings. They came close with a cross from Cowan that the keeper had to palm onto the bar to keep out but nearly got the beakthrough after 62 minutes when a pinpoint cross from Gracie on the left was met full on by Currie but his header just went past the post.

 

Thistle did get the goal they had been pressing for in the 70th minute, Gracie was taken down by two Port Glasgow players on the edge of the box and took the resultant free kick himself. The ball came back off the wall but for once Larkhall got the break of the ball and it fell to Currie, he slipped it to Gallagher in space on the right who finished well with a shot that beat the keeper at the near post.

 

A minute later it should have been 2-2 as Gracie drifted past two defenders before releasing the ball to Currie, he showed great feet to create a yard in the box and just when he’d done everything right he scooped his shot over the bar from 6 yards.

 

As the game went into added time the home fans and dugout were fearing the worst but eventually the chance did come in the 91st minute, a clear handball that the refeee did well to spot in the crowd of players and award the penalty. Gracie made no mistake from the spot and the Jags were immediately back on the attack after winning the ball from the kick off, Gracie and Currie again played the ball through the middle and the final touch appeared to come off a defender to spin the ball up over the keeper and into the net to send nearly everybody in the ground into raptures.

 

There were still five minutes left to play though – ironically largely due to the Port Glasgow time wasting tactics when they were two goals up. Right on the final whistle some rash defending resulted in a corner to the away side and bad marking once again left a player with a free header to draw the game.

 

A point won or two lost depending whether you have a glass half full or glass half empty attitude but there’s no doubt that after taking the lead Thistle should have seen the game out for the win.

 

Nobody really emerged with flying colours today but Graham Gracie’s influence turned a defeat into what was so nearly a win.

 

Full time: Larkhall Thistle 3 Port Glasgow 3

 

Larkhall Thistle:
cherry; Fraser (B Wilson 85), Boyle, stewart, Dawson; Brunton, O’Hagan (Gracie 45), Grenfell, Scott (chiedu 45); Gallagher, Currie